diff --git a/accel/qtest/meson.build b/accel/qtest/meson.build
index 2018de8a05..e1b089e02c 100644
--- a/accel/qtest/meson.build
+++ b/accel/qtest/meson.build
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-qtest_module_ss.add(when: ['CONFIG_SYSTEM_ONLY'], if_true: files('qtest.c'))
+qtest_module_ss = ss.source_set()
+qtest_module_ss.add(files('qtest.c'))
+
+modules += {'accel': {'qtest': qtest_module_ss}}
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f45885f05a..1867560da6 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3897,9 +3897,6 @@ subdir('linux-user')
 subdir('tests/qtest/libqos')
 subdir('tests/qtest/fuzz')
 
-# accel modules
-target_modules += { 'accel' : { 'qtest': qtest_module_ss }}
-
 ##############################################
 # Internal static_libraries and dependencies #
 ##############################################