diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3bb64b536c..54907c7fa9 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3480,7 +3480,7 @@ modinfo_generate = find_program('scripts/modinfo-generate.py')
 modinfo_files = []
 
 block_mods = []
-softmmu_mods = []
+system_mods = []
 foreach d, list : modules
   if not (d == 'block' ? have_block : have_system)
     continue
@@ -3494,7 +3494,7 @@ foreach d, list : modules
       if d == 'block'
         block_mods += sl
       else
-        softmmu_mods += sl
+        system_mods += sl
       endif
       if module_ss.sources() != []
         # FIXME: Should use sl.extract_all_objects(recursive: true) as
@@ -3538,7 +3538,7 @@ foreach d, list : target_modules
                                 include_directories: target_inc,
                                 c_args: c_args,
                                 pic: true)
-            softmmu_mods += sl
+            system_mods += sl
             # FIXME: Should use sl.extract_all_objects(recursive: true) too.
             modinfo_files += custom_target(module_name + '.modinfo',
                                            output: module_name + '.modinfo',
@@ -3581,7 +3581,7 @@ block_syms = custom_target('block.syms', output: 'block.syms',
                              capture: true,
                              command: [undefsym, nm, '@INPUT@'])
 qemu_syms = custom_target('qemu.syms', output: 'qemu.syms',
-                             input: [libqemuutil, softmmu_mods],
+                             input: [libqemuutil, system_mods],
                              capture: true,
                              command: [undefsym, nm, '@INPUT@'])
 
@@ -3666,7 +3666,7 @@ common_ss.add(hwcore)
 ###########
 
 emulator_modules = []
-foreach m : block_mods + softmmu_mods
+foreach m : block_mods + system_mods
   emulator_modules += shared_module(m.name(),
                 build_by_default: true,
                 name_prefix: '',