diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3c75424006aba28f03042e130f7a25ef425baf3d..6d6f3f5237a1148287f3d6c7d57621d86ad8e070 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ configure_file(
 )
 
 if get_option('update-mimedb')
-    upd_tool = (meson.is_cross_build()
+    upd_tool = (meson.is_cross_build() or not get_option('build-tools')
         ? find_program('update-mime-database').path()
         : update_mime_database.full_path()
     )
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index cdf0b73e9e7b22f8a2e6959c6cdfc2e2df400c44..a073abec0117ce1d17795c372b1703491ba44e4f 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -56,10 +56,12 @@ test('Case sensitivity',
     find_program('test-case-sensitivity.sh'),
 )
 
-test('update-mime-database',
-    update_mime_database,
-    args: meson.current_source_dir() / 'mime-db-tests',
-)
+if get_option('build-tools')
+    test('update-mime-database',
+        update_mime_database,
+        args: meson.current_source_dir() / 'mime-db-tests',
+    )
+endif
 
 its20_elements_rng = meson.source_root() / 'data/its/its20-elements.rng'
 shared_mime_info_its = meson.source_root() / 'data/its/shared-mime-info.its'