diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 93d3c26a22..3d5ae16a61 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3168,7 +3168,7 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_TMPFILES') == 1
 endif
 
 if conf.get('ENABLE_HWDB') == 1
-        public_programs += executable(
+        systemd_hwdb = executable(
                 'systemd-hwdb',
                 'src/hwdb/hwdb.c',
                 include_directories : includes,
@@ -3176,6 +3176,14 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_HWDB') == 1
                 install_rpath : udev_rpath,
                 install : true,
                 install_dir : rootbindir)
+        public_programs += systemd_hwdb
+
+        if want_tests != 'false'
+                test('hwdb-test',
+                     hwdb_test_sh,
+                     args : [systemd_hwdb.full_path()],
+                     timeout : 90)
+        endif
 endif
 
 if conf.get('ENABLE_QUOTACHECK') == 1
diff --git a/test/hwdb-test.sh b/test/hwdb-test.sh
index 2b54a0e70f..57d98e513b 100755
--- a/test/hwdb-test.sh
+++ b/test/hwdb-test.sh
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ set -e
 
 export SYSTEMD_LOG_LEVEL=info
 ROOTDIR=$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $0)))
-SYSTEMD_HWDB=./systemd-hwdb
+SYSTEMD_HWDB="${1:?missing argument}"
 
 if [ ! -x "$SYSTEMD_HWDB" ]; then
-    echo "$SYSTEMD_HWDB does not exist, please build first"
+    echo "$SYSTEMD_HWDB is not executable" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 4d7b929a80..ee6733fca4 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -57,10 +57,8 @@ if install_tests
 endif
 
 test_network_generator_conversion_sh = find_program('test-network-generator-conversion.sh')
-
-############################################################
-
 test_systemd_tmpfiles_py = find_program('test-systemd-tmpfiles.py')
+hwdb_test_sh = find_program('hwdb-test.sh')
 
 ############################################################
 
@@ -128,17 +126,6 @@ endif
 
 ############################################################
 
-if conf.get('ENABLE_HWDB') == 1
-        hwdb_test_sh = find_program('hwdb-test.sh')
-        if want_tests != 'false'
-                test('hwdb-test',
-                     hwdb_test_sh,
-                     timeout : 90)
-        endif
-endif
-
-############################################################
-
 if want_tests != 'false' and dmi_arches.contains(host_machine.cpu_family())
         udev_dmi_memory_id_test = find_program('udev-dmi-memory-id-test.sh')