diff --git a/src/modules/meson.build b/src/modules/meson.build
index e4bec5f99..8c9ccc85c 100644
--- a/src/modules/meson.build
+++ b/src/modules/meson.build
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ test('pw-test-protocol-native',
 			install_dir : installed_tests_execdir),
 	env : [
 		'SPA_PLUGIN_DIR=@0@/spa/plugins/'.format(meson.build_root()),
+		'PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_DIR=@0@/src/daemon/'.format(meson.build_root()),
 		'PIPEWIRE_MODULE_DIR=@0@/src/modules/'.format(meson.build_root())
 	])
 
diff --git a/src/tests/meson.build b/src/tests/meson.build
index 20d7e72a6..e15f188ca 100644
--- a/src/tests/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/meson.build
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ foreach a : test_apps
 		install_dir : installed_tests_execdir),
 	env : [
 		'SPA_PLUGIN_DIR=@0@/spa/plugins/'.format(meson.build_root()),
+		'PIPEWIRE_CONFIG_DIR=@0@/src/daemon/'.format(meson.build_root()),
 		'PIPEWIRE_MODULE_DIR=@0@/src/modules/'.format(meson.build_root())
 	])