diff --git a/gst/printf/meson.build b/gst/printf/meson.build
index 8e4122aff9..2a867a60e8 100644
--- a/gst/printf/meson.build
+++ b/gst/printf/meson.build
@@ -7,14 +7,69 @@ printf_sources = [
   'printf-extension.c',
 ]
 
-printf_args = gst_c_args + [
-#  '-UHAVE_LONG_DOUBLE',
-#  '-UHAVE_LONG_LONG_FORMAT',
-#  ' -UHAVE_WCHAR_T',
-#  '-UHAVE_WCSLEN',
-#  '-UHAVE_WINT_T',
-  '-DSTATIC=G_GNUC_INTERNAL',
-]
+printf_args = gst_c_args + ['-DSTATIC=G_GNUC_INTERNAL']
+
+# Don't have a need for that and it's not portable so just ignore for now
+printf_args += ['-UHAVE_LONG_DOUBLE']
+
+# Just use internal emulation for printing long longs for now
+printf_args += ['-UHAVE_LONG_LONG_FORMAT']
+
+# Don't need any of this widechar stuff, so just disable it for now
+printf_args += ['-UHAVE_WCHAR_T', '-UHAVE_WCSLEN', '-UHAVE_WINT_T']
+
+# Check if 'long long' works and what format can be used to print it
+# jm_AC_TYPE_LONG_LONG
+if cc.compiles('''long long ll = 1LL;
+                  int i = 63;
+                  int some_func (void) {
+                    long long llmax = (long long) -1;
+                    return ll << i | ll >> i | llmax / ll | llmax % ll;
+                  }''', name : 'long long')
+  printf_args += ['-DHAVE_LONG_LONG']
+  have_long_long = true
+else
+  have_long_long = false
+endif
+
+# The following uintmax_t/intmax_t checks are also in glib
+found_uintmax_t = false
+
+# Define HAVE_INTTYPES_H_WITH_UINTMAX if <inttypes.h> exists,
+# doesn't clash with <sys/types.h>, and declares uintmax_t.
+# jm_AC_HEADER_INTTYPES_H
+if cc.compiles('''#include <sys/types.h>
+                  #include <inttypes.h>
+                  uintmax_t i = (uintmax_t) -1;
+               ''', name : 'uintmax_t in inttypes.h')
+  printf_args += ['-DHAVE_INTTYPES_H_WITH_UINTMAX']
+  found_uintmax_t = true
+endif
+
+# Define HAVE_STDINT_H_WITH_UINTMAX if <stdint.h> exists,
+# doesn't clash with <sys/types.h>, and declares uintmax_t.
+# jm_AC_HEADER_STDINT_H
+if cc.compiles('''#include <sys/types.h>
+                  #include <stdint.h>
+                  uintmax_t i = (uintmax_t) -1;
+               ''', name : 'uintmax_t in stdint.h')
+  printf_args += ['-DHAVE_STDINT_H_WITH_UINTMAX']
+  found_uintmax_t = true
+endif
+
+
+# Define intmax_t to 'long' or 'long long'
+# if it is not already defined in <stdint.h> or <inttypes.h>.
+# For simplicity, we assume that a header file defines 'intmax_t'
+# if and only if it defines 'uintmax_t'.
+printf_args += ['-DHAVE_INTMAX_T']
+if not found_uintmax_t
+  if have_long_long
+    printf_args += ['-Dintmax_t=long long']
+  else
+    printf_args += ['-Dintmax_t=long']
+  endif
+endif
 
 printf_lib = static_library('gstprintf',
     printf_sources,