diff --git a/storage-daemon/meson.build b/storage-daemon/meson.build
index 68852f3d25..49c9d2eac9 100644
--- a/storage-daemon/meson.build
+++ b/storage-daemon/meson.build
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ subdir('qapi')
 
 if have_tools
   qsd_ss = qsd_ss.apply(config_host, strict: false)
-  executable('qemu-storage-daemon',
-             qsd_ss.sources(),
-             dependencies: qsd_ss.dependencies(),
-             install: true)
+  qsd = executable('qemu-storage-daemon',
+                   qsd_ss.sources(),
+                   dependencies: qsd_ss.dependencies(),
+                   install: true)
 endif
diff --git a/tests/qtest/meson.build b/tests/qtest/meson.build
index e22a0792c5..2bc3efd49f 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/meson.build
+++ b/tests/qtest/meson.build
@@ -276,8 +276,11 @@ foreach dir : target_dirs
   endif
   qtest_env.set('G_TEST_DBUS_DAEMON', meson.source_root() / 'tests/dbus-vmstate-daemon.sh')
   qtest_env.set('QTEST_QEMU_BINARY', './qemu-system-' + target_base)
-  qtest_env.set('QTEST_QEMU_STORAGE_DAEMON_BINARY', './storage-daemon/qemu-storage-daemon')
-  
+  if have_tools and have_vhost_user_blk_server
+    qtest_env.set('QTEST_QEMU_STORAGE_DAEMON_BINARY', './storage-daemon/qemu-storage-daemon')
+    test_deps += [qsd]
+  endif
+
   foreach test : target_qtests
     # Executables are shared across targets, declare them only the first time we
     # encounter them