diff --git a/doc/api/meson.build b/doc/api/meson.build
index 7e2b429ac8..5c25b92092 100644
--- a/doc/api/meson.build
+++ b/doc/api/meson.build
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ htmldir = join_paths(get_option('datadir'), 'doc', 'dpdk')
 # So use a configure option for now.
 example = custom_target('examples.dox',
         output: 'examples.dox',
-        command: [generate_examples, join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'examples'), '@OUTPUT@'],
+        command: [generate_examples, join_paths(dpdk_source_root, 'examples'), '@OUTPUT@'],
         depfile: 'examples.dox.d',
         install: get_option('enable_docs'),
         install_dir: htmldir,
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ example = custom_target('examples.dox',
 
 cdata = configuration_data()
 cdata.set('VERSION', meson.project_version())
-cdata.set('API_EXAMPLES', join_paths(meson.build_root(), 'doc', 'api', 'examples.dox'))
-cdata.set('OUTPUT', join_paths(meson.build_root(), 'doc', 'api'))
+cdata.set('API_EXAMPLES', join_paths(dpdk_build_root, 'doc', 'api', 'examples.dox'))
+cdata.set('OUTPUT', join_paths(dpdk_build_root, 'doc', 'api'))
 cdata.set('HTML_OUTPUT', 'html')
-cdata.set('TOPDIR', meson.source_root())
-cdata.set('STRIP_FROM_PATH', ' '.join([meson.source_root(), join_paths(meson.build_root(), 'doc', 'api')]))
+cdata.set('TOPDIR', dpdk_source_root)
+cdata.set('STRIP_FROM_PATH', ' '.join([dpdk_source_root, join_paths(dpdk_build_root, 'doc', 'api')]))
 cdata.set('WARN_AS_ERROR', 'NO')
 if get_option('werror')
     cdata.set('WARN_AS_ERROR', 'YES')
diff --git a/kernel/freebsd/meson.build b/kernel/freebsd/meson.build
index bf5aa20a55..1f612711be 100644
--- a/kernel/freebsd/meson.build
+++ b/kernel/freebsd/meson.build
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ kmods = ['contigmem', 'nic_uio']
 # right now, which allows us to simplify things. We pull in the sourcer
 # files from the individual meson.build files, and then use a custom
 # target to call make, passing in the values as env parameters.
-kmod_cflags = ['-I' + meson.build_root(),
-        '-I' + join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'config'),
+kmod_cflags = ['-I' + dpdk_build_root,
+        '-I' + join_paths(dpdk_source_root, 'config'),
         '-include rte_config.h']
 
 # to avoid warnings due to race conditions with creating the dev_if.h, etc.
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/meson.build b/kernel/linux/kni/meson.build
index dae8c37b37..4c90069e99 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/meson.build
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/meson.build
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ custom_target('rte_kni',
             'M=' + meson.current_build_dir(),
             'src=' + meson.current_source_dir(),
             ' '.join(['MODULE_CFLAGS=', kmod_cflags,'-include '])
-            + meson.source_root() + '/config/rte_config.h' +
-            ' -I' + meson.source_root() + '/lib/eal/include' +
-            ' -I' + meson.source_root() + '/lib/kni' +
-            ' -I' + meson.build_root() +
+            + dpdk_source_root + '/config/rte_config.h' +
+            ' -I' + dpdk_source_root + '/lib/eal/include' +
+            ' -I' + dpdk_source_root + '/lib/kni' +
+            ' -I' + dpdk_build_root +
             ' -I' + meson.current_source_dir(),
             'modules'] + cross_args,
         depends: kni_mkfile,
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3d97e96f38..937f6110c0 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ endif
 
 # set up some global vars for compiler, platform, configuration, etc.
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
+dpdk_source_root = meson.current_source_dir()
+dpdk_build_root = meson.current_build_dir()
 dpdk_conf = configuration_data()
 dpdk_libraries = []
 dpdk_static_libraries = []