diff --git a/gio/meson.build b/gio/meson.build
index b520b5a7b..60ca579d1 100644
--- a/gio/meson.build
+++ b/gio/meson.build
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ if host_system != 'windows'
     appinfo_sources += files('gdesktopappinfo.c')
     gio_unix_include_headers += files('gdesktopappinfo.h')
 
-    executable('gio-launch-desktop', 'gio-launch-desktop.c',
+    gio_launch_desktop = executable('gio-launch-desktop', 'gio-launch-desktop.c',
       install : true,
       c_args : gio_c_args,
       # intl.lib is not compatible with SAFESEH
diff --git a/gio/tests/meson.build b/gio/tests/meson.build
index c3e548932..c3e4e4cb3 100644
--- a/gio/tests/meson.build
+++ b/gio/tests/meson.build
@@ -148,7 +148,10 @@ test_env = environment()
 test_env.set('G_TEST_SRCDIR', meson.current_source_dir())
 test_env.set('G_TEST_BUILDDIR', meson.current_build_dir())
 test_env.set('GIO_MODULE_DIR', '')
-test_env.set('GIO_LAUNCH_DESKTOP', meson.build_root() + '/gio/gio-launch-desktop')
+
+if host_system != 'windows' and not glib_have_cocoa
+  test_env.set('GIO_LAUNCH_DESKTOP', gio_launch_desktop.full_path())
+endif
 
 # Check for libdbus1 - Optional - is only used in the GDBus test cases
 # 1.2.14 required for dbus_message_set_serial