diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1f5a710f77..ad3d926666 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -311,7 +311,6 @@ dummy := $(call unnest-vars,, \
                 elf2dmp-obj-y \
                 ivshmem-client-obj-y \
                 ivshmem-server-obj-y \
-                rdmacm-mux-obj-y \
                 vhost-user-input-obj-y \
                 vhost-user-gpu-obj-y \
                 qga-vss-dll-obj-y \
@@ -533,10 +532,6 @@ ivshmem-server$(EXESUF): $(ivshmem-server-obj-y) $(COMMON_LDADDS)
 	$(call LINK, $^)
 endif
 
-rdmacm-mux$(EXESUF): LIBS += "-libumad"
-rdmacm-mux$(EXESUF): $(rdmacm-mux-obj-y) $(COMMON_LDADDS)
-	$(call LINK, $^)
-
 vhost-user-gpu$(EXESUF): $(vhost-user-gpu-obj-y) contrib/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.a $(COMMON_LDADDS)
 	$(call LINK, $^)
 
diff --git a/Makefile.objs b/Makefile.objs
index ab798b08a7..0f80b63554 100644
--- a/Makefile.objs
+++ b/Makefile.objs
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ qga-vss-dll-obj-y = qga/
 elf2dmp-obj-y = contrib/elf2dmp/
 ivshmem-client-obj-$(CONFIG_IVSHMEM) = contrib/ivshmem-client/
 ivshmem-server-obj-$(CONFIG_IVSHMEM) = contrib/ivshmem-server/
-rdmacm-mux-obj-y = contrib/rdmacm-mux/
 vhost-user-input-obj-y = contrib/vhost-user-input/
 vhost-user-gpu-obj-y = contrib/vhost-user-gpu/
 
diff --git a/contrib/rdmacm-mux/Makefile.objs b/contrib/rdmacm-mux/Makefile.objs
deleted file mode 100644
index 3df744af89..0000000000
--- a/contrib/rdmacm-mux/Makefile.objs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-ifdef CONFIG_PVRDMA
-rdmacm-mux-obj-y = main.o
-endif
diff --git a/contrib/rdmacm-mux/meson.build b/contrib/rdmacm-mux/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6cc5016747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/rdmacm-mux/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+if 'CONFIG_PVRDMA' in config_host
+  # if not found, CONFIG_PVRDMA should not be set
+  # FIXME: broken on big endian architectures
+  libumad = cc.find_library('ibumad', required: true)
+  executable('rdmacm-mux', files('main.c'),
+             dependencies: [glib, libumad],
+             build_by_default: false,
+             install: false)
+endif
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4c067d9fe6..c60ec5825b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -260,6 +260,8 @@ qemuutil = declare_dependency(link_with: libqemuutil,
 # Other build targets
 
 if have_tools
+  subdir('contrib/rdmacm-mux')
+
   if 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER' in config_host
     subdir('contrib/libvhost-user')
     subdir('contrib/vhost-user-blk')