diff --git a/validate/tests/check/meson.build b/validate/tests/check/meson.build
index e61f14dd64..c564d3b48a 100644
--- a/validate/tests/check/meson.build
+++ b/validate/tests/check/meson.build
@@ -14,22 +14,15 @@ test_defines = [
   '-DGST_USE_UNSTABLE_API',
 ]
 
-runcmd = run_command(getpluginsdir, 'gstreamer', 'gstreamer-' + apiversion)
-if runcmd.returncode() == 0
-    needed_plugins_dirs = runcmd.stdout().strip()
-    message('Using GStreamer plug-ins in ' + needed_plugins_dirs)
-else
-    error('Could not determine GStreamer core plugins directory for unit tests.')
+env = environment()
+env.set('GST_PLUGIN_SYSTEM_PATH_1_0', '')
+env.set('GST_STATE_IGNORE_ELEMENTS', '')
+env.set('CK_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT', '20')
+env.set('GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0', meson.build_root())
+if not meson.is_subproject()
+  env.append('GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0', gst_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('pluginsdir'))
 endif
 
-test_env = [
-    'GST_PLUGIN_SYSTEM_PATH_1_0=',
-    'GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0=' + needed_plugins_dirs,
-    'GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_1_0='+ meson.build_root() + '/libs/gst/helpers/gst-plugin-scanner',
-    'GST_STATE_IGNORE_ELEMENTS=',
-    'CK_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT=20',
-]
-
 foreach t : validate_tests
   test_name = t.get(0)
   if t.length() == 2
@@ -45,9 +38,9 @@ foreach t : validate_tests
         include_directories : [inc_dirs],
         dependencies : [validate_dep, gstcheck_dep],
     )
-    test(test_name, exe,
-      env: test_env + ['GST_REGISTRY=@0@/@1@.registry'.format(meson.current_build_dir(), test_name)]
-    )
+    env.set('GST_REGISTRY',
+            '@0@/@1@.registry'.format(meson.current_build_dir(), test_name))
+    test(test_name, exe, env: env)
   endif
 endforeach
 
diff --git a/validate/tests/getpluginsdir b/validate/tests/getpluginsdir
deleted file mode 100644
index aa41ca83a8..0000000000
--- a/validate/tests/getpluginsdir
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-
-import os
-import sys
-import subprocess
-
-builddir = os.environ['MESON_BUILD_ROOT']
-
-res = ''
-args = sys.argv[1:]
-for i in range(0, len(args), 2):
-    project = args[i]
-    pkg_name = args[i + 1]
-    path = os.path.join(builddir, 'subprojects', project)
-    if os.path.exists(path):
-        res += ':' + path
-    else:
-        try:
-            res += ':' + subprocess.check_output([
-                'pkg-config', '--variable=pluginsdir',
-                pkg_name]).decode().replace("\n", "")
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            # Probably means there is no .pc file for the module
-            # and it should hopefully no be too bad.
-            pass
-
-print(res.strip(":"))
diff --git a/validate/tests/launcher_tests/meson.build b/validate/tests/launcher_tests/meson.build
index 8f16792064..75a03c14c2 100644
--- a/validate/tests/launcher_tests/meson.build
+++ b/validate/tests/launcher_tests/meson.build
@@ -1,26 +1,19 @@
-launcher = find_program(meson.build_root() + '/validate/tools/gst-validate-launcher',
-    required : false)
+env = environment()
+env.set('GST_PLUGIN_SYSTEM_PATH_1_0', '')
+env.set('GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0', meson.build_root())
+if not meson.is_subproject()
+  env.append('GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0', gst_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('pluginsdir'))
 
-runcmd = run_command(getpluginsdir, 'gstreamer', 'gstreamer-' + apiversion,
-    'gst-plugins-base', 'gst-plugins-base-' + apiversion)
-if runcmd.returncode() == 0
-    needed_plugins_dirs = runcmd.stdout().strip()
-    message('Using GStreamer plug-ins in ' + needed_plugins_dirs)
-else
-    error('Could not determine GStreamer plugins directory for unit tests.')
+  gst_plugins_base_dep = dependency('gstreamer-plugins-base-1.0')
+  env.append('GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0', gst_plugins_base_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('pluginsdir'))
 endif
 
-test_env = [
-    'GST_PLUGIN_SYSTEM_PATH_1_0=',
-    'GST_PLUGIN_PATH_1_0=' + needed_plugins_dirs,
-    'GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_1_0='+ meson.build_root() + '/libs/gst/helpers/gst-plugin-scanner',
-]
-
 if launcher.found()
-    test_name = 'launcher_tests'
+    test_name = 'validate/launcher_tests'
+    env.set('GST_REGISTRY', '@0@/@1@.registry'.format(meson.current_build_dir(), test_name))
+
     test(test_name, launcher, args: ['-o', meson.build_root() + '/validate-launcher-output/',
       meson.current_source_dir() + '/test_validate.py', '--validate-tools-path',
       meson.build_root() + '/validate/tools/'],
-      env: ['GST_REGISTRY=@0@/@1@.registry'.format(meson.current_build_dir(), test_name)] +
-      test_env)
+      env: env)
 endif
diff --git a/validate/tests/meson.build b/validate/tests/meson.build
index 2f6cd48178..2153ca1c60 100644
--- a/validate/tests/meson.build
+++ b/validate/tests/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # FIXME: make check work on windows
-getpluginsdir = find_program('getpluginsdir')
 if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
 subdir('check')
 endif
diff --git a/validate/tools/meson.build b/validate/tools/meson.build
index dc51525116..a608da13eb 100644
--- a/validate/tools/meson.build
+++ b/validate/tools/meson.build
@@ -32,3 +32,5 @@ configure_file(input : 'gst-validate-launcher.in',
                install_dir: get_option('bindir'),
                output : 'gst-validate-launcher',
                configuration : tmpconf)
+
+launcher = find_program(meson.current_build_dir() + '/gst-validate-launcher')