diff --git a/clients/common/meson.build b/clients/common/meson.build
index ea26bccfb4..f0c8160083 100644
--- a/clients/common/meson.build
+++ b/clients/common/meson.build
@@ -11,15 +11,13 @@ cflags = clients_cflags + [
   '-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="libnmc"',
 ]
 
-sources = shared_utils + files(
-  'nm-client-utils.c',
-  'nm-secret-agent-simple.c',
-  'nm-vpn-helpers.c'
-)
-
 libnmc_base = static_library(
   'nmc-base',
-  sources: sources,
+  sources: shared_files_clients_common + files(
+    'nm-client-utils.c',
+    'nm-secret-agent-simple.c',
+    'nm-vpn-helpers.c',
+  ),
   dependencies: deps,
   c_args: cflags
 )
@@ -29,11 +27,6 @@ libnmc_base_dep = declare_dependency(
   link_with: libnmc_base
 )
 
-sources = shared_meta_setting + files(
-  'nm-meta-setting-access.c',
-  'nm-meta-setting-desc.c'
-)
-
 settings_docs = 'settings-docs.h'
 
 if enable_introspection
@@ -60,11 +53,13 @@ else
     configuration: configuration_data()
   )
 endif
-sources += settings_docs_source
 
 libnmc = static_library(
   'nmc',
-  sources: sources,
+  sources: files(
+    'nm-meta-setting-access.c',
+    'nm-meta-setting-desc.c'
+  ) + shared_nm_utils_nm_meta_setting_c + [settings_docs_source],
   dependencies: deps,
   c_args: cflags,
   link_with: libnmc_base,
diff --git a/libnm-core/meson.build b/libnm-core/meson.build
index 533e59063c..7b14370650 100644
--- a/libnm-core/meson.build
+++ b/libnm-core/meson.build
@@ -151,9 +151,15 @@ if enable_json_validation
   deps += jansson_dep
 endif
 
+libnm_core_sources_all =  libnm_core_sources
+libnm_core_sources_all += libnm_core_enum
+libnm_core_sources_all += shared_nm_utils_nm_meta_setting_c
+libnm_core_sources_all += shared_files_libnm_core
+libnm_core_sources_all += [version_header]
+
 libnm_core = static_library(
   'nm-core',
-  sources: libnm_core_sources + libnm_core_enum + shared_sources + [version_header],
+  sources: libnm_core_sources_all,
   dependencies: deps,
   c_args: cflags
 )
diff --git a/libnm-glib/meson.build b/libnm-glib/meson.build
index aa1b7aaab4..fabd881874 100644
--- a/libnm-glib/meson.build
+++ b/libnm-glib/meson.build
@@ -79,13 +79,6 @@ sources = files(
 
 glue = 'nm-vpn-plugin-glue.h'
 
-sources += custom_target(
-  glue,
-  input: ifaces_vpn_plugin_xml,
-  output: glue,
-  command: [dbus_binding_tool, '--prefix=nm_vpn_plugin', '--mode=glib-server', '--output=@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@']
-)
-
 enum_types = 'nm-vpn-enum-types'
 
 libnm_glib_vpn_enum = gnome.mkenums(
@@ -104,7 +97,18 @@ linker_script = join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), 'libnm-glib-vpn.ver')
 
 libnm_glib_vpn = shared_library(
   'nm-glib-vpn',
-  sources: sources + libnm_glib_vpn_enum,
+  sources: files(
+    'nm-vpn-plugin.c',
+    'nm-vpn-plugin-ui-interface.c',
+    'nm-vpn-plugin-utils.c',
+  ) + [
+    custom_target(
+      glue,
+      input: ifaces_vpn_plugin_xml,
+      output: glue,
+      command: [dbus_binding_tool, '--prefix=nm_vpn_plugin', '--mode=glib-server', '--output=@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@'],
+    ),
+  ] + libnm_glib_vpn_enum,
   version: libnm_glib_vpn_version,
   dependencies: deps,
   c_args: cflags,
@@ -131,7 +135,7 @@ pkg.generate(
   variables: 'exec_prefix=${prefix}'
 )
 
-sources = shared_udev_utils + files(
+libnm_glib_sources = shared_files_libnm_glib + files(
   'nm-access-point.c',
   'nm-active-connection.c',
   'nm-client.c',
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ linker_script = join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), 'libnm-glib.ver')
 
 libnm_glib = shared_library(
   'nm-glib',
-  sources: sources + libnm_glib_enum + [nm_secret_agent_glue],
+  sources: libnm_glib_sources + libnm_glib_enum + [nm_secret_agent_glue],
   version: libnm_glib_version,
   dependencies: deps,
   c_args: cflags,
@@ -223,7 +227,7 @@ pkg.generate(
 )
 
 if enable_introspection
-  gir_sources = sources + headers + libnm_glib_enum
+  gir_sources = libnm_glib_sources + headers + libnm_glib_enum
 
   deps = [
     dbus_glib_dep,
diff --git a/libnm-glib/tests/meson.build b/libnm-glib/tests/meson.build
index fbabb9a9cf..3477901817 100644
--- a/libnm-glib/tests/meson.build
+++ b/libnm-glib/tests/meson.build
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ test_units = [
 foreach test_unit: test_units
   exe = executable(
     test_unit,
-    [test_unit + '.c'] + shared_test_utils,
+    [test_unit + '.c'] + shared_nm_test_utils_impl_c,
     dependencies: deps,
     c_args:
       common_cflags + [
diff --git a/libnm-util/meson.build b/libnm-util/meson.build
index 5d17a4ddaa..55df550175 100644
--- a/libnm-util/meson.build
+++ b/libnm-util/meson.build
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ libnm_utils_enum = gnome.mkenums(
   install_dir: nm_pkgincludedir
 )
 
-sources = shared_utils + files(
+sources = files(
   'crypto.c',
   'crypto_' + crypto + '.c',
   'nm-connection.c',
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ sources = shared_utils + files(
   'nm-utils.c',
   'nm-value-transforms.c'
 )
+sources += shared_files_libnm_util
 
 deps = [
   crypto_dep,
diff --git a/libnm/tests/meson.build b/libnm/tests/meson.build
index 54a1bf3289..e2b882733d 100644
--- a/libnm/tests/meson.build
+++ b/libnm/tests/meson.build
@@ -1,13 +1,8 @@
 test_units = [
-  ['test-general', shared_utils, [libnm_utils]],
-  ['test-nm-client', shared_test_utils, []],
-  ['test-remote-settings-client',  shared_test_utils, []],
-  ['test-secret-agent', shared_test_utils, []]
-]
-
-deps = [
-  libnm_dep,
-  nm_core_dep
+  ['test-general',                [libnm_utils, libnm_core]],
+  ['test-nm-client',              []],
+  ['test-remote-settings-client', []],
+  ['test-secret-agent',           []],
 ]
 
 cflags = [
@@ -18,10 +13,16 @@ cflags = [
 foreach test_unit: test_units
   exe = executable(
     'libnm-' + test_unit[0],
-    [test_unit[0] + '.c'] + test_unit[1],
-    dependencies: deps,
+    [
+      test_unit[0] + '.c',
+      shared_nm_test_utils_impl_c,
+    ],
+    dependencies: [
+      libnm_dep,
+      nm_core_dep,
+    ],
     c_args: cflags,
-    link_with: test_unit[2]
+    link_with: test_unit[1]
   )
 
   test(
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ endforeach
 # just test, that we can build "nm-vpn-plugin-utils.c"
 libnm_vpn_plugin_utils_test = static_library(
   'nm-vpn-plugin-utils-test',
-  sources: shared_vpn_plugin_utils + [libnm_enum[1]],
+  sources: shared_nm_utils_nm_vpn_plugin_utils_c + [libnm_enum[1]],
   include_directories: libnm_inc,
   dependencies: nm_core_dep,
   c_args: cflags
diff --git a/shared/meson.build b/shared/meson.build
index e83dec3b7f..db6b8a40d8 100644
--- a/shared/meson.build
+++ b/shared/meson.build
@@ -1,68 +1,78 @@
-shared_c_list_dep = declare_dependency(
-    include_directories: include_directories('c-list/src')
-)
+shared_inc = include_directories('.')
 
 shared_c_siphash = static_library(
     'c-siphash',
-    sources: ['c-siphash/src/c-siphash.c']
+    sources: 'c-siphash/src/c-siphash.c',
 )
 
 shared_c_siphash_dep = declare_dependency(
-    include_directories: include_directories('c-siphash/src'),
-    link_with: shared_c_siphash
+    include_directories: shared_inc,
+    link_with: shared_c_siphash,
 )
 
 shared_n_acd = static_library(
     'n-acd',
-    sources: ['n-acd/src/n-acd.c'],
-    dependencies: [ shared_c_siphash_dep, shared_c_list_dep ]
+    sources: 'n-acd/src/n-acd.c',
+    include_directories: [
+        include_directories('c-siphash/src'),
+        include_directories('c-list/src'),
+    ],
+    dependencies: shared_c_siphash_dep,
 )
 
 shared_n_acd_dep = declare_dependency(
-    include_directories: include_directories('.'),
+    include_directories: shared_inc,
     link_with: shared_n_acd,
 )
 
-shared_inc = include_directories('.')
-
 version_conf = configuration_data()
 version_conf.set('NM_MAJOR_VERSION', nm_major_version)
 version_conf.set('NM_MINOR_VERSION', nm_minor_version)
 version_conf.set('NM_MICRO_VERSION', nm_micro_version)
 
-version = 'nm-version-macros.h'
-
 version_header = configure_file(
-  input: version + '.in',
-  output: version,
-  configuration: version_conf
+    input: 'nm-version-macros.h.in',
+    output: 'nm-version-macros.h',
+    configuration: version_conf,
 )
 
-shared_meta_setting = files('nm-meta-setting.c')
+shared_nm_utils_nm_meta_setting_c = files('nm-meta-setting.c')
 
-shared_test_utils = files('nm-test-utils-impl.c')
+shared_nm_test_utils_impl_c = files('nm-test-utils-impl.c')
 
-shared_udev_utils = files('nm-utils/nm-udev-utils.c')
+shared_nm_utils_nm_vpn_plugin_utils_c = files('nm-utils/nm-vpn-plugin-utils.c')
 
-shared_utils = files(
-  'c-siphash/src/c-siphash.c',
-  'nm-utils/nm-enum-utils.c',
-  'nm-utils/nm-hash-utils.c',
-  'nm-utils/nm-random-utils.c',
-  'nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c'
-)
+shared_files_libnm_core = files('''
+    c-siphash/src/c-siphash.c
+    nm-utils/c-list-util.c
+    nm-utils/nm-dedup-multi.c
+    nm-utils/nm-enum-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-hash-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-random-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-udev-utils.c
+'''.split())
 
-shared_vpn_plugin_utils = files('nm-utils/nm-vpn-plugin-utils.c')
+shared_files_clients_common = files('''
+    c-siphash/src/c-siphash.c
+    nm-utils/nm-enum-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-hash-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-random-utils.c
+    nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
+'''.split())
 
-shared_sources = shared_utils + shared_meta_setting + shared_udev_utils + files(
-  'nm-utils/c-list-util.c',
-  'nm-utils/nm-dedup-multi.c'
-)
+shared_files_libnm_util = files('''
+    nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
+'''.split())
+
+shared_files_libnm_glib = files('''
+    nm-utils/nm-udev-utils.c
+'''.split())
 
 shared_dep = declare_dependency(
-  include_directories: [
-    top_inc,
-    shared_inc,
-  ],
-  dependencies: glib_dep
+    include_directories: [
+        top_inc,
+        shared_inc,
+    ],
+    dependencies: glib_dep,
 )