diff --git a/chardev/meson.build b/chardev/meson.build
index 54e88d0310..dd2699a11b 100644
--- a/chardev/meson.build
+++ b/chardev/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-chardev_ss = ss.source_set()
 chardev_ss.add(files(
   'char-fe.c',
   'char-file.c',
@@ -25,11 +24,6 @@ chardev_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_WIN32', if_true: files(
 ))
 
 chardev_ss = chardev_ss.apply(config_host, strict: false)
-libchardev = static_library('chardev', chardev_ss.sources() + genh,
-                            name_suffix: 'fa',
-                            build_by_default: false)
-
-chardev = declare_dependency(link_whole: libchardev)
 
 softmmu_ss.add(files('chardev-sysemu.c', 'msmouse.c', 'wctablet.c', 'testdev.c'))
 softmmu_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SPICE', spice], if_true: files('spice.c'))
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6c760b4163..39fc074977 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1185,6 +1185,7 @@ sphinx_extn_depends = [ meson.source_root() / 'docs/sphinx/depfile.py',
 blockdev_ss = ss.source_set()
 block_ss = ss.source_set()
 bsd_user_ss = ss.source_set()
+chardev_ss = ss.source_set()
 common_ss = ss.source_set()
 linux_user_ss = ss.source_set()
 qmp_ss = ss.source_set()
@@ -1469,6 +1470,12 @@ libqmp = static_library('qmp', qmp_ss.sources() + genh,
 
 qmp = declare_dependency(link_whole: [libqmp])
 
+libchardev = static_library('chardev', chardev_ss.sources() + genh,
+                            name_suffix: 'fa',
+                            build_by_default: false)
+
+chardev = declare_dependency(link_whole: libchardev)
+
 libhwcore = static_library('hwcore', sources: hwcore_files + genh,
                            name_suffix: 'fa',
                            build_by_default: false)