diff --git a/contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py b/contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py
index f0b4736b9..3f636e317 100755
--- a/contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py
+++ b/contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ ENDC = "\033[0m"
 # Minimum version of markdown required
 MINIMUM_MARKDOWN = (3, 3, 3)
 
+# Minimum meson required
+MINIMUM_MESON = "0.60.0"
+
 
 def get_possible_profiles():
     return ["fedora", "centos", "debian", "ubuntu", "arch", "void"]
@@ -33,7 +36,16 @@ def detect_profile():
     return target
 
 
-def test_markdown():
+def pip_install_package(debug, name):
+    import subprocess
+
+    cmd = ["python3", "-m", "pip", "install", "--upgrade", name]
+    if debug:
+        print(cmd)
+    subprocess.call(cmd)
+
+
+def test_markdown(debug):
     try:
         import markdown
 
@@ -42,7 +54,16 @@ def test_markdown():
         new_enough = False
     if not new_enough:
         print("python3-markdown must be installed/upgraded")
-    sys.exit(not new_enough)
+        pip_install_package(debug, "markdown")
+
+
+def test_meson(debug):
+    from importlib.metadata import version
+
+    new_enough = version("meson") >= MINIMUM_MESON
+    if not new_enough:
+        print("meson must be installed/upgraded")
+        pip_install_package(debug, "meson")
 
 
 def parse_dependencies(OS, variant, requested_type):
@@ -146,6 +167,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             choices=[
                 "get-dependencies",
                 "test-markdown",
+                "test-meson",
                 "detect-profile",
                 "install-dependencies",
                 "install-pip",
@@ -178,7 +200,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     # command to run
     if command == "test-markdown":
-        test_markdown()
+        test_markdown(args.debug)
+    elif command == "test-meson":
+        test_meson(args.debug)
     elif command == "detect-profile":
         print(detect_profile())
     elif command == "get-dependencies":
diff --git a/contrib/ci/ubuntu.sh b/contrib/ci/ubuntu.sh
index 38cc13325..0f6e1f60e 100755
--- a/contrib/ci/ubuntu.sh
+++ b/contrib/ci/ubuntu.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ set -x
 #check for and install missing dependencies
 ./contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py install-dependencies --yes -o ubuntu
 
+#check we have pip
+./contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py install-pip --yes -o ubuntu
+
+#check meson is new enough
+./contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py test-meson
+
+#check markdown is new enough
+./contrib/ci/fwupd_setup_helpers.py test-markdown
+
 #clone test firmware if necessary
 . ./contrib/ci/get_test_firmware.sh
 
diff --git a/contrib/setup b/contrib/setup
index 35d790508..867dad41f 100755
--- a/contrib/setup
+++ b/contrib/setup
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ setup_unsafe_polkit_rules()
 {
     read -p "Install developer-friendly **unsafe** PolicyKit rules into /etc/polkit-1/rules.d? (y/N) " question
     if [ "$question" = "y" ]; then
+        sudo mkdir -p /etc/polkit-1/rules.d
         sudo cp ./policy/org.freedesktop.fwupd-unsafe.rules /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/
     fi
 }
@@ -111,9 +112,12 @@ setup_prepush()
 
 check_markdown()
 {
-    if ! python3 $HELPER test-markdown; then
-        install_pip markdown --upgrade
-    fi
+    python3 $HELPER test-markdown
+}
+
+check_meson()
+{
+    python3 $HELPER test-meson
 }
 
 detect_os()
@@ -173,6 +177,7 @@ if [ -t 2 ]; then
     esac
     setup_unsafe_polkit_rules
     check_markdown
+    check_meson
     setup_vscode
     rename_branch
     setup_prepush