diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/docs/meson.build
index 989ae92f4a..7374257562 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/docs/meson.build
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + apiversion, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'), required: false)
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + apiversion)],
+        required: false)
 endif
 
 plugins_cache = join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), 'gst_plugins_cache.json')
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-libav/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-libav/docs/meson.build
index 3f2539b7b8..da50ad9b89 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-libav/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-libav/docs/meson.build
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
-    required: false)
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
+        required: false)
 endif
 
 plugins_cache = join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), 'gst_plugins_cache.json')
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/meson.build
index 2face66b05..7ab5ad6cfd 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/meson.build
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
         required: false)
 endif
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/docs/meson.build
index 5a7b1bc402..c6b22c4694 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/docs/meson.build
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
         required: false)
 endif
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-good/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-good/docs/meson.build
index 04bacca68a..1ef7166c93 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-good/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-good/docs/meson.build
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
         required: false)
 endif
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-ugly/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-ugly/docs/meson.build
index e4a28d629c..5c9bd2fb29 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-ugly/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-ugly/docs/meson.build
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
         required: false)
 endif
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-rtsp-server/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-rtsp-server/docs/meson.build
index e5eaf563a6..9d43828511 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-rtsp-server/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-rtsp-server/docs/meson.build
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
         required: false)
 endif
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/docs/meson.build b/subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/docs/meson.build
index cefede17ad..ad5f7857f0 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/docs/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer-vaapi/docs/meson.build
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ if gst_dep.type_name() == 'internal'
     gst_proj = subproject('gstreamer')
     plugins_cache_generator = gst_proj.get_variable('plugins_cache_generator')
 else
-    plugins_cache_generator = find_program(join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir'), 'gstreamer-' + api_version, 'gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator'),
+    plugins_cache_generator = find_program('gst-plugins-doc-cache-generator',
+        dirs: [join_paths(gst_dep.get_variable('libexecdir', default_value: ''), 'gstreamer-' + api_version)],
         required: false)
 endif