diff --git a/deltachat/meson.build b/deltachat/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1ead0b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deltachat/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# This source directory only exists so we can have a
+# deltachat/deltachat.h in the build directory.  This allows C code to
+# always `#include <deltachat/deltachat.h>` even to build against an
+# uninstalled library by -I to point at the build directory.
+configure_file(input: '../src/deltachat.h',
+               output: 'deltachat.h',
+               copy: true,
+               install: false)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index dfec6336..8f2040b0 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ else
   netpgp = netpgp_proj.get_variable('dep')
 endif
 
+# Provide deltachat/deltachat.h in the build directory
+subdir('deltachat')
 
 # Build the library, stored in `lib`.
 subdir('src')