diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index 6afc5db1f..58c54da81 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -86,14 +86,17 @@ jobs:
         run: cargo clippy -p oo7 --no-default-features --features tracing,tokio,openssl_crypto -- -D warnings
 
   meson:
-    name: Meson (portal)
+    name: Meson
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container: fedora:latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: dnf install -y git meson gcc # no idea why the hell meson with rust project requires gcc
-      - name: Build
+        run: dnf install -y git meson gcc systemd
+      - name: Build (portal)
         working-directory: ./portal
         run: meson setup ./ _build --prefix /usr && ninja -C _build
+      - name: Build (server)
+        working-directory: ./server
+        run: meson setup ./ _build --prefix /usr && ninja -C _build
diff --git a/server/data/meson.build b/server/data/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9bf7cc306
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/data/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+if systemduserunitdir != ''
+  configure_file(
+    input: 'oo7-daemon.service.in',
+    output: 'oo7-daemon.service',
+    configuration: libexecdir_conf,
+    install_dir: systemduserunitdir,
+  )
+endif
+
+configure_file(
+  input: 'org.freedesktop.secrets.service.in',
+  output: 'org.freedesktop.secrets.service',
+  configuration: libexecdir_conf,
+  install_dir: dbus_service_dir,
+)
diff --git a/server/data/oo7-daemon.service.in b/server/data/oo7-daemon.service.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f78a3a023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/data/oo7-daemon.service.in
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Secret service (oo7 implementation)
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+StandardError=journal
+ExecStart=@libexecdir@/@binary@
+Restart=on-failure
+[Install]
+WantedBy=default.target
diff --git a/server/data/org.freedesktop.secrets.service.in b/server/data/org.freedesktop.secrets.service.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6e1a19309
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/data/org.freedesktop.secrets.service.in
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[D-BUS Service]
+Name=org.freedesktop.secrets
+Exec=@libexecdir@/@binary@
diff --git a/server/meson.build b/server/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5ce9ff9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+project(
+  'oo7-daemon',
+  'rust',
+  version: '0.1.0',
+  meson_version: '>= 0.59.0',
+)
+
+is_devel = get_option('profile') == 'development'
+
+prefix = get_option('prefix')
+datadir = get_option('datadir')
+dbus_service_dir = get_option('dbus_service_dir')
+libexecdir = get_option('libexecdir')
+
+build_systemd_service = get_option('systemd')
+systemduserunitdir = get_option('systemduserunitdir')
+if systemduserunitdir == ''
+  systemd = dependency('systemd', version: '>= 242', required: build_systemd_service)
+  if build_systemd_service.allowed() and systemd.found()
+    systemduserunitdir = systemd.get_variable(
+      pkgconfig: 'systemduserunitdir',
+      pkgconfig_define: ['prefix', prefix]
+    )
+  endif
+endif
+
+libexecdir_conf = configuration_data()
+libexecdir_conf.set('binary', meson.project_name())
+libexecdir_conf.set('libexecdir', prefix / libexecdir)
+
+summary({
+  'prefix': prefix,
+  'datadir': datadir,
+  'libexecdir': libexecdir,
+  'dbus_service_dir': dbus_service_dir,
+})
+
+subdir('data')
+subdir('src')
diff --git a/server/meson_options.txt b/server/meson_options.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5b481060
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/meson_options.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+option('dbus_service_dir',
+  type: 'string',
+  description: 'Directory for D-Bus service files'
+)
+
+option('systemd',
+  type: 'feature',
+  value: 'auto',
+  description: 'Enable systemd support'
+)
+
+option('systemduserunitdir',
+  type: 'string',
+  description: 'Directory for systemd user service files'
+)
+
+option (
+  'profile',
+  type: 'combo',
+  choices: [
+    'default',
+    'development'
+  ],
+  value: 'default',
+  description: 'The build profile. One of "default" or "development".'
+)
diff --git a/server/src/meson.build b/server/src/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7cec560b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+cargo = find_program('cargo')
+
+cargo_options = []
+cargo_options += [ '--target-dir', meson.project_build_root() / 'src' ]
+if is_devel
+  rust_target = 'debug'
+  message('Building in debug mode')
+else
+  cargo_options += [ '--release' ]
+  rust_target = 'release'
+  message('Building in release mode')
+endif
+
+cargo_build = custom_target(
+  'cargo-build',
+  build_by_default: true,
+  build_always_stale: true,
+  output: meson.project_name(),
+  console: true,
+  install: true,
+  install_dir: libexecdir,
+  command: [
+    cargo, 'build',
+    cargo_options,
+    '&&',
+    'cp', 'src' / rust_target / meson.project_name(), '@OUTPUT@',
+  ]
+)