diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/del-old-names.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/del-old-names.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4abc9ad0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/del-old-names.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+## Old command names are now errors
+
+Old executable names `mesonintrospect`, `mesonconf`, `mesonrewriter`
+and `mesontest` have been deprecated for a long time. Starting from
+this versino they no longer do anything but instead always error
+out. All functionality is available as subcommands in the main `meson`
+binary.
diff --git a/mesonconf.py b/mesonconf.py
index d1874e0e3..894ec013d 100755
--- a/mesonconf.py
+++ b/mesonconf.py
@@ -14,10 +14,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from mesonbuild import mesonmain
 import sys
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    print('Warning: This executable is deprecated. Use "meson configure" instead.',
-          file=sys.stderr)
-    sys.exit(mesonmain.run(['configure'] + sys.argv[1:]))
+    sys.exit('Error: This executable is no more. Use "meson configure" instead.')
diff --git a/mesonintrospect.py b/mesonintrospect.py
index 5cc07bfb7..9ef153577 100755
--- a/mesonintrospect.py
+++ b/mesonintrospect.py
@@ -14,10 +14,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from mesonbuild import mesonmain
 import sys
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    print('Warning: This executable is deprecated. Use "meson introspect" instead.',
-          file=sys.stderr)
-    sys.exit(mesonmain.run(['introspect'] + sys.argv[1:]))
+    sys.exit('Error: This executable is no more. Use "meson introspect" instead.')
diff --git a/mesonrewriter.py b/mesonrewriter.py
index e6f2637cd..ef47e5715 100755
--- a/mesonrewriter.py
+++ b/mesonrewriter.py
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@
 # - move targets
 # - reindent?
 
-from mesonbuild import mesonmain
 import sys
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    print('Warning: This executable is deprecated. Use "meson rewrite" instead.',
-          file=sys.stderr)
-    sys.exit(mesonmain.run(['rewrite'] + sys.argv[1:]))
+    sys.exit('Error: This executable is no more. Use "meson rewrite" instead.')
diff --git a/mesontest.py b/mesontest.py
index c2d39d69a..e973d56c3 100755
--- a/mesontest.py
+++ b/mesontest.py
@@ -16,10 +16,7 @@
 
 # A tool to run tests in many different ways.
 
-from mesonbuild import mesonmain
 import sys
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    print('Warning: This executable is deprecated. Use "meson test" instead.',
-          file=sys.stderr)
-    sys.exit(mesonmain.run(['test'] + sys.argv[1:]))
+    sys.exit('Error: This executable is no more. Use "meson test" instead.')