diff --git a/tests/check/meson.build b/tests/check/meson.build
index 306791d53a..2c3ecb114e 100644
--- a/tests/check/meson.build
+++ b/tests/check/meson.build
@@ -23,10 +23,14 @@ test_defines = [
 
 pluginsdirs = []
 if gst_dep.type_name() == 'pkgconfig'
-  pbase = dependency('gstreamer-plugins-base-' + api_version, required : false)
+  pbase = dependency('gstreamer-plugins-base-' + api_version, required: true)
   pluginsdirs = [gst_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('pluginsdir'),
                  pbase.get_pkgconfig_variable('pluginsdir')]
+  gst_plugin_scanner_dir = gst_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('pluginscannerdir')
+else
+  gst_plugin_scanner_dir = subproject('gstreamer').get_variable('gst_scanner_dir')
 endif
+gst_plugin_scanner_path = join_paths(gst_plugin_scanner_dir, 'gst-plugin-scanner')
 
 test_deps = [gst_dep, gstbase_dep, gstcheck_dep, gstaudio_dep, gstapp_dep,
              gstfft_dep, gstvideo_dep, gstpbutils_dep]
@@ -70,8 +74,8 @@ foreach t : ugly_tests
     env.set('GST_PLUGIN_LOADING_WHITELIST', 'gstreamer', 'gst-plugins-base',
       'gst-plugins-good', 'gst-plugins-ugly@' + meson.build_root())
     env.set('GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0', [meson.build_root()] + pluginsdirs)
-    env.set('GST_REGISTRY', '@0@/@1@.registry'.format(meson.current_build_dir(), test_name))
     env.set('GST_REGISTRY', join_paths(meson.current_build_dir(), '@0@.registry'.format(test_name)))
+    env.set('GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_1_0', gst_plugin_scanner_path)
     test(test_name, exe, env: env, timeout: 3 * 60)
   endif
 endforeach