diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
index 9ac02d0b3..b6637365c 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ class Backend:
         else:
             if exe_cmd[0].endswith('.jar'):
                 exe_cmd = ['java', '-jar'] + exe_cmd
-            elif exe_cmd[0].endswith('.exe') and not (mesonlib.is_windows() or mesonlib.is_cygwin()):
+            elif exe_cmd[0].endswith('.exe') and not (mesonlib.is_windows() or mesonlib.is_cygwin() or mesonlib.is_wsl()):
                 exe_cmd = ['mono'] + exe_cmd
             exe_wrapper = None
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py b/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py
index 1b5b86c20..4f1b6e85b 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ __all__ = [
     'is_qnx',
     'is_sunos',
     'is_windows',
+    'is_wsl',
     'iter_regexin_iter',
     'join_args',
     'listify',
@@ -597,6 +598,8 @@ def is_windows() -> bool:
     platname = platform.system().lower()
     return platname == 'windows'
 
+def is_wsl() -> bool:
+    return is_linux() and 'microsoft' in platform.version().lower()
 
 def is_cygwin() -> bool:
     return sys.platform == 'cygwin'