diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index fa3eb11c6..32a2a66a4 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ task:
   build_script:
     - mkdir build
     - cd build
-    - meson setup -Dalsa=enabled -Dpipewire-alsa=enabled -Dbluez5=disabled -Djack=disabled -Dpipewire-jack=disabled -Dpw-cat=enabled -Dv4l2=disabled -Dsdl2=enabled -Dsystemd=disabled -Dsession-managers=media-session -Ddefault-session-manager=media-session ..
+    - meson setup -Dalsa=enabled -Dpipewire-alsa=enabled -Dbluez5=disabled -Djack=disabled -Dpipewire-jack=disabled -Dpw-cat=enabled -Dv4l2=disabled -Dsdl2=enabled -Dsystemd=disabled -Dsession-managers=media-session ..
     - ninja
   test_script:
     - cd build
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 2fc75d394..3d4d65335 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -204,8 +204,3 @@ option('session-managers',
        type : 'array',
        choices : ['media-session', 'wireplumber'],
        value : ['media-session'])
-option('default-session-manager',
-       description : 'Default session manager (leave as-is if none are built)',
-       type : 'combo',
-       choices : ['auto', 'media-session', 'wireplumber'],
-       value : 'auto')
diff --git a/src/daemon/meson.build b/src/daemon/meson.build
index a65bebd7d..c9c292dad 100644
--- a/src/daemon/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/meson.build
@@ -17,57 +17,43 @@ conf_config.set('sm_comment', '#')
 conf_config.set('pulse_comment', '#')
 
 conf_config_uninstalled = conf_config
-conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_path',
-  meson.build_root() / 'src' / 'examples' / 'pipewire-media-session')
 conf_config_uninstalled.set('pipewire_path',
   meson.build_root() / 'src' / 'daemon' / 'pipewire')
 conf_config_uninstalled.set('pipewire_pulse_path',
   meson.build_root() / 'src' / 'daemon' / 'pipewire-pulse')
-conf_config_uninstalled.set('sm_comment', '')
 conf_config_uninstalled.set('pulse_comment', '')
 
 build_ms = get_option('session-managers').contains('media-session')
 build_wp = get_option('session-managers').contains('wireplumber')
-sm_choice = get_option('default-session-manager')
-if sm_choice == 'auto'
-  sm_choice = get_option('session-managers').get(0, '')
-endif
+default_sm = get_option('session-managers').get(0, '')
 
 summary({'Build media-session': build_ms,
          'Build wireplumber': build_wp,
-         'Default session-manager': sm_choice},
+         'Default session-manager': default_sm},
          section: 'Session managers',
          bool_yn: true)
 
-if sm_choice == 'media-session'
-  if get_option('session-managers') == []
-    summary({'No session manager': 'pw-uninstalled.sh will not work out of the box!'})
-  elif not build_ms
-    error('media-session is the selected default session manager but it won\'t be built')
-  endif
+if build_wp
+  wp_proj = subproject('wireplumber', required : true)
 endif
 
-if not build_wp and (sm_choice == 'wireplumber')
-  wp_prog = find_program('wireplumber')
-  conf_config.set('session_manager_path', wp_prog.full_path())
-  conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_path', wp_prog.full_path())
-  conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_args', '')
-  summary({'Using system wireplumber': wp_prog.full_path()},
-          section: 'Session managers',
-          bool_yn: true)
-elif build_wp
-  wp_proj = subproject('wireplumber', required : true)
-  if sm_choice == 'wireplumber'
-    wp_bindir = wp_proj.get_variable('wireplumber_bin_dir', pipewire_bindir)
+if default_sm == ''
+  summary({'No session manager': 'pw-uninstalled.sh will not work out of the box!'})
+elif default_sm == 'media-session'
+  conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_path',
+    meson.build_root() / 'src' / 'examples' / 'pipewire-media-session')
+  conf_config_uninstalled.set('sm_comment', '')
+elif default_sm == 'wireplumber'
+  wp_bindir = wp_proj.get_variable('wireplumber_bin_dir', pipewire_bindir)
 
-    conf_config.set('session_manager_path', wp_bindir / 'wireplumber')
+  conf_config.set('session_manager_path', wp_bindir / 'wireplumber')
 
-    # wp-uninstalled.sh -b path/to/wp/build/root wireplumber
-    conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_path',
-      meson.source_root() / 'subprojects' / 'wireplumber' / 'wp-uninstalled.sh')
-    conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_args',
-      '-b ' + meson.build_root() / 'subprojects' / 'wireplumber' + ' wireplumber')
-  endif
+  # wp-uninstalled.sh -b path/to/wp/build/root wireplumber
+  conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_path',
+    meson.source_root() / 'subprojects' / 'wireplumber' / 'wp-uninstalled.sh')
+  conf_config_uninstalled.set('session_manager_args',
+    '-b ' + meson.build_root() / 'subprojects' / 'wireplumber' + ' wireplumber')
+  conf_config_uninstalled.set('sm_comment', '')
 endif
 
 conf_files = [