diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
index b2bf3b3b1..46d0a993e 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ class DependencyMethods(Enum):
     SYSTEM = 'system'
     # Detect using pcap-config
     PCAPCONFIG = 'pcap-config'
-    # Detect using cups-config
-    CUPSCONFIG = 'cups-config'
     # Detect using libwmf-config
     LIBWMFCONFIG = 'libwmf-config'
     # This is only supported on OSX - search the frameworks directory by name.
@@ -60,6 +58,7 @@ class DependencyMethods(Enum):
     CONFIG_TOOL = 'config-tool'
     # For backewards compatibility
     SDLCONFIG = 'sdlconfig'
+    CUPSCONFIG = 'cups-config'
 
 
 class Dependency:
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ class Dependency:
 
         # This sets per-too config methods which are deprecated to to the new
         # generic CONFIG_TOOL value.
-        if method in [DependencyMethods.SDLCONFIG]:
+        if method in [DependencyMethods.SDLCONFIG, DependencyMethods.CUPSCONFIG]:
             mlog.warning(textwrap.dedent("""\
                 Configuration method {} has been deprecated in favor of
                 'config-tool'. This will be removed in a future version of
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
index 4a023e421..cae88429a 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2013-2017 The Meson development team
+# Copyright 2013-2017 The Meson development team
 
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -728,9 +728,9 @@ class PcapDependency(ExternalDependency):
 class CupsDependency(ExternalDependency):
     def __init__(self, environment, kwargs):
         super().__init__('cups', environment, None, kwargs)
+        kwargs['required'] = False
         if DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG in self.methods:
             try:
-                kwargs['required'] = False
                 pcdep = PkgConfigDependency('cups', environment, kwargs)
                 if pcdep.found():
                     self.type_name = 'pkgconfig'
@@ -741,20 +741,20 @@ class CupsDependency(ExternalDependency):
                     return
             except Exception as e:
                 mlog.debug('cups not found via pkgconfig. Trying next, error was:', str(e))
-        if DependencyMethods.CUPSCONFIG in self.methods:
-            cupsconf = shutil.which('cups-config')
-            if cupsconf:
-                stdo = Popen_safe(['cups-config', '--cflags'])[1]
-                self.compile_args = stdo.strip().split()
-                stdo = Popen_safe(['cups-config', '--libs'])[1]
-                self.link_args = stdo.strip().split()
-                stdo = Popen_safe(['cups-config', '--version'])[1]
-                self.version = stdo.strip().split()
-                self.is_found = True
-                mlog.log('Dependency', mlog.bold('cups'), 'found:',
-                         mlog.green('YES'), '(%s)' % cupsconf)
-                return
-            mlog.debug('Could not find cups-config binary, trying next.')
+        if DependencyMethods.CONFIG_TOOL in self.methods:
+            try:
+                ctdep = ConfigToolDependency.factory(
+                    'cups', environment, None, kwargs, ['cups-config'], 'cups-config')
+                if ctdep.found():
+                    self.config = ctdep.config
+                    self.type_name = 'config-tool'
+                    self.version = ctdep.version
+                    self.compile_args = ctdep.get_config_value(['--cflags'], 'compile_args')
+                    self.link_args = ctdep.get_config_value(['--libs'], 'link_args')
+                    self.is_found = True
+                    return
+            except Exception as e:
+                mlog.debug('cups not found via cups-config. Trying next, error was:', str(e))
         if DependencyMethods.EXTRAFRAMEWORK in self.methods:
             if mesonlib.is_osx():
                 fwdep = ExtraFrameworkDependency('cups', False, None, self.env,
@@ -769,9 +769,10 @@ class CupsDependency(ExternalDependency):
 
     def get_methods(self):
         if mesonlib.is_osx():
-            return [DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.CUPSCONFIG, DependencyMethods.EXTRAFRAMEWORK]
+            return [DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.CONFIG_TOOL, DependencyMethods.EXTRAFRAMEWORK]
         else:
-            return [DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.CUPSCONFIG]
+            return [DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.CONFIG_TOOL]
+
 
 
 class LibWmfDependency(ExternalDependency):
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/20 cups/meson.build b/test cases/frameworks/20 cups/meson.build
index 6c9b6fefa..11f6f631b 100644
--- a/test cases/frameworks/20 cups/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/20 cups/meson.build	
@@ -5,3 +5,8 @@ cups_dep = dependency('cups', version : '>=1.4')
 e = executable('cups_prog', 'cups_prog.c', dependencies : cups_dep)
 
 test('cupstest', e)
+
+# ensure we can find the cups dependency via the legacy and modern config-tool
+# options
+dep = dependency('cups', version : '>=1.4', method : 'cups-config')
+dep = dependency('cups', version : '>=1.4', method : 'config-tool')