diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ea8011175..a702ad5ea 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ python3 = python.find_installation('python3')
 config_h = configuration_data()
 config_h.set_quoted('PACKAGE_STRING', 'gedit-@0@'.format(api_version))
 config_h.set_quoted('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
-config_h.set_quoted('LIBDIR', join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('libdir')))
-config_h.set_quoted('DATADIR', join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('datadir')))
+config_h.set_quoted('LIBDIR', get_option('prefix') / get_option('libdir'))
+config_h.set_quoted('DATADIR', get_option('prefix') / get_option('datadir'))
 config_h.set_quoted('VERSION', meson.project_version())
 config_h.set10('OS_MACOS', host_machine.system() == 'darwin')