diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index 63725abb0..ca3cf7568 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -2227,6 +2227,8 @@ class Interpreter(InterpreterBase):
             raise InvalidArguments('Subdir contains ..')
         if self.subdir == '' and args[0] == self.subproject_dir:
             raise InvalidArguments('Must not go into subprojects dir with subdir(), use subproject() instead.')
+        if self.subdir == '' and args[0].startswith('meson-'):
+            raise InvalidArguments('The "meson-" prefix is reserved and cannot be used for top-level subdir().')
         prev_subdir = self.subdir
         subdir = os.path.join(prev_subdir, args[0])
         if os.path.isabs(subdir):
diff --git a/test cases/failing/51 reserved meson prefix/meson-foo/meson.build b/test cases/failing/51 reserved meson prefix/meson-foo/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test cases/failing/51 reserved meson prefix/meson.build b/test cases/failing/51 reserved meson prefix/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1339035ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/failing/51 reserved meson prefix/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+project('test')
+
+subdir('meson-foo')