diff --git a/data/84-nm-drivers.rules b/data/84-nm-drivers.rules
index 148acade5c..6395fbfbe5 100644
--- a/data/84-nm-drivers.rules
+++ b/data/84-nm-drivers.rules
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ ACTION!="add|change|move", GOTO="nm_drivers_end"
 # Determine ID_NET_DRIVER if there's no ID_NET_DRIVER or DRIVERS (old udev?)
 ENV{ID_NET_DRIVER}=="?*", GOTO="nm_drivers_end"
 DRIVERS=="?*", GOTO="nm_drivers_end"
-PROGRAM="/bin/sh -c '/usr/sbin/ethtool -i $$1 |/usr/bin/sed -n s/^driver:\ //p' -- $env{INTERFACE}", ENV{ID_NET_DRIVER}="%c"
+PROGRAM="@runtimeShell@ -c '@ethtool@/bin/ethtool -i $$1 |@gnused@/bin/sed -n s/^driver:\ //p' -- $env{INTERFACE}", ENV{ID_NET_DRIVER}="%c"
 
 LABEL="nm_drivers_end"
diff --git a/data/NetworkManager.service.in b/data/NetworkManager.service.in
index f09ae86ceb..b2ecb405ef 100644
--- a/data/NetworkManager.service.in
+++ b/data/NetworkManager.service.in
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ BindsTo=dbus.service
 [Service]
 Type=dbus
 BusName=org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
-ExecReload=/usr/bin/busctl call org.freedesktop.NetworkManager /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager org.freedesktop.NetworkManager Reload u 0
+ExecReload=@systemd@/bin/busctl call org.freedesktop.NetworkManager /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager org.freedesktop.NetworkManager Reload u 0
 #ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
 ExecStart=@sbindir@/NetworkManager --no-daemon
 Restart=on-failure
diff --git a/src/core/devices/nm-device.c b/src/core/devices/nm-device.c
index a9e8c08508..875d6cc2cd 100644
--- a/src/core/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/core/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -14645,14 +14645,14 @@ nm_device_start_ip_check(NMDevice *self)
             gw = nm_l3_config_data_get_best_default_route(l3cd, AF_INET);
             if (gw) {
                 nm_inet4_ntop(NMP_OBJECT_CAST_IP4_ROUTE(gw)->gateway, buf);
-                ping_binary = nm_utils_find_helper("ping", "/usr/bin/ping", NULL);
+                ping_binary = "@iputils@/bin/ping";
                 log_domain  = LOGD_IP4;
             }
         } else if (priv->ip_data_6.state == NM_DEVICE_IP_STATE_READY) {
             gw = nm_l3_config_data_get_best_default_route(l3cd, AF_INET6);
             if (gw) {
                 nm_inet6_ntop(&NMP_OBJECT_CAST_IP6_ROUTE(gw)->gateway, buf);
-                ping_binary = nm_utils_find_helper("ping6", "/usr/bin/ping6", NULL);
+                ping_binary = "@iputils@/bin/ping";
                 log_domain  = LOGD_IP6;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build b/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build
index 79ac95598a..83f7ab1373 100644
--- a/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build
+++ b/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build
@@ -191,7 +191,6 @@ if enable_introspection
       input: [gen_infos_cmd, libnm_gir[0]] + libnm_core_settings_sources,
       output: 'nm-property-infos-' + name + '.xml',
       command: [
-        python.path(),
         gen_infos_cmd,
         name,
         '@OUTPUT@',
@@ -207,7 +206,6 @@ if enable_introspection
         'env',
         'GI_TYPELIB_PATH=' + gi_typelib_path,
         'LD_LIBRARY_PATH=' + ld_library_path,
-        python.path(),
         gen_gir_cmd,
         '--lib-path', meson.current_build_dir(),
         '--gir', libnm_gir[0],
diff --git a/src/libnmc-base/nm-vpn-helpers.c b/src/libnmc-base/nm-vpn-helpers.c
index cbe76f5f1c..8515f94994 100644
--- a/src/libnmc-base/nm-vpn-helpers.c
+++ b/src/libnmc-base/nm-vpn-helpers.c
@@ -284,15 +284,6 @@ nm_vpn_openconnect_authenticate_helper(NMSettingVpn *s_vpn, GPtrArray *secrets,
     const char *const   *iter;
     const char          *path;
     const char          *opt;
-    const char *const    DEFAULT_PATHS[] = {
-        "/sbin/",
-        "/usr/sbin/",
-        "/usr/local/sbin/",
-        "/bin/",
-        "/usr/bin/",
-        "/usr/local/bin/",
-        NULL,
-    };
     const char *oc_argv[(12 + 2 * G_N_ELEMENTS(oc_property_args))];
     const char *gw;
     int         port;
@@ -311,15 +302,7 @@ nm_vpn_openconnect_authenticate_helper(NMSettingVpn *s_vpn, GPtrArray *secrets,
 
     port = extract_url_port(gw);
 
-    path = nm_utils_file_search_in_paths("openconnect",
-                                         "/usr/sbin/openconnect",
-                                         DEFAULT_PATHS,
-                                         G_FILE_TEST_IS_EXECUTABLE,
-                                         NULL,
-                                         NULL,
-                                         error);
-    if (!path)
-        return FALSE;
+    path = "@openconnect@/bin/openconnect";
 
     oc_argv[oc_argc++] = path;
     oc_argv[oc_argc++] = "--authenticate";
diff --git a/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build b/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build
index 7fb460dc33..790a2b75fc 100644
--- a/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build
+++ b/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ if enable_docs
     input: [merge_cmd, nm_settings_docs_xml_gir['nmcli'], nm_property_infos_xml['nmcli']],
     output: 'settings-docs-input.xml',
     command: [
-      python.path(),
       merge_cmd,
       '@OUTPUT@',
       nm_property_infos_xml['nmcli'],
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ if enable_docs
     input: [gen_cmd, settings_docs_input_xml],
     output: 'settings-docs.h',
     command: [
-      python.path(),
       gen_cmd,
       '--output', '@OUTPUT@',
       '--xml', settings_docs_input_xml
diff --git a/src/tests/client/meson.build b/src/tests/client/meson.build
index 8c36e40559..cfb6649a21 100644
--- a/src/tests/client/meson.build
+++ b/src/tests/client/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ test(
   args: [
     build_root,
     source_root,
-    python.path(),
     '--',
     'TestNmcli',
   ],
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ if enable_nm_cloud_setup
     args: [
       build_root,
       source_root,
-      python.path(),
       '--',
       'TestNmCloudSetup',
     ],