diff --git a/hw/core/meson.build b/hw/core/meson.build
index 6af4c5c5cb..cc1ebb8e0f 100644
--- a/hw/core/meson.build
+++ b/hw/core/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # core qdev-related obj files, also used by *-user and unit tests
-hwcore_files = files(
+hwcore_ss.add(files(
   'bus.c',
   'hotplug.c',
   'qdev-properties.c',
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ hwcore_files = files(
   'irq.c',
   'clock.c',
   'qdev-clock.c',
-)
+))
 
 common_ss.add(files('cpu-common.c'))
 softmmu_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_FITLOADER', if_true: files('loader-fit.c'))
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b092728397..85f1e43dfe 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2365,6 +2365,7 @@ bsd_user_ss = ss.source_set()
 chardev_ss = ss.source_set()
 common_ss = ss.source_set()
 crypto_ss = ss.source_set()
+hwcore_ss = ss.source_set()
 io_ss = ss.source_set()
 linux_user_ss = ss.source_set()
 qmp_ss = ss.source_set()
@@ -2806,7 +2807,8 @@ libchardev = static_library('chardev', chardev_ss.sources() + genh,
 
 chardev = declare_dependency(link_whole: libchardev)
 
-libhwcore = static_library('hwcore', sources: hwcore_files + genh,
+hwcore_ss = hwcore_ss.apply(config_host, strict: false)
+libhwcore = static_library('hwcore', sources: hwcore_ss.sources() + genh,
                            name_suffix: 'fa',
                            build_by_default: false)
 hwcore = declare_dependency(link_whole: libhwcore)