diff --git a/recipe/build_base.sh b/recipe/build_base.sh
index 78bd7b11..6620026d 100644
--- a/recipe/build_base.sh
+++ b/recipe/build_base.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ set -ex
 
 export AR=$GCC_AR
 
-export MESON_ARGS="${MESON_ARGS} --buildtype=release --prefix=${PREFIX} -Dlibdir=lib --pkg-config-path=${PREFIX}/lib/pkgconfig -Dsystem-freetype=true -Dsystem-qhull=true"
+# binary is called `pkg-config`, but package metadata is under `lib/pkgconfig`
+export MESON_ARGS="${MESON_ARGS} --pkg-config-path=${PREFIX}/lib/pkgconfig"
+export MESON_ARGS="${MESON_ARGS} -Dsystem-freetype=true -Dsystem-qhull=true"
 
 mkdir builddir
 $PYTHON -m mesonbuild.mesonmain setup builddir $MESON_ARGS
diff --git a/recipe/meta.yaml b/recipe/meta.yaml
index 7435905b..cf931347 100644
--- a/recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ outputs:
         - python-build
         - pip
         - meson-python >=0.13.1
+        # work-around for https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13403
+        - meson <1.5                             # [osx and arm64]
         - certifi >=2020.06.20
         - pybind11 >=2.6
         - freetype