diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 984f1e6c2..1eb765f42 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -22,8 +22,12 @@ lt_revision = 0
 lt_age = 1
 lt_version = '@0@.@1@.@2@'.format(lt_current, lt_age, lt_revision)
 
-modbuslib = library('modbus', sources,
-                    version: lt_version,
-                    soversion: lt_current,
-                    include_directories : include_directories('..'),
-                    install : true)
+libmodbus = shared_library('modbus', sources,
+                           version: lt_version,
+                           soversion: lt_current,
+                           include_directories : include_directories('..'),
+                           install : true)
+
+incdir = include_directories('../src')
+libmodbus_dep = declare_dependency(link_with : libmodbus,
+                                   include_directories: incdir))
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index fb30f49ed..d17d5bc0c 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -6,43 +6,43 @@ incdir = include_directories('../src')
 
 bandwidth_server_one = executable(
     'bandwidth-server-one', 'bandwidth-server-one.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )
 
 bandwidth_server_many_up = executable(
     'bandwidth-server-many-up', 'bandwidth-server-many-up.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )
 
 bandwidth_client = executable(
     'bandwidth-client', 'bandwidth-client.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )
 
 random_test_server = executable(
     'random-test-server', 'random-test-server.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )
 
 random_test_client = executable(
     'random-test-client', 'random-test-client.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )
 
 unit_test_server = executable(
     'unit-test-server', 'unit-test-server.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )
 
 unit_test_client = executable(
     'unit-test-client', 'unit-test-client.c',
-    link_with : modbuslib,
+    link_with : libmodbus,
     include_directories : incdir
 )