diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8ae87f7c903..b2b102bab5e 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2581,49 +2581,6 @@ meson.add_install_script(meson_make_symlink,
                          bindir / 'udevadm',
                          libexecdir / 'systemd-udevd')
 
-if conf.get('ENABLE_HOSTNAMED') == 1
-        dbus_programs += executable(
-                'systemd-hostnamed',
-                'src/hostname/hostnamed.c',
-                include_directories : includes,
-                link_with : [libshared],
-                dependencies : userspace,
-                install_rpath : pkglibdir,
-                install : true,
-                install_dir : libexecdir)
-
-        public_programs += executable(
-                'hostnamectl',
-                'src/hostname/hostnamectl.c',
-                include_directories : includes,
-                link_with : [libshared],
-                dependencies : [userspace],
-                install_rpath : pkglibdir,
-                install : true)
-endif
-
-if conf.get('ENABLE_LOCALED') == 1
-        dbus_programs += executable(
-                'systemd-localed',
-                systemd_localed_sources,
-                include_directories : includes,
-                link_with : [libshared],
-                dependencies : libxkbcommon_deps +
-                               [userspace],
-                install_rpath : pkglibdir,
-                install : true,
-                install_dir : libexecdir)
-
-        public_programs += executable(
-                'localectl',
-                localectl_sources,
-                include_directories : includes,
-                link_with : [libshared],
-                dependencies : [userspace],
-                install_rpath : pkglibdir,
-                install : true)
-endif
-
 if conf.get('ENABLE_TIMEDATED') == 1
         dbus_programs += executable(
                 'systemd-timedated',
diff --git a/src/hostname/meson.build b/src/hostname/meson.build
index 718a7bd4f1e..27c9b842099 100644
--- a/src/hostname/meson.build
+++ b/src/hostname/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
+executables += [
+        libexec_template + {
+                'name' : 'systemd-hostnamed',
+                'dbus' : true,
+                'conditions' : ['ENABLE_HOSTNAMED'],
+                'sources' : files('hostnamed.c'),
+        },
+        executable_template + {
+                'name' : 'hostnamectl',
+                'public' : true,
+                'conditions' : ['ENABLE_HOSTNAMED'],
+                'sources' : files('hostnamectl.c'),
+        },
+]
+
 if conf.get('ENABLE_HOSTNAMED') == 1
         install_data('org.freedesktop.hostname1.conf',
                      install_dir : dbuspolicydir)
diff --git a/src/locale/meson.build b/src/locale/meson.build
index 61001cc259c..e7e059a0ab2 100644
--- a/src/locale/meson.build
+++ b/src/locale/meson.build
@@ -8,15 +8,33 @@ systemd_localed_sources = files(
 
 localectl_sources = files('localectl.c')
 
-if conf.get('ENABLE_LOCALED') == 1
-        install_data('org.freedesktop.locale1.conf',
-                     install_dir : dbuspolicydir)
-        install_data('org.freedesktop.locale1.service',
-                     install_dir : dbussystemservicedir)
-        install_data('org.freedesktop.locale1.policy',
-                     install_dir : polkitpolicydir)
+# logind will load libxkbcommon.so dynamically on its own, but we still need to
+# specify where the headers are.
+if conf.get('HAVE_XKBCOMMON') == 1
+        libxkbcommon_deps = [
+                libdl,
+                libxkbcommon.partial_dependency(compile_args: true),
+        ]
+else
+        libxkbcommon_deps = []
 endif
 
+executables += [
+        libexec_template + {
+                'name' : 'systemd-localed',
+                'dbus' : true,
+                'conditions' : ['ENABLE_LOCALED'],
+                'sources' : systemd_localed_sources,
+                'dependencies' : libxkbcommon_deps,
+        },
+        executable_template + {
+                'name' : 'localectl',
+                'public' : true,
+                'conditions' : ['ENABLE_LOCALED'],
+                'sources' : files('localectl.c'),
+        },
+]
+
 # If you know a way that allows the same variables to be used
 # in sources list and concatenated to a string for test_env,
 # let me know.
@@ -24,20 +42,17 @@ kbd_model_map = meson.current_source_dir() / 'kbd-model-map'
 language_fallback_map = meson.current_source_dir() / 'language-fallback-map'
 
 if conf.get('ENABLE_LOCALED') == 1
+        install_data('org.freedesktop.locale1.conf',
+                     install_dir : dbuspolicydir)
+        install_data('org.freedesktop.locale1.service',
+                     install_dir : dbussystemservicedir)
+        install_data('org.freedesktop.locale1.policy',
+                     install_dir : polkitpolicydir)
         install_data('kbd-model-map',
                      'language-fallback-map',
                      install_dir : pkgdatadir)
 endif
 
-# logind will load libxkbcommon.so dynamically on its own, but we still need to
-# specify where the headers are.
-if conf.get('HAVE_XKBCOMMON') == 1
-        libxkbcommon_deps = [libdl,
-                             libxkbcommon.partial_dependency(compile_args: true)]
-else
-        libxkbcommon_deps = []
-endif
-
 tests += [
         {
                 'sources' : files(