diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c67e7b6c30..6f37831536 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -629,33 +629,34 @@ stat   = find_program('stat')
 
 ln_s = ln.full_path() + ' -frsT -- "${DESTDIR:-}@0@" "${DESTDIR:-}@1@"'
 
-# If -Dxxx-path option is found, use that. Otherwise, check in $PATH,
-# /usr/sbin, /sbin, and fall back to the default from middle column.
-progs = [['quotaon',    '/usr/sbin/quotaon'    ],
-         ['quotacheck', '/usr/sbin/quotacheck' ],
+# If -Dxxx-path option is found, use that. Otherwise, use the default from the
+# middle column; a full path is used directly, a relative path is converted to
+# /usr/bin/foo or /usr/sbin/foo, depending on whether split-bin is enabled.
+progs = [['quotaon',    'quotaon'              ],
+         ['quotacheck', 'quotacheck'           ],
          ['kmod',       '/usr/bin/kmod'        ],
-         ['kexec',      '/usr/sbin/kexec'      ],
-         ['sulogin',    '/usr/sbin/sulogin'    ],
-         ['swapon',     '/usr/sbin/swapon'     ],
-         ['swapoff',    '/usr/sbin/swapoff'    ],
-         ['agetty',     '/usr/sbin/agetty'     ],
+         ['kexec',      'kexec'                ],
+         ['sulogin',    'sulogin'              ],
+         ['swapon',     'swapon'               ],
+         ['swapoff',    'swapoff'              ],
+         ['agetty',     'agetty'               ],
          ['mount',      '/usr/bin/mount',      'MOUNT_PATH'],
          ['umount',     '/usr/bin/umount',     'UMOUNT_PATH'],
          ['loadkeys',   '/usr/bin/loadkeys',   'KBD_LOADKEYS'],
          ['setfont',    '/usr/bin/setfont',    'KBD_SETFONT'],
-         ['nologin',    '/usr/sbin/nologin',   ],
+         ['nologin',    'nologin',             ],
         ]
 foreach prog : progs
         path = get_option(prog[0] + '-path')
-        if path != ''
-                message('Using @1@ for @0@'.format(prog[0], path))
-        else
-                exe = find_program(prog[0],
-                                   '/usr/sbin/' + prog[0],
-                                   '/sbin/' + prog[0],
-                                   required: false)
-                path = exe.found() ? exe.full_path() : prog[1]
+        if path == ''
+                if prog[1].startswith('/')
+                        path = prog[1]
+                else
+                        path = '/usr' / (split_bin ? 'sbin' : 'bin') / prog[1]
+                endif
         endif
+        message('Using @1@ for @0@'.format(prog[0], path))
+
         name = prog.length() > 2 ? prog[2] : prog[0].to_upper()
         conf.set_quoted(name, path)
 endforeach