diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5332c64e4..f3616417e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Environment
 -------------
 
 The Kiwix library builds using [Meson](https://mesonbuild.com/) version
-0.43 or higher. Meson relies itself on Ninja, pkg-config and few other
+0.45 or higher. Meson relies itself on Ninja, pkg-config and few other
 compilation tools.
 
 Install first the few common compilation tools:
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 9649992ce..c205ca7d7 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -7,19 +7,19 @@ compiler = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
 
 wrapper = get_option('wrapper')
 
-static_deps = 'android' in wrapper or 'java' in wrapper or get_option('default_library') == 'static'
-if 'android' in wrapper
+static_deps = wrapper.contains('android') or wrapper.contains('java') or get_option('default_library') == 'static'
+if wrapper.contains('android')
   extra_libs = ['-llog']
 else
   extra_libs = []
 endif
 
-if 'java' in wrapper
+if wrapper.contains('java')
   add_languages('java')
 endif
 
 # See https://github.com/kiwix/kiwix-lib/issues/371
-if target_machine.cpu_family() in ['arm', 'mips', 'm68k', 'ppc', 'sh4']
+if ['arm', 'mips', 'm68k', 'ppc', 'sh4'].contains(target_machine.cpu_family())
   extra_libs += '-latomic'
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index e3b678acb..fb2ab4595 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ else
   kiwix_sources += 'subprocess_unix.cpp'
 endif
 
-if 'android' in wrapper
+if wrapper.contains('android')
   install_dir = 'kiwix-lib/jniLibs/' + meson.get_cross_property('android_abi')
 else
   install_dir = get_option('libdir')
 endif
 
-if 'android' in wrapper or 'java' in wrapper
+if wrapper.contains('android') or wrapper.contains('java')
   subdir('wrapper/java')
 endif
 
diff --git a/test/data/wikipedia_en_ray_charles_mini_2020-03.zim b/test/data/zimfile.zim
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/wikipedia_en_ray_charles_mini_2020-03.zim
rename to test/data/zimfile.zim
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index ed17316cc..e203bc74d 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-configure_file(input : 'data/example.zim',
-               output : 'example.zim',
-               copy: true )
-
 tests = [
     'parseUrl',
     'library',
@@ -26,12 +22,32 @@ gtest_dep = dependency('gtest',
                        required:false)
 
 if gtest_dep.found() and not meson.is_cross_build()
-    configure_file(input : 'data/wikipedia_en_ray_charles_mini_2020-03.zim',
-                   output : 'zimfile.zim',
-                   copy: true )
-    configure_file(input : 'data/corner_cases.zim',
-                   output : 'corner_cases.zim',
-                   copy: true )
+    data_files = [
+      'example.zim',
+      'zimfile.zim',
+      'corner_cases.zim'
+    ]
+    foreach file : data_files
+        # configure_file(input : 'data/' + file,
+        #                output : file,
+        #                copy: true )
+        #
+        # Above (commented) command doesn't work with Meson versions below 0.47
+        # (in which the 'copy' keyword was first introduced). We want to keep
+        # compatibility with Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic (which has Meson version 0.45)
+        # until its EOL.
+        #
+        # Below is a python based workaround.
+        configure_file(input : 'data/' + file,
+                       output : file,
+                       command: [
+                         find_program('python3'),
+                          '-c',
+                          'import sys; import shutil; shutil.copy(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])',
+                          '@INPUT@',
+                          '@OUTPUT@'
+                       ])
+    endforeach
 
     foreach test_name : tests
         # XXX: implicit_include_directories must be set to false, otherwise