diff --git a/gnu/packages/build-tools.scm b/gnu/packages/build-tools.scm
index c0cba8076f..d6a788e21c 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/build-tools.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/build-tools.scm
@@ -293,8 +293,7 @@ (define-public gn
 (define-public meson
   (package
     (name "meson")
-    (replacement meson/newer)
-    (version "1.1.0")
+    (version "1.2.1")
     (source (origin
               (method url-fetch)
               (uri (string-append "https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/"
@@ -302,7 +301,7 @@ (define-public meson
                                   version ".tar.gz"))
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "17w2zymmvrffhfpqsaj7qcbjwgv9iaawcpzhz2gnhlvcrm26qqfr"))))
+                "1x9rnrbwvzhnzmz4zqag44w06khks8wckcajxsbr8m4760akmnxi"))))
     (build-system python-build-system)
     (arguments
      (list #:tests? #f                  ;disabled to avoid extra dependencies
@@ -330,19 +329,6 @@ (define-public meson
 resembles Python.")
     (license license:asl2.0)))
 
-(define-public meson/newer
-  (package
-    (inherit meson)
-    (version "1.2.1")
-    (source (origin
-              (method url-fetch)
-              (uri (string-append "https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/"
-                                  "releases/download/" version  "/meson-"
-                                  version ".tar.gz"))
-              (sha256
-               (base32
-                "1x9rnrbwvzhnzmz4zqag44w06khks8wckcajxsbr8m4760akmnxi"))))))
-
 (define-public meson-python
   (package
     (name "meson-python")
@@ -396,13 +382,6 @@ (define-public meson-python
     (description "Meson-python is a PEP 517 build backend for Meson projects.")
     (license license:expat)))
 
-(define-public meson-python/newer
-  (package
-    (inherit meson-python)
-    (propagated-inputs
-     (modify-inputs (package-propagated-inputs meson-python)
-       (replace "meson" meson/newer)))))
-
 (define-public premake4
   (package
     (name "premake")
diff --git a/gnu/packages/pdf.scm b/gnu/packages/pdf.scm
index 3b5e306de1..c68178099b 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/pdf.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/pdf.scm
@@ -134,8 +134,7 @@ (define-public capypdf
                (base32 "0kp1dcww5zl04wnbqbi8vjzpc5qgr8gr8rcx0s6s4xbjnzvqqw8d"))))
     (build-system meson-build-system)
     (arguments
-     (list #:meson meson/newer
-           #:configure-flags #~(list "-Dcpp_std=c++23")
+     (list #:configure-flags #~(list "-Dcpp_std=c++23")
            #:test-options '(list "plainc")
            #:phases
            #~(modify-phases %standard-phases
diff --git a/gnu/packages/python-science.scm b/gnu/packages/python-science.scm
index 4bb8ac342d..7dd426608d 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/python-science.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/python-science.scm
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ (define-public python-pandas-2
     (inputs
      (list which xclip xsel))
     (native-inputs
-     (list meson-python/newer
+     (list meson-python
            python-beautifulsoup4
            python-cython-0.29.35
            python-html5lib
diff --git a/gnu/packages/python-xyz.scm b/gnu/packages/python-xyz.scm
index 236e19b59a..d88db26f00 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/python-xyz.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/python-xyz.scm
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ (define-public python-contourpy
      (list python-numpy))
     (native-inputs
      (list cmake
-           meson-python/newer
+           meson-python
            pkg-config
            pybind11
            python-pytest