diff --git a/glib/gconvert.c b/glib/gconvert.c
index 707867951..c5857df1c 100644
--- a/glib/gconvert.c
+++ b/glib/gconvert.c
@@ -52,14 +52,6 @@
 
 #include "glibintl.h"
 
-#if defined(USE_LIBICONV_GNU) && !defined (_LIBICONV_H)
-#error GNU libiconv in use but included iconv.h not from libiconv
-#endif
-#if !defined(USE_LIBICONV_GNU) && defined (_LIBICONV_H) \
-     && !defined (__APPLE_CC__) && !defined (__LP_64__)
-#error GNU libiconv not in use but included iconv.h is from libiconv
-#endif
-
 
 /**
  * SECTION:conversions
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0ec80c177..85433fb3b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1690,9 +1690,6 @@ glibconfig_conf.set10('G_HAVE_GROWING_STACK', growing_stack)
 
 # Tests for iconv
 #
-# USE_LIBICONV_GNU: Using GNU libiconv
-# USE_LIBICONV_NATIVE: Using a native impl of iconv in a separate library
-#
 # We should never use the MinGW C library's iconv because it may not be
 # available in the actual runtime environment. On Windows, we always use
 # the built-in implementation
@@ -1701,7 +1698,6 @@ if host_system == 'windows'
   libiconv = []
   # We have a #include "win_iconv.c" in gconvert.c on Windows, so we don't need
   # any external library for it
-  glib_conf.set('USE_LIBICONV_NATIVE', true)
   if iconv_opt != 'auto'
     warning('-Diconv was set to @0@, which was ignored')
   endif
@@ -1711,13 +1707,7 @@ else
     libiconv = []
     found_iconv = true
   endif
-  if not found_iconv and ['auto', 'native'].contains(iconv_opt) and cc.has_header_symbol('iconv.h', 'iconv_open')
-    glib_conf.set('USE_LIBICONV_NATIVE', true)
-    libiconv = [cc.find_library('iconv')]
-    found_iconv = true
-  endif
-  if not found_iconv and ['auto', 'gnu'].contains(iconv_opt) and cc.has_header_symbol('iconv.h', 'libiconv_open')
-    glib_conf.set('USE_LIBICONV_GNU', true)
+  if not found_iconv and ['auto', 'external'].contains(iconv_opt) and cc.has_header_symbol('iconv.h', 'iconv_open')
     libiconv = [cc.find_library('iconv')]
     found_iconv = true
   endif
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 0841f6bfe..2c831e37e 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ option('runtime_libdir',
 
 option('iconv',
        type : 'combo',
-       choices : ['auto', 'libc', 'native', 'gnu'],
+       choices : ['auto', 'libc', 'external'],
        value : 'auto',
-       description : 'iconv implementation to use (\'libc\' = \'Part of the C stdlib\'; \'gnu\' = \'GNU\'s iconv\'; \'native\' = \'A separate iconv\'; \'auto\' = \'Auto-detect which iconv is available\')')
+       description : 'iconv implementation to use (\'libc\' = \'Part of the C library\'; \'external\' = \'External libiconv\'; \'auto\' = \'Auto-detect which iconv is available\')')
 
 option('charsetalias_dir',
        type : 'string',