diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 316846f6e7..14ad17103c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ $(call set-vpath, $(SRC_PATH))
 
 LIBS+=-lz $(LIBS_TOOLS)
 
-HELPERS-y = $(HELPERS)
+HELPERS-y =
 
 # Sphinx does not allow building manuals into the same directory as
 # the source files, so if we're doing an in-tree QEMU build we must
@@ -291,11 +291,6 @@ COMMON_LDADDS = libqemuutil.a
 
 qemu-storage-daemon$(EXESUF): qemu-storage-daemon.o $(authz-obj-y) $(block-obj-y) $(crypto-obj-y) $(chardev-obj-y) $(io-obj-y) $(qom-obj-y) $(storage-daemon-obj-y) $(COMMON_LDADDS)
 
-scsi/qemu-pr-helper$(EXESUF): scsi/qemu-pr-helper.o scsi/utils.o $(authz-obj-y) $(crypto-obj-y) $(io-obj-y) $(qom-obj-y) $(COMMON_LDADDS)
-ifdef CONFIG_MPATH
-scsi/qemu-pr-helper$(EXESUF): LIBS += -ludev -lmultipath -lmpathpersist
-endif
-
 clean: recurse-clean ninja-clean clean-ctlist
 	-test -f ninjatool && ./ninjatool $(if $(V),-v,) -t clean
 # avoid old build problems by removing potentially incorrect old files
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ac0e59fa5e..97cdd48dc4 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6717,7 +6717,6 @@ if [ "$eventfd" = "yes" ]; then
 fi
 
 tools=""
-helpers=""
 if test "$want_tools" = "yes" ; then
   if [ "$linux" = "yes" -o "$bsd" = "yes" -o "$solaris" = "yes" ] ; then
     tools="qemu-storage-daemon\$(EXESUF) $tools"
@@ -6741,7 +6740,6 @@ if test "$softmmu" = yes ; then
       fi
       mpath=no
     fi
-    helpers="$helpers scsi/qemu-pr-helper\$(EXESUF)"
   else
     if test "$virtfs" = yes; then
       error_exit "VirtFS is supported only on Linux"
@@ -7819,7 +7817,6 @@ else
   QEMU_INCLUDES="-iquote ${source_path}/tcg/${ARCH} $QEMU_INCLUDES"
 fi
 
-echo "HELPERS=$helpers" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "TOOLS=$tools" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "ROMS=$roms" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "MAKE=$make" >> $config_host_mak
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 7f753afc6e..3a8cf11edc 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ if 'CONFIG_XKBCOMMON' in config_host
                                  link_args: config_host['XKBCOMMON_LIBS'].split())
 endif
 rt = cc.find_library('rt', required: false)
+libmpathpersist = not_found
+if config_host.has_key('CONFIG_MPATH')
+  libmpathpersist = cc.find_library('mpathpersist')
+endif
 libiscsi = not_found
 if 'CONFIG_LIBISCSI' in config_host
   libiscsi = declare_dependency(compile_args: config_host['LIBISCSI_CFLAGS'].split(),
@@ -633,6 +637,7 @@ foreach target : target_dirs
 endforeach
 
 # Other build targets
+
 if 'CONFIG_GUEST_AGENT' in config_host
   subdir('qga')
 endif
@@ -674,6 +679,11 @@ if have_tools
                dependencies: [qemuutil, libcap_ng],
                install: true,
                install_dir: get_option('libexecdir'))
+
+    executable('qemu-pr-helper', files('scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c', 'scsi/utils.c'),
+               dependencies: [authz, crypto, io, qom, qemuutil,
+                              libcap_ng, libudev, libmpathpersist],
+               install: true)
   endif
 
   if 'CONFIG_IVSHMEM' in config_host