diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index fa2792920..26b20b6ce 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ if host_machine.cpu_family() == 'arm' and cpp.alignment('struct { char c; }') !=
   endif
 endif
 
-python3 = import('python').find_installation('python3')
-
 check_headers = [
   ['unistd.h'],
   ['sys/mman.h'],
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 5c8b780d2..c17513beb 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -613,13 +613,13 @@ if have_gobject
   enum_c = custom_target('hb-gobject-enums.cc',
     input: enums[0],
     output: 'hb-gobject-enums.cc',
-    command: [python3, files('fix_get_types.py')[0], '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@']
+    command: [find_program('fix_get_types.py'), '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@']
   )
 
   enum_h = custom_target('hb-gobject-enums.h',
     input: enums[1],
     output: 'hb-gobject-enums.h',
-    command: [python3, files('fix_get_types.py')[0], '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
+    command: [find_program('fix_get_types.py'), '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
     install: true,
     install_dir: get_option('prefix') / get_option('includedir') / meson.project_name(),
   )
diff --git a/test/shaping/meson.build b/test/shaping/meson.build
index 2dcd9369b..8e7e3d2b4 100644
--- a/test/shaping/meson.build
+++ b/test/shaping/meson.build
@@ -272,9 +272,8 @@ disabled_text_rendering_tests = [
 foreach file_name : in_house_tests
   test_name = file_name.split('.')[0].underscorify()
 
-  test(test_name, python3,
+  test(test_name, find_program('run-tests.py'),
     args: [
-      files('run-tests.py')[0],
       hb_shape,
       meson.current_source_dir() / 'data' / 'in-house' / 'tests' / file_name,
     ],
@@ -285,9 +284,8 @@ endforeach
 foreach file_name : aots_tests
   test_name = file_name.split('.')[0].underscorify()
 
-  test(test_name, python3,
+  test(test_name, find_program('run-tests.py'),
     args: [
-      files('run-tests.py')[0],
       hb_shape,
       meson.current_source_dir() / 'data' / 'aots' / 'tests' / file_name,
     ],
@@ -298,9 +296,8 @@ endforeach
 foreach file_name : text_rendering_tests
   test_name = file_name.split('.')[0].underscorify()
 
-  test(test_name, python3,
+  test(test_name, find_program('run-tests.py'),
     args: [
-      files('run-tests.py')[0],
       hb_shape,
       meson.current_source_dir() / 'data' / 'text-rendering-tests' / 'tests' / file_name,
     ],