diff --git a/amdgpu/amdgpu-symbol-check b/amdgpu/amdgpu-symbol-check
index 17de0c3b48f48710cde2..90b7a1d633c0b2143f29 100755
--- a/amdgpu/amdgpu-symbol-check
+++ b/amdgpu/amdgpu-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.am/libdrm_amdgpuinclude_HEADERS
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_amdgpu.so} | awk '{print $3}' | while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_amdgpu.so} | awk '{print $3}' | while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/amdgpu/meson.build b/amdgpu/meson.build
index 7040ebab86e271022323..f39d7bf6d284534dc660 100644
--- a/amdgpu/meson.build
+++ b/amdgpu/meson.build
@@ -61,5 +61,6 @@ ext_libdrm_amdgpu = declare_dependency(
 test(
   'amdgpu-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('amdgpu-symbol-check'), libdrm_amdgpu]
 )
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index cea0b9dda3ccc1b86061..a695cce9d48c16fbcc8e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])])
 # Check for programs
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_CC_C99
+AC_PROG_NM
 
 if test "x$ac_cv_prog_cc_c99" = xno; then
 	AC_MSG_ERROR([Building libdrm requires C99 enabled compiler])
diff --git a/exynos/exynos-symbol-check b/exynos/exynos-symbol-check
index 9692caa685b4cd93ec4a..e9f1b04d5b0a7a258cf1 100755
--- a/exynos/exynos-symbol-check
+++ b/exynos/exynos-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.am/libdrm_exynos*_HEADERS
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_exynos.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_exynos.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/exynos/meson.build b/exynos/meson.build
index c96ad4e0cd7194a9c902..30d36405d6ef725b7e10 100644
--- a/exynos/meson.build
+++ b/exynos/meson.build
@@ -49,5 +49,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'exynos-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('exynos-symbol-check'), libdrm_exynos]
 )
diff --git a/freedreno/freedreno-symbol-check b/freedreno/freedreno-symbol-check
index 6b81040c797aeed11dca..56e3d3eeace6f9deb280 100755
--- a/freedreno/freedreno-symbol-check
+++ b/freedreno/freedreno-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.sources/LIBDRM_FREEDRENO_H_FILES
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_freedreno.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_freedreno.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/freedreno/meson.build b/freedreno/meson.build
index da993c10355578838f29..015b7fb1c02706916e9d 100644
--- a/freedreno/meson.build
+++ b/freedreno/meson.build
@@ -72,5 +72,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'freedreno-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('freedreno-symbol-check'), libdrm_freedreno]
 )
diff --git a/intel/intel-symbol-check b/intel/intel-symbol-check
index 2aa2d8192cea761a7cda..4d30a4b15feb94e9523d 100755
--- a/intel/intel-symbol-check
+++ b/intel/intel-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.sources/LIBDRM_INTEL_H_FILES
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_intel.so} | awk '{print $3}' | while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_intel.so} | awk '{print $3}' | while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/intel/meson.build b/intel/meson.build
index 42402f60e38cd5e7359f..53c7fce4ef97828bd63c 100644
--- a/intel/meson.build
+++ b/intel/meson.build
@@ -101,5 +101,6 @@ test(
 test(
   'intel-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('intel-symbol-check'), libdrm_intel]
 )
diff --git a/libkms/kms-symbol-check b/libkms/kms-symbol-check
index 658b269265676de25270..a5c2120d5ce75616f489 100755
--- a/libkms/kms-symbol-check
+++ b/libkms/kms-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.sources/LIBKMS_H_FILES
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libkms.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libkms.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/libkms/meson.build b/libkms/meson.build
index 9eff43136397b101fa1b..86d1a4ee6c795a186d66 100644
--- a/libkms/meson.build
+++ b/libkms/meson.build
@@ -70,5 +70,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'kms-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('kms-symbol-check'), libkms]
 )
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 23a892a318c5628eb36e..baf43701e3ab77b08ac1 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -321,6 +321,9 @@ pkg.generate(
   description : 'Userspace interface to kernel DRM services',
 )
 
+env_test = environment()
+env_test.set('NM', find_program('nm').path())
+
 if with_libkms
   subdir('libkms')
 endif
diff --git a/nouveau/meson.build b/nouveau/meson.build
index b8affd9ef776c99ba896..51c9a7123d3b34a250ea 100644
--- a/nouveau/meson.build
+++ b/nouveau/meson.build
@@ -54,5 +54,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'nouveau-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('nouveau-symbol-check'), libdrm_nouveau]
 )
diff --git a/nouveau/nouveau-symbol-check b/nouveau/nouveau-symbol-check
index b265cea466af600a7751..b3a24101e52d8aae1bba 100755
--- a/nouveau/nouveau-symbol-check
+++ b/nouveau/nouveau-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.sources/LIBDRM_NOUVEAU_H_FILES
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_nouveau.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_nouveau.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/omap/meson.build b/omap/meson.build
index f89436f0e99970b381aa..e57b8f5da03618d94720 100644
--- a/omap/meson.build
+++ b/omap/meson.build
@@ -49,5 +49,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'omap-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('omap-symbol-check'), libdrm_omap]
 )
diff --git a/omap/omap-symbol-check b/omap/omap-symbol-check
index 759c84bd3d98d19c2d33..0fb4a0f2664cf9edbc27 100755
--- a/omap/omap-symbol-check
+++ b/omap/omap-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.am/libdrm_omap*HEADERS
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_omap.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_omap.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/radeon/meson.build b/radeon/meson.build
index 557a878042bb78df4096..b08c744219c0c36c5d93 100644
--- a/radeon/meson.build
+++ b/radeon/meson.build
@@ -59,5 +59,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'radeon-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('radeon-symbol-check'), libdrm_radeon]
 )
diff --git a/radeon/radeon-symbol-check b/radeon/radeon-symbol-check
index 0bf2ffcbeebce4f0c230..7d79d90127bd6d27d050 100755
--- a/radeon/radeon-symbol-check
+++ b/radeon/radeon-symbol-check
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # The following symbols (past the first five) are taken from the public headers.
 # A list of the latter should be available Makefile.sources/LIBDRM_RADEON_H_FILES
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_radeon.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_radeon.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_start
 _edata
diff --git a/tegra/meson.build b/tegra/meson.build
index 7ac815177718d301b76c..1f5c74b38d0506d1816d 100644
--- a/tegra/meson.build
+++ b/tegra/meson.build
@@ -48,5 +48,6 @@ pkg.generate(
 test(
   'tegra-symbol-check',
   prog_bash,
+  env : env_test,
   args : [files('tegra-symbol-check'), libdrm_tegra]
 )
diff --git a/tegra/tegra-symbol-check b/tegra/tegra-symbol-check
index 420469f4130119188161..509b678c37b899a25f0a 100755
--- a/tegra/tegra-symbol-check
+++ b/tegra/tegra-symbol-check
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # The following symbols (past the first nine) are taken from tegra.h.
 
-FUNCS=$(nm -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_tegra.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
+FUNCS=$($NM -D --format=bsd --defined-only ${1-.libs/libdrm_tegra.so} | awk '{print $3}'| while read func; do
 ( grep -q "^$func$" || echo $func )  <<EOF
 __bss_end__
 __bss_start__
