diff --git a/protocol/meson.build b/protocol/meson.build
index 58126561..17318e1c 100644
--- a/protocol/meson.build
+++ b/protocol/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 wl_protocol_dir = wayland_protos.get_pkgconfig_variable('pkgdatadir')
 
-wayland_scanner = find_program('wayland-scanner')
+wayland_scanner_dep = dependency('wayland-scanner', required: false, native: true)
+if wayland_scanner_dep.found()
+	wayland_scanner = find_program(
+		wayland_scanner_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('wayland_scanner'),
+		native: true,
+	)
+else
+	wayland_scanner = find_program('wayland-scanner', native: true)
+endif
 
 wayland_scanner_server = generator(
 	wayland_scanner,
@@ -8,17 +16,10 @@ wayland_scanner_server = generator(
 	arguments: ['server-header', '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
 )
 
-# should check wayland_scanner's version, but it is hard to get
-if wayland_server.version().version_compare('>=1.14.91')
-	code_type = 'private-code'
-else
-	code_type = 'code'
-endif
-
 wayland_scanner_code = generator(
 	wayland_scanner,
 	output: '@BASENAME@-protocol.c',
-	arguments: [code_type, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
+	arguments: ['private-code', '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
 )
 
 wayland_scanner_client = generator(