diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8bfa37afe2..c8e443c67c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2989,7 +2989,7 @@ config_all += config_host
 config_all += config_all_disas
 config_all += {
   'CONFIG_XEN': xen.found(),
-  'CONFIG_SOFTMMU': have_system,
+  'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY': have_system,
   'CONFIG_USER_ONLY': have_user,
   'CONFIG_ALL': true,
 }
@@ -3663,7 +3663,7 @@ endif
 softmmu_ss.add(authz, blockdev, chardev, crypto, io, qmp)
 common_ss.add(qom, qemuutil)
 
-common_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: [softmmu_ss])
+common_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', if_true: [softmmu_ss])
 common_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_USER_ONLY', if_true: user_ss)
 
 common_all = common_ss.apply(config_all, strict: false)
diff --git a/accel/qtest/meson.build b/accel/qtest/meson.build
index 176d990ae1..2018de8a05 100644
--- a/accel/qtest/meson.build
+++ b/accel/qtest/meson.build
@@ -1 +1 @@
-qtest_module_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU'], if_true: files('qtest.c'))
+qtest_module_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: files('qtest.c'))
diff --git a/accel/stubs/meson.build b/accel/stubs/meson.build
index 0249b9258f..f7a9486e06 100644
--- a/accel/stubs/meson.build
+++ b/accel/stubs/meson.build
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@ sysemu_stubs_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_XEN', if_false: files('xen-stub.c'))
 sysemu_stubs_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_KVM', if_false: files('kvm-stub.c'))
 sysemu_stubs_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_TCG', if_false: files('tcg-stub.c'))
 
-specific_ss.add_all(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU'], if_true: sysemu_stubs_ss)
+specific_ss.add_all(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: sysemu_stubs_ss)
diff --git a/accel/tcg/meson.build b/accel/tcg/meson.build
index aeb20a6ef0..166bef173b 100644
--- a/accel/tcg/meson.build
+++ b/accel/tcg/meson.build
@@ -10,18 +10,18 @@ tcg_ss.add(files(
   'translator.c',
 ))
 tcg_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_USER_ONLY', if_true: files('user-exec.c'))
-tcg_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_false: files('user-exec-stub.c'))
+tcg_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', if_false: files('user-exec-stub.c'))
 tcg_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_PLUGIN', if_true: [files('plugin-gen.c')])
 tcg_ss.add(when: libdw, if_true: files('debuginfo.c'))
 tcg_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_LINUX', if_true: files('perf.c'))
 specific_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_TCG', if_true: tcg_ss)
 
-specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU', 'CONFIG_TCG'], if_true: files(
+specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', 'CONFIG_TCG'], if_true: files(
   'cputlb.c',
   'monitor.c',
 ))
 
-tcg_module_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU', 'CONFIG_TCG'], if_true: files(
+tcg_module_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', 'CONFIG_TCG'], if_true: files(
   'tcg-accel-ops.c',
   'tcg-accel-ops-mttcg.c',
   'tcg-accel-ops-icount.c',
diff --git a/dump/meson.build b/dump/meson.build
index df52ee4268..3ef1f7ce00 100644
--- a/dump/meson.build
+++ b/dump/meson.build
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 softmmu_ss.add([files('dump.c', 'dump-hmp-cmds.c'), snappy, lzo])
-specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: files('win_dump.c'))
+specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', if_true: files('win_dump.c'))
diff --git a/hw/i386/kvm/meson.build b/hw/i386/kvm/meson.build
index 6621ba5cd7..ab143d6474 100644
--- a/hw/i386/kvm/meson.build
+++ b/hw/i386/kvm/meson.build
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ xen_stubs_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_XEN_EMU', if_false: files(
   'xen-stubs.c',
 ))
 
-specific_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: xen_stubs_ss)
+specific_ss.add_all(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', if_true: xen_stubs_ss)
diff --git a/migration/meson.build b/migration/meson.build
index 8ba6e420fe..9975407cd0 100644
--- a/migration/meson.build
+++ b/migration/meson.build
@@ -40,6 +40,6 @@ if get_option('live_block_migration').allowed()
 endif
 softmmu_ss.add(when: zstd, if_true: files('multifd-zstd.c'))
 
-specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU',
+specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY',
                 if_true: files('ram.c',
                                'target.c'))
diff --git a/monitor/meson.build b/monitor/meson.build
index ccb4d1a8e6..4c0a33ae65 100644
--- a/monitor/meson.build
+++ b/monitor/meson.build
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ softmmu_ss.add(files(
 ))
 softmmu_ss.add([spice_headers, files('qmp-cmds.c')])
 
-specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU',
+specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY',
 		if_true: [files( 'hmp-cmds-target.c', 'hmp-target.c'), spice])
diff --git a/qapi/meson.build b/qapi/meson.build
index 9fd480c4d8..60a668b343 100644
--- a/qapi/meson.build
+++ b/qapi/meson.build
@@ -141,6 +141,6 @@ foreach output : qapi_specific_outputs + qapi_nonmodule_outputs
   if output.endswith('.trace-events')
     qapi_trace_events += qapi_files[i]
   endif
-  specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: qapi_files[i])
+  specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', if_true: qapi_files[i])
   i = i + 1
 endforeach
diff --git a/semihosting/meson.build b/semihosting/meson.build
index 8057db5494..b07cbd980f 100644
--- a/semihosting/meson.build
+++ b/semihosting/meson.build
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SEMIHOSTING', if_true: files(
   'syscalls.c',
 ))
 
-specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SEMIHOSTING', 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU'], if_true: files(
+specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SEMIHOSTING', 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: files(
   'config.c',
   'console.c',
   'uaccess.c',
diff --git a/softmmu/meson.build b/softmmu/meson.build
index 974732b0f3..d75f45b7c3 100644
--- a/softmmu/meson.build
+++ b/softmmu/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: [files(
+specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', if_true: [files(
   'arch_init.c',
   'ioport.c',
   'memory.c',
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: [files(
   'watchpoint.c',
 )])
 
-specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU', 'CONFIG_TCG'], if_true: [files(
+specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY', 'CONFIG_TCG'], if_true: [files(
   'icount.c',
 )])
 
diff --git a/target/i386/tcg/sysemu/meson.build b/target/i386/tcg/sysemu/meson.build
index 2e444e766a..7179bd21fb 100644
--- a/target/i386/tcg/sysemu/meson.build
+++ b/target/i386/tcg/sysemu/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-i386_softmmu_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_TCG', 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU'], if_true: files(
+i386_softmmu_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_TCG', 'CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: files(
   'tcg-cpu.c',
   'smm_helper.c',
   'excp_helper.c',
diff --git a/ui/meson.build b/ui/meson.build
index e09b616a66..125dd41cd6 100644
--- a/ui/meson.build
+++ b/ui/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 softmmu_ss.add(pixman)
-specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU'], if_true: pixman)   # for the include path
-specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SOFTMMU'], if_true: opengl)   # for the include path
+specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: pixman)   # for the include path
+specific_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: opengl)   # for the include path
 
 softmmu_ss.add(png)
 softmmu_ss.add(files(
