diff --git a/src/repart/meson.build b/src/repart/meson.build
index b922ecb713..de0c8902d9 100644
--- a/src/repart/meson.build
+++ b/src/repart/meson.build
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ executables += [
                 'name' : 'systemd-repart.standalone',
                 'public' : true,
                 'sources' : files('repart.c'),
-                'c_args' : '-DSTANDALONE',
                 'link_with' : [
                         libc_wrapper_static,
                         libbasic_static,
diff --git a/src/shutdown/meson.build b/src/shutdown/meson.build
index 60b66a87d5..f5ccdbd8dd 100644
--- a/src/shutdown/meson.build
+++ b/src/shutdown/meson.build
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ executables += [
         libexec_template + {
                 'name' : 'systemd-shutdown.standalone',
                 'sources' : systemd_shutdown_sources + systemd_shutdown_extract_sources,
-                'c_args' : '-DSTANDALONE',
                 'link_with' : [
                         libc_wrapper_static,
                         libbasic_static,
diff --git a/src/sysusers/meson.build b/src/sysusers/meson.build
index f286ce8a20..bbfd846e32 100644
--- a/src/sysusers/meson.build
+++ b/src/sysusers/meson.build
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ executables += [
                 'name' : 'systemd-sysusers.standalone',
                 'public' : true,
                 'sources' : files('sysusers.c'),
-                'c_args' : '-DSTANDALONE',
                 'link_with' : [
                         libc_wrapper_static,
                         libbasic_static,
diff --git a/src/tmpfiles/meson.build b/src/tmpfiles/meson.build
index 9abe0a0c8e..05a3171c2d 100644
--- a/src/tmpfiles/meson.build
+++ b/src/tmpfiles/meson.build
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ executables += [
                 'name' : 'systemd-tmpfiles.standalone',
                 'public' : true,
                 'sources' : systemd_tmpfiles_sources + systemd_tmpfiles_extract_sources,
-                'c_args' : '-DSTANDALONE',
                 'link_with' : [
                         libc_wrapper_static,
                         libbasic_static,