diff --git a/docs/website/meson.build b/docs/website/meson.build
index 7359281d130128cc5167b81b2117a11137d24cfd..93278dd0a5afc282f49a151b2c364c17f5982f8b 100644
--- a/docs/website/meson.build
+++ b/docs/website/meson.build
@@ -15,18 +15,17 @@ endforeach
 
 # generate website
 # website - class hierarchy reference
-if env.found() and can_run_host_binaries
+if can_run_host_binaries
   custom_target(
     'class_hierarchy_html',
     output: 'class-hierarchy.html',
     command: [
-      env,
-      doc_env,
       introspect,
     ],
     depends: gegl_operations,
     capture: true,
     build_by_default : true,
+    env: doc_env,
   )
 else
   warning('Cannot create class reference in this environment')
diff --git a/docs/website/operations/images/meson.build b/docs/website/operations/images/meson.build
index dbab5f3a11ee31b64639b329c49b0a5fc96d5b65..d13e314b5170ed08e8b85f4d45932b1e3f36e042 100644
--- a/docs/website/operations/images/meson.build
+++ b/docs/website/operations/images/meson.build
@@ -87,11 +87,10 @@ doc_operations_img = custom_target(
   'doc-operations-img',
   output: 'gegl-oilify.png',
   command: [
-    env,
-    doc_env,
     doc_ops_img_cmd,
     ],
   console: true,
   depends: gegl_operations,
   build_by_default: true,
+  env: doc_env,
 )
diff --git a/docs/website/operations/meson.build b/docs/website/operations/meson.build
index c9801fd9528153a1ecffd260928794a6144a5106..34d24422db671dba7e481bf5855d8f30dd3f47e9 100644
--- a/docs/website/operations/meson.build
+++ b/docs/website/operations/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-if not (env.found() or can_run_host_binaries)
+if can_run_host_binaries
   warning('Cannot create operation gallery in this environment')
   subdir_done()
 endif
@@ -16,10 +16,9 @@ doc_ops_html_cmd = [
 doc_operations_html = custom_target('doc_operations_html',
   output: 'index.html',
   command: [
-    env,
-    doc_env,
     doc_ops_html_cmd,
   ],
   depends: doc_operations_img,
   build_by_default: true,
+  env: doc_env,
 )
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f55a45e8377a1bad0b5b8e0904bcbf7398f81fd6..5cee9b9027b94cbd540405ea1a4567dffabfd8f3 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ project('gegl',
   license: 'GPL3+',
   version: '0.4.37',
   # when meson version passes 0.53.0 remove alternate build summary
-  meson_version: '>=0.50.0',
+  meson_version: '>=0.57.0',
   default_options: [
     'c_std=gnu11',
     'cpp_std=gnu++14',
@@ -231,8 +231,6 @@ add_project_arguments(cpp.get_supported_arguments(cflags_cpp), language: 'cpp')
 ################################################################################
 # Build Utilities
 
-env               = find_program('env')
-
 asciidoc          = find_program('asciidoc',
                      required: false, native: true)
 dot               = find_program('dot',