diff --git a/tools/meson-make-symlink.sh b/tools/meson-make-symlink.sh
index cdd5214125..8c7e887f51 100755
--- a/tools/meson-make-symlink.sh
+++ b/tools/meson-make-symlink.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 set -eu
 
+if [ "${MESON_INSTALL_QUIET:-0}" = 1 ] ; then
+    VERBOSE=""
+else
+    VERBOSE="v"
+fi
+
 # this is needed mostly because $DESTDIR is provided as a variable,
 # and we need to create the target directory...
 
-mkdir -vp "$(dirname "${DESTDIR:-}$2")"
+mkdir -${VERBOSE}p "$(dirname "${DESTDIR:-}$2")"
 if [ "$(dirname $1)" = . -o "$(dirname $1)" = .. ]; then
-    ln -vfs -T -- "$1" "${DESTDIR:-}$2"
+    ln -${VERBOSE}fs -T -- "$1" "${DESTDIR:-}$2"
 else
-    ln -vfs -T --relative -- "${DESTDIR:-}$1" "${DESTDIR:-}$2"
+    ln -${VERBOSE}fs -T --relative -- "${DESTDIR:-}$1" "${DESTDIR:-}$2"
 fi
diff --git a/units/meson-add-wants.sh b/units/meson-add-wants.sh
index a483d75b86..2241fc26a2 100755
--- a/units/meson-add-wants.sh
+++ b/units/meson-add-wants.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ unitdir="$1"
 target="$2"
 unit="$3"
 
+if [ "${MESON_INSTALL_QUIET:-0}" = 1 ] ; then
+    VERBOSE=""
+else
+    VERBOSE="v"
+fi
+
 case "$target" in
     */?*) # a path, but not just a slash at the end
         dir="${DESTDIR:-}${target}"
@@ -18,11 +24,11 @@ unitpath="${DESTDIR:-}${unitdir}/${unit}"
 
 case "$target" in
     */)
-        mkdir -vp -m 0755 "$dir"
+        mkdir -${VERBOSE}p -m 0755 "$dir"
         ;;
     *)
-        mkdir -vp -m 0755 "$(dirname "$dir")"
+        mkdir -${VERBOSE}p -m 0755 "$(dirname "$dir")"
         ;;
 esac
 
-ln -vfs --relative "$unitpath" "$dir"
+ln -${VERBOSE}fs --relative "$unitpath" "$dir"