diff --git a/data/bash-completion/meson.build b/data/bash-completion/meson.build
index ae17f0e24..3148654c3 100644
--- a/data/bash-completion/meson.build
+++ b/data/bash-completion/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 if bashcomp.found()
-  completions_dir = bashcomp.get_pkgconfig_variable('completionsdir',
-    define_variable: bashcomp.version().version_compare('>= 2.10') ? ['datadir', datadir] : ['prefix', prefix],
+  completions_dir = bashcomp.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'completionsdir',
+    pkgconfig_define: bashcomp.version().version_compare('>= 2.10') ? ['datadir', datadir] : ['prefix', prefix],
   )
 
   install_data(['fwupdtool'],
diff --git a/data/pki/meson.build b/data/pki/meson.build
index 2a7d0f249..a5603bfb4 100644
--- a/data/pki/meson.build
+++ b/data/pki/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # only install files that are going to be used
 if libjcat.type_name() != 'internal' and libjcat.version().version_compare('>= 0.1.9')
-  supported_gpg = libjcat.get_pkgconfig_variable('supported_gpg')
-  supported_pkcs7 = libjcat.get_pkgconfig_variable('supported_pkcs7')
+  supported_gpg = libjcat.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'supported_gpg')
+  supported_pkcs7 = libjcat.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'supported_pkcs7')
 else
   supported_gpg = '1'
   supported_pkcs7 = '1'
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 9002f2ae0..cff373718 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ if polkit.found()
   if polkit.version().version_compare('>= 0.114')
     conf.set('HAVE_POLKIT_0_114', '1')
   endif
-  conf.set_quoted ('POLKIT_ACTIONDIR', polkit.get_pkgconfig_variable('actiondir'))
+  conf.set_quoted ('POLKIT_ACTIONDIR', polkit.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'actiondir'))
 endif
 if build_daemon
   if not polkit.found()
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ if build_daemon
   udevdir = get_option('udevdir')
   if udevdir == '' and host_machine.system() == 'linux'
     udev = dependency('udev')
-    udevdir = udev.get_pkgconfig_variable('udevdir')
+    udevdir = udev.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'udevdir')
   endif
 endif
 libm = cc.find_library('m', required: false)
@@ -451,19 +451,19 @@ if libsystemd.found()
   conf.set('HAVE_LOGIND' , '1')
   systemd_root_prefix = get_option('systemd_root_prefix')
   if systemd_root_prefix == ''
-    systemdunitdir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystemunitdir')
-    systemdsystempresetdir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystempresetdir')
-    systemd_shutdown_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdshutdowndir')
-    systemd_modules_load_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('modulesloaddir')
+    systemdunitdir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'systemdsystemunitdir')
+    systemdsystempresetdir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'systemdsystempresetdir')
+    systemd_shutdown_dir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'systemdshutdowndir')
+    systemd_modules_load_dir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'modulesloaddir')
   else
-    systemdunitdir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystemunitdir', define_variable: ['rootprefix', systemd_root_prefix])
-    systemdsystempresetdir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystempresetdir', define_variable: ['rootprefix', systemd_root_prefix])
+    systemdunitdir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'systemdsystemunitdir', define_variable: ['rootprefix', systemd_root_prefix])
+    systemdsystempresetdir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'systemdsystempresetdir', define_variable: ['rootprefix', systemd_root_prefix])
     systemd_root_prefix_varname = 'root_prefix'
     if systemd.version().version_compare('< 246')
       systemd_root_prefix_varname = 'rootprefix'
     endif
-    systemd_shutdown_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdshutdowndir', define_variable: [systemd_root_prefix_varname, systemd_root_prefix])
-    systemd_modules_load_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('modulesloaddir', define_variable: [systemd_root_prefix_varname, systemd_root_prefix])
+    systemd_shutdown_dir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'systemdshutdowndir', define_variable: [systemd_root_prefix_varname, systemd_root_prefix])
+    systemd_modules_load_dir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig : 'modulesloaddir', define_variable: [systemd_root_prefix_varname, systemd_root_prefix])
   endif
 endif