diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c56ed53ee3..daccf4be7c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1659,8 +1659,8 @@ fi
 # vhost interdependencies and host support
 
 # vhost backends
-if test "$vhost_user" = "yes" && test "$linux" != "yes"; then
-  error_exit "vhost-user is only available on Linux"
+if test "$vhost_user" = "yes" && test "$mingw32" = "yes"; then
+  error_exit "vhost-user is not available on Windows"
 fi
 test "$vhost_vdpa" = "" && vhost_vdpa=$linux
 if test "$vhost_vdpa" = "yes" && test "$linux" != "yes"; then
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index a5b63e62cd..28612fca36 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2714,7 +2714,7 @@ if have_system or have_user
 endif
 
 vhost_user = not_found
-if 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER' in config_host
+if targetos == 'linux' and 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER' in config_host
   libvhost_user = subproject('libvhost-user')
   vhost_user = libvhost_user.get_variable('vhost_user_dep')
 endif