diff --git a/dist-script.sh b/dist-script.sh
index 0bf762d8..48533453 100755
--- a/dist-script.sh
+++ b/dist-script.sh
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ require_cmd() {
 # Protocol buffers: ipc.proto and ctl.proto
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-PROTOC=$(command -v protoc-c 2>/dev/null || command -v protoc 2>/dev/null || true)
+PROTOC=$(command -v protoc 2>/dev/null || command -v protoc-c 2>/dev/null || true)
 if [ -z "$PROTOC" ]; then
-    echo "dist-script: ERROR: protoc-c/protoc not found; install it to create a dist tarball" >&2
+    echo "dist-script: ERROR: protoc/protoc-c not found; install it to create a dist tarball" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
 "$PROTOC" --c_out="$DISTROOT/src" \
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0cf58c5f..cf7d9ccb 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ endif
 # Required tools
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-gperf    = find_program('gperf', required: false)
-protoc_c = find_program('protoc-c', required: false)
-ipcalc   = find_program(['ipcalc', 'ipcalc-ng'], required: false)
+gperf  = find_program('gperf', required: false)
+protoc = find_program(['protoc', 'protoc-c'], required: false)
+ipcalc = find_program(['ipcalc', 'ipcalc-ng'], required: false)
 
 # Firewall script selection
 _fw_opt = get_option('firewall-script')
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index e1bbbdcf..3f67bddd 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -55,25 +55,25 @@ version_inc = configure_file(
 )
 
 # Protocol buffers
-if protoc_c.found()
+if protoc.found()
   ipc_proto = custom_target('ipc-proto',
     input:   'ipc.proto',
     output:  ['ipc.pb-c.c', 'ipc.pb-c.h'],
-    command: [protoc_c, '--c_out=@OUTDIR@',
+    command: [protoc, '--c_out=@OUTDIR@',
               '--proto_path=@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@', '@INPUT@'],
   )
   ctl_proto = custom_target('ctl-proto',
     input:   'ctl.proto',
     output:  ['ctl.pb-c.c', 'ctl.pb-c.h'],
     depends: ipc_proto,
-    command: [protoc_c, '--c_out=@OUTDIR@',
+    command: [protoc, '--c_out=@OUTDIR@',
               '--proto_path=@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@', '@INPUT@'],
   )
   cfg_proto = custom_target('cfg-proto',
     input:   'cfg.proto',
     output:  ['cfg.pb-c.c', 'cfg.pb-c.h'],
     depends: ipc_proto,
-    command: [protoc_c, '--c_out=@OUTDIR@',
+    command: [protoc, '--c_out=@OUTDIR@',
               '--proto_path=@CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR@', '@INPUT@'],
   )
 elif fs.exists('ipc.pb-c.c') and fs.exists('ctl.pb-c.c') and fs.exists('cfg.pb-c.c')