diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4c6f8a674a51..14e3eba22736 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -469,6 +469,7 @@ if get_option('tcg').allowed()
   endif
   if get_option('tcg_interpreter')
     tcg_arch = 'tci'
+    config_host += { 'CONFIG_TCG_INTERPRETER': 'y' }
   elif host_arch == 'x86_64'
     tcg_arch = 'i386'
   elif host_arch == 'ppc64'
@@ -2545,9 +2546,6 @@ foreach target : target_dirs
     if sym == 'CONFIG_TCG' or target in accelerator_targets.get(sym, [])
       config_target += { sym: 'y' }
       config_all += { sym: 'y' }
-      if sym == 'CONFIG_TCG' and tcg_arch == 'tci'
-        config_target += { 'CONFIG_TCG_INTERPRETER': 'y' }
-      endif
       if target in modular_tcg
         config_target += { 'CONFIG_TCG_MODULAR': 'y' }
       else