diff --git a/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/XMLLINT.in b/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/XMLLINT.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9364f0fb42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/XMLLINT.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@XMLLINT@
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/meson.build b/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/meson.build
index deef5adda1..8958b3820a 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/meson.build
+++ b/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/.build_vars/meson.build
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ foreach name, prog : {
     'PYTEST': pytest,
     'PYTHON': python,
     'SHELL': sh,
+    'XMLLINT': xmllint,
     'XSLTPROC': xsltproc,
 }
     if prog.found()
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/build.py b/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/build.py
index a71256bba3..e22fb95a0f 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/build.py
+++ b/bin/tests/system/isctest/vars/build.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ def load_vars_from_build_files() -> Dict[str, str]:
         "PYTHON",
         "SHELL",
         "TOP_SRCDIR",
+        "XMLLINT",
         "XSLTPROC",
     ]:
         var_file = var_dir / var
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b1552528ce..c8c7832164 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ git = find_program('git', required: false)
 jq = find_program('jq', required: false)
 nc = find_program('nc', required: false)
 python = find_program(['python3', 'python'], required: false)
+xmllint = find_program('xmllint', required: false)
 xsltproc = find_program('xsltproc', required: false)
 pytest = find_program(
     ['pytest-3', 'py.test-3', 'pytest', 'py.test', 'pytest-pypy'],