diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8fb148be4..e7de5dc8b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ aclocal.m4
 autom4te.cache
 /build-aux/*
 ChangeLog
-config.h
-config.h.in
-config.h.in~
 config.log
 config.status
 configure
diff --git a/vapi/config.vapi b/config.vala.in
similarity index 53%
rename from vapi/config.vapi
rename to config.vala.in
index b81dfbf7b..d9aeb2bff 100644
--- a/vapi/config.vapi
+++ b/config.vala.in
@@ -5,10 +5,9 @@
  *                         2011 Rico Tzschichholz
  */
 
-[CCode (cprefix = "", lower_case_cprefix = "", cheader_filename = "config.h")]
 namespace Config {
-	public const string GETTEXT_PACKAGE;
-	public const string LOCALEDIR;
-	public const string VERSION;
-	public const string PLUGINDIR;
+	public const string GETTEXT_PACKAGE = "@GETTEXT_PACKAGE@";
+	public const string LOCALEDIR = "@LOCALEDIR@";
+	public const string VERSION = "@VERSION@";
+	public const string PLUGINDIR = "@PLUGINDIR@";
 }
diff --git a/daemon-gtk3/meson.build b/daemon-gtk3/meson.build
index c4a53ccec..167a17a09 100644
--- a/daemon-gtk3/meson.build
+++ b/daemon-gtk3/meson.build
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ hdy_dep = dependency('libhandy-1')
 gala_daemon_bin = executable(
     'gala-daemon-gtk3',
     gala_daemon_sources,
+    config_header,
     dependencies: [gala_dep, gala_base_dep, granite_dep_old, hdy_dep],
     include_directories: config_inc_dir,
     install: true,
diff --git a/daemon/meson.build b/daemon/meson.build
index f98b1021e..b8f6f3c66 100644
--- a/daemon/meson.build
+++ b/daemon/meson.build
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ gala_daemon_sources = files(
 gala_daemon_bin = executable(
     'gala-daemon',
     gala_daemon_sources,
+    config_header,
     gala_resources,
-    dependencies: [config_dep, granite_dep, gtk4_dep],
+    dependencies: [granite_dep, gtk4_dep],
     include_directories: config_inc_dir,
     install: true,
 )
diff --git a/docs/meson.build b/docs/meson.build
index 56e46c864..88f397262 100644
--- a/docs/meson.build
+++ b/docs/meson.build
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ basic_command = [
     '--pkg', 'sqlite3',
     '--pkg', 'libsystemd',
     '--pkg', 'granite',
-    '--pkg', 'config',
     vala_flags,
     '--vapidir=' + join_paths(meson.build_root(), 'lib'),
     '--vapidir=' + join_paths(meson.global_source_root(), 'vapi'),
@@ -58,6 +57,6 @@ all_doc_target = custom_target(
         '@INPUT@'
     ],
     build_by_default: true,
-    input: gala_lib_sources + gala_bin_sources,
+    input: gala_lib_sources + gala_bin_sources + [config_header],
     output: 'full'
 )
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f1b4dbb09..d4a14000f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 project('gala',
-    'c', 'vala',
+    'vala',
     version: '8.2.5',
     meson_version: '>= 0.59.0',
     license: 'GPL3',
@@ -18,20 +18,16 @@ data_dir = join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('datadir'))
 plugins_dir = join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('libdir'), meson.project_name(), 'plugins')
 
 conf = configuration_data()
-conf.set_quoted('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
-conf.set_quoted('LOCALEDIR', locale_dir)
-conf.set_quoted('PLUGINDIR', plugins_dir)
-conf.set_quoted('VERSION', meson.project_version())
-config_h = configure_file(
-    output: 'config.h',
+conf.set('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
+conf.set('LOCALEDIR', locale_dir)
+conf.set('PLUGINDIR', plugins_dir)
+conf.set('VERSION', meson.project_version())
+config_header = configure_file (
+    input: 'config.vala.in',
+    output: 'config.vala',
     configuration: conf
 )
 
-config_dep = declare_dependency(
-    dependencies: vala.find_library('config', dirs: vapi_dir),
-    sources: config_h
-)
-
 config_inc_dir = include_directories('.')
 
 add_project_arguments([
@@ -158,7 +154,7 @@ endif
 add_project_arguments(vala_flags, language: 'vala')
 add_project_link_arguments(['-Wl,-rpath,@0@'.format(mutter_typelib_dir)], language: 'c')
 
-gala_base_dep = [atk_bridge_dep, glib_dep, gobject_dep, gio_dep, gio_unix_dep, gmodule_dep, gee_dep, gtk_dep, mutter_dep, gnome_desktop_dep, m_dep, posix_dep, sqlite3_dep, xext_dep, config_dep]
+gala_base_dep = [atk_bridge_dep, glib_dep, gobject_dep, gio_dep, gio_unix_dep, gmodule_dep, gee_dep, gtk_dep, mutter_dep, gnome_desktop_dep, m_dep, posix_dep, sqlite3_dep, xext_dep]
 
 if get_option('systemd')
     gala_base_dep += systemd_dep
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 709fa2b56..95b37e428 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ gala_bin_sources = files(
 gala_bin = executable(
     'gala',
     gala_bin_sources,
+    config_header,
     dependencies: [gala_dep, gala_base_dep, pantheon_desktop_shell_dep],
     include_directories: config_inc_dir,
     install_rpath: mutter_typelib_dir,