diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index d71614a64..83cfbbcf0 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -19,13 +19,8 @@ subid_dep = cc.find_library('subid', has_headers: ['shadow/subid.h'])
 go = find_program('go')
 go_md2man = find_program('go-md2man')
 
-bats = find_program('bats', required: false)
 codespell = find_program('codespell', required: false)
-htpasswd = find_program('htpasswd', required: false)
-openssl = find_program('openssl', required: false)
-podman = find_program('podman', required: false)
 shellcheck = find_program('shellcheck', required: false)
-skopeo = find_program('skopeo', required: false)
 
 bashcompletionsdir = get_option('bash_completions_dir')
 if bashcompletionsdir == ''
@@ -84,29 +79,6 @@ if shellcheck.found()
   test('shellcheck toolbox (deprecated)', shellcheck, args: [toolbox_sh])
 endif
 
-install_subdir(
-  'test',
-  install_dir: get_option('datadir') / meson.project_name(),
-  exclude_files: [
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/.git',
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/.gitignore',
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/.travis.yml',
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/package.json',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/.git',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/.gitignore',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/.travis.yml',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/package.json'
-    ],
-  exclude_directories: [
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/.git',
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/script',
-    'system/libs/bats-assert/test',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/.git',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/script',
-    'system/libs/bats-support/test'
-  ]
-)
-
 subdir('data')
 subdir('doc')
 subdir('profile.d')
diff --git a/playbooks/system-test.yaml b/playbooks/system-test.yaml
index bba17cdd8..e15720a7d 100644
--- a/playbooks/system-test.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/system-test.yaml
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
     - include_tasks: build.yaml
 
     - name: Run system tests
-      command: bats --timing ./test/system
+      command: meson test --suite system
       environment:
         PODMAN: '/usr/bin/podman'
         TOOLBOX: '/usr/local/bin/toolbox'
       args:
-        chdir: '{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}'
+        chdir: '{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}/builddir'
diff --git a/test/system/README.md b/test/system/README.md
index ae065883a..ab37ed2c3 100644
--- a/test/system/README.md
+++ b/test/system/README.md
@@ -29,8 +29,19 @@ by running `git submodule init` and `git submodule update`.
 
 First, make sure you have all the dependencies installed.
 
-- Enter the toolbox root folder
-- Invoke command `bats ./test/system/` and the test suite should fire up
+### Meson (recommended)
+
+> This method is optimal when bulding from source
+
+- Set up the project per instructions at https://containertoolbx.org/install
+- Invoke command `meson test --suite system` and the test suite should fire up
+
+### Manually (legacy)
+
+> This method is optimal if you want to test an existing build of Toolbx
+
+- Enter the `test/system` directory in the project root directory
+- Invoke command `bats ./` and the test suite should fire up
 
 Mocking of images is done automatically to prevent potential networking issues
 and to speed up the cases.
@@ -41,7 +52,7 @@ By default the test suite uses the system versions of `podman`, `skopeo` and
 If you have a `podman`, `skopeo` or `toolbox` installed in a nonstandard
 location then you can use the `PODMAN`, `SKOPEO` and `TOOLBOX` environmental
 variables to set the path to the binaries. So the command to invoke the test
-suite could look something like this: `PODMAN=/usr/libexec/podman TOOLBOX=./toolbox bats ./test/system/`.
+suite could look something like this: `PODMAN=/usr/libexec/podman TOOLBOX=./toolbox bats ./`.
 
 When running the tests, make sure the `test suite: [job]` jobs are successful.
 These jobs set up the whole environment and are a strict requirement for other
diff --git a/test/system/libs/meson.build b/test/system/libs/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85adbee67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/system/libs/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+test_system_libs_dir = test_system_dir / 'libs'
+
+test_system_libs_files = files(
+  'helpers.bash'
+)
+
+install_data(
+  install_dir: test_system_libs_dir,
+  sources: test_system_libs_files
+)
+
+install_subdir(
+  'bats-support',
+  install_dir: test_system_libs_dir,
+  exclude_files: [
+    '.git',
+    '.gitignore',
+    '.travis.yml',
+    'package.json'
+  ],
+  exclude_directories: [
+    '.git',
+    'script',
+    'test'
+  ]
+)
+
+install_subdir(
+  'bats-assert',
+  install_dir: test_system_libs_dir,
+  exclude_files: [
+    '.git',
+    '.gitignore',
+    '.travis.yml',
+    'package.json'
+  ],
+  exclude_directories: [
+    '.git',
+    'script',
+    'test'
+  ]
+)
diff --git a/test/system/meson.build b/test/system/meson.build
index 9546ef7fb..fcc5fd5f0 100644
--- a/test/system/meson.build
+++ b/test/system/meson.build
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+test_system_dir = get_option('datadir') / meson.project_name() / 'test'
+
+awk = find_program('awk', required: false)
+bats = find_program('bats', required: false)
+htpasswd = find_program('htpasswd', required: false)
+openssl = find_program('openssl', required: false)
+podman = find_program('podman', required: false)
+skopeo = find_program('skopeo', required: false)
+
 test_system = files(
   '001-version.bats',
   '002-help.bats',
@@ -15,9 +24,40 @@ test_system = files(
   '210-ulimit.bats',
   '211-dbus.bats',
   'setup_suite.bash',
-  'libs/helpers.bash',
 )
 
 if shellcheck.found()
   test('shellcheck test/system', shellcheck, args: [test_system])
 endif
+
+if fs.exists('/run/.containerenv')
+  warning('System tests can not be run in a container.')
+elif not awk.found() or not bats.found() or not htpasswd.found() or not openssl.found() or not podman.found() or not skopeo.found()
+  warning('System tests require: awk, bats, htpasswd, openssl, podman and skopeo being installed.')
+else
+  system_tests_env = environment()
+  system_tests_env.set('TOOLBOX', toolbox_go.full_path())
+
+  test(
+    'system tests',
+    bats,
+    args: [
+      '--formatter', 'tap',
+      '--timing',
+      './'],
+    depends: toolbox_go,
+    env: system_tests_env,
+    is_parallel: false,
+    protocol: 'tap',
+    suite: 'system',
+    timeout: 3600,
+    workdir: meson.current_source_dir(),
+  )
+endif
+
+install_data(
+  install_dir: test_system_dir,
+  sources: [test_system, 'README.md'],
+)
+
+subdir('libs')
diff --git a/test/system/setup_suite.bash b/test/system/setup_suite.bash
index e4edf232b..191b18813 100644
--- a/test/system/setup_suite.bash
+++ b/test/system/setup_suite.bash
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 missing_dependencies=false
 
-if [ -f test/system/libs/bats-assert/load.bash ] && [ -f test/system/libs/bats-support/load.bash ]; then
+if [ -f libs/bats-assert/load.bash ] && [ -f libs/bats-support/load.bash ]; then
   load 'libs/helpers'
 else
   missing_dependencies=true