diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
index e773bf05b..1607ed510 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class BoostDependency(ExternalDependency):
         # previous versions of meson allowed include dirs as modules
         remove = []
         for m in invalid_modules:
-            if self.incdir and m in os.listdir(os.path.join(self.incdir, 'boost')):
+            if m in BOOST_DIRS:
                 mlog.warning('Requested boost library', mlog.bold(m), 'that doesn\'t exist. '
                              'This will be an error in the future')
                 remove.append(m)
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class BoostDependency(ExternalDependency):
         invalid_modules = [x for x in invalid_modules if x not in remove]
 
         if invalid_modules:
-            mlog.warning('Invalid Boost modules: ' + ', '.join(invalid_modules))
+            mlog.log(mlog.red('ERROR:'), 'Invalid Boost modules: ' + ', '.join(invalid_modules))
             self.log_fail()
             return
 
@@ -1013,3 +1013,116 @@ BOOST_LIBS = [
     'boost_type_erasure',
     'boost_wave'
 ]
+
+BOOST_DIRS = [
+    'lambda',
+    'optional',
+    'convert',
+    'system',
+    'uuid',
+    'archive',
+    'align',
+    'timer',
+    'chrono',
+    'gil',
+    'logic',
+    'signals',
+    'predef',
+    'tr1',
+    'multi_index',
+    'property_map',
+    'multi_array',
+    'context',
+    'random',
+    'endian',
+    'circular_buffer',
+    'proto',
+    'assign',
+    'format',
+    'math',
+    'phoenix',
+    'graph',
+    'locale',
+    'mpl',
+    'pool',
+    'unordered',
+    'core',
+    'exception',
+    'ptr_container',
+    'flyweight',
+    'range',
+    'typeof',
+    'thread',
+    'move',
+    'spirit',
+    'dll',
+    'compute',
+    'serialization',
+    'ratio',
+    'msm',
+    'config',
+    'metaparse',
+    'coroutine2',
+    'qvm',
+    'program_options',
+    'concept',
+    'detail',
+    'hana',
+    'concept_check',
+    'compatibility',
+    'variant',
+    'type_erasure',
+    'mpi',
+    'test',
+    'fusion',
+    'log',
+    'sort',
+    'local_function',
+    'units',
+    'functional',
+    'preprocessor',
+    'integer',
+    'container',
+    'polygon',
+    'interprocess',
+    'numeric',
+    'iterator',
+    'wave',
+    'lexical_cast',
+    'multiprecision',
+    'utility',
+    'tti',
+    'asio',
+    'dynamic_bitset',
+    'algorithm',
+    'xpressive',
+    'bimap',
+    'signals2',
+    'type_traits',
+    'regex',
+    'statechart',
+    'parameter',
+    'icl',
+    'python',
+    'lockfree',
+    'intrusive',
+    'io',
+    'pending',
+    'geometry',
+    'tuple',
+    'iostreams',
+    'heap',
+    'atomic',
+    'filesystem',
+    'smart_ptr',
+    'function',
+    'fiber',
+    'type_index',
+    'accumulators',
+    'function_types',
+    'coroutine',
+    'vmd',
+    'date_time',
+    'property_tree',
+    'bind'
+]