diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/meson.build
index a7643356b8..e34e3071bb 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/meson.build
@@ -18,7 +18,16 @@ gst_tools = {'ges-launch':
   }
 }
 
-if not get_option('tools').disabled()
+gst_tools = {
+  'ges-launch': {
+    'files': ges_launch_files,
+    'deps': deps,
+    'extra_c_args': [ges_tool_args] + ['-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="ges-launch-@0@"'.format(apiversion)]
+  },
+}
+
+if not get_option('tools').disabled() and not static_build
+  # FIXME: need ges_launch in the tests.
   ges_launch = executable('ges-launch-@0@'.format(apiversion),
       ges_launch_files,
       c_args : [ges_tool_args] + ['-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="ges-launch-@0@"'.format(apiversion)],
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-omx/tools/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-omx/tools/meson.build
index 419ab34b2a..f73996eadc 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-omx/tools/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-omx/tools/meson.build
@@ -1,8 +1,27 @@
-executable('listcomponents',
-  'listcomponents.c',
-  install: false,
-  include_directories : [configinc, omx_inc],
-  dependencies : [gmodule_dep],
-  link_with: [],
-  c_args : gst_omx_args + extra_c_args,
-)
+gst_tools = {
+  'listcomponents': {
+    'files': files('listcomponents.c'),
+    'include_directories' : [configinc, omx_inc],
+    'deps': [gmodule_dep],
+    'extra_c_args': gst_omx_args + extra_c_args,
+    'install': false,
+  },
+}
+
+if not get_option('tools').disabled() and not static_build
+  foreach tool, data: gst_tools
+    exe_name = '@0@-@1@'.format(tool, api_version)
+    executable(exe_name,
+      data.get('files'),
+      install: data.get('install', true),
+      install_tag: 'bin',
+      include_directories : data.get('include_directories', [configinc]),
+      dependencies : data.get('deps', []),
+      c_args: data.get('extra_c_args', []),
+    )
+
+    if data.has_key('man_page')
+      install_man(data.get('man_page'))
+    endif
+  endforeach
+endif
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/meson_options.txt b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/meson_options.txt
index 74d02791dc..4f96669721 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/meson_options.txt
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/meson_options.txt
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ option('gpl', type: 'feature', value: 'disabled', yield: true,
 
 # Common feature options
 option('examples', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', yield : true)
+option('tools', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', yield : true)
 option('tests', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', yield : true)
 option('introspection', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', yield : true, description : 'Generate gobject-introspection bindings')
 option('nls', type : 'feature', value : 'auto', yield: true, description : 'Enable native language support (translations)')
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tools/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tools/meson.build
index 1b935cc9d4..b32d0d7bad 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tools/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tools/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,24 @@
-executable('gst-transcoder-' + api_version,
-  'gst-transcoder.c', 'utils.c',
-  install : true,
-  install_tag : 'bin',
-  dependencies : [gst_dep, gstpbutils_dep, gst_transcoder_dep],
-  c_args: ['-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="gst-transcoder-@0@"'.format(api_version)],
-)
+gst_tools = {
+  'gst-transcoder': {
+    'files': files('gst-transcoder.c', 'utils.c'),
+    'deps': [gst_dep, gstpbutils_dep, gst_transcoder_dep],
+  },
+}
+
+if not get_option('tools').disabled() and not static_build
+  foreach tool, data: gst_tools
+    exe_name = '@0@-@1@'.format(tool, api_version)
+    executable(exe_name,
+      data.get('files'),
+      install: data.get('install', true),
+      install_tag: 'bin',
+      include_directories : data.get('include_directories', [configinc]),
+      dependencies : data.get('deps'),
+      c_args: data.get('extra_c_args', []) + ['-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="@0@"'.format(exe_name)],
+    )
+
+    if data.has_key('man_page')
+      install_man(data.get('man_page'))
+    endif
+  endforeach
+endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tools/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tools/meson.build
index 9dd781c43b..32d2a01a8b 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tools/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/tools/meson.build
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ if not get_option('tools').disabled() and not static_build
     exe_name = '@0@-@1@'.format(tool, api_version)
     executable(exe_name,
       data.get('files'),
-      install: true,
+      install: data.get('install', true),
       install_tag: 'bin',
-      include_directories : [configinc],
+      include_directories : data.get('include_directories', [configinc]),
       dependencies : data.get('deps'),
       c_args: data.get('extra_c_args', []) + gst_plugins_base_args + ['-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="@0@"'.format(exe_name)],
     )