diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ff0dfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "submodules/cinnamon-desktop"]
+	path = submodules/cinnamon-desktop
+	url = https://github.com/linuxmint/cinnamon-desktop
diff --git a/PKGBUILD b/PKGBUILD
index 7a9961c..558fe4e 100644
--- a/PKGBUILD
+++ b/PKGBUILD
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ depends=(
 )
 makedepends=(
     python-setuptools
+    meson-python
+    ninja
+    meson
     git
 )
 optdepends=(
@@ -39,14 +42,21 @@ conflicts=(
 )
 
 source=(git+http://github.com/Fabric-Development/$reponame.git)
+
 sha256sums=("SKIP")
 
+prepare() {
+  cd "$srcdir/$reponame"
+  git submodule update --init
+}
+
 build() {
   cd "$srcdir/$reponame"
-  python setup.py build
+  meson --prefix=/usr build
+  ninja -C build
 }
 
 package() {
   cd "$srcdir/$reponame"
-  python setup.py install --root="$pkgdir/" --optimize=1
+  DESTDIR="$pkgdir" meson install -C build
 }
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63d2756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+project('fabric', 'c', version: '0.0.1')
+
+if build_machine.system() == 'windows'
+    error('fabric is not meant for windows users, consider moving to linux.')
+endif
+
+pymod = import('python')
+python = pymod.find_installation(
+  'python3',
+  modules: [
+    'gi',
+    'cairo',
+    'loguru',
+    'click',
+  ],
+)
+
+if python.language_version().version_compare('<3.8')
+    error('at least Python 3.8 is required, Python 3.11 is recommended though.')
+endif
+
+dependency('cairo')
+dependency('gtk+-3.0')
+dependency('py3cairo')
+dependency('pygobject-3.0')
+dependency('cairo-gobject')
+dependency('gtk-layer-shell-0')
+dependency('gobject-introspection-1.0')
+
+patch = find_program('patch', required: true)
+run_command(patch, 'submodules/cinnamon-desktop/libcvc/meson.build', 'submodules/libcvc.patch')
+
+install_subdir(
+  meson.project_name(),
+  install_dir: python.get_install_dir()
+)
+subdir('submodules/cinnamon-desktop/libcvc')
diff --git a/scripts/install_libcvc/install_libcvc.sh b/scripts/install_libcvc/install_libcvc.sh
index fedcfee..a0315be 100755
--- a/scripts/install_libcvc/install_libcvc.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_libcvc/install_libcvc.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 # !/usr/bin/env bash
 
+# a script to install libcvc manually
+
 cinnamon_git="https://github.com/linuxmint/cinnamon-desktop"
 cinnamon_git_name="cinnamon-desktop"
 cwd="$(pwd)"
 
 pre_check_exists() {
-    # check if Cvc typelibs are installed
     echo "checking if libcvc is already installed..."
     if ls /usr/lib/girepository-1.0/Cvc-1.0.typelib 1> /dev/null 2>&1;
     then
diff --git a/submodules/cinnamon-desktop b/submodules/cinnamon-desktop
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..b554c49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/submodules/cinnamon-desktop
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit b554c49ba646b53548d3d43d4e7e6aeb5db87bc6
diff --git a/submodules/libcvc.patch b/submodules/libcvc.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34e4672
--- /dev/null
+++ b/submodules/libcvc.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+0a1,36
+> use_alsa = false
+> conf = configuration_data()
+> systemd = dependency('libsystemd',      required: false)
+> pkgconfig = import('pkgconfig')
+> gnome     = import('gnome')
+> cc                = meson.get_compiler('c')
+> 
+> timerfd_check = cc.compiles('''
+> #include <sys/timerfd.h>
+> #include <unistd.h>
+> int main () {
+>   timerfd_create (CLOCK_MONOTONIC, TFD_CLOEXEC);
+>   return 0;
+> }
+> ''')
+> 
+> gettext_package = meson.project_name()
+> conf.set_quoted('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', gettext_package)
+> conf.set_quoted('GNOMELOCALEDIR', join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('localedir')))
+> conf.set_quoted('PACKAGE_VERSION', meson.project_version())
+> 
+> conf.set('HAVE_BIND_TEXTDOMAIN_CODESET', cc.has_function('bind_textdomain_codeset'))
+> conf.set('datadir',             get_option('datadir'))
+> conf.set('ENABLE_NLS',          cc.has_header('libintl.h'))
+> conf.set('HAVE_ALSA',           use_alsa)
+> conf.set('HAVE_GETTEXT',        true)
+> conf.set('HAVE_INTROSPECTION',  true)
+> conf.set('HAVE_SYSTEMD',        systemd.found())
+> conf.set('HAVE_TIMERFD',        timerfd_check)
+> 
+> configure_file(
+>   output: 'config.h',
+>   configuration: conf
+> )
+> 
+> 
+52c88
+<   include_directories: rootInclude,
+---
+>   include_directories: include_directories('.'),