the assert expects a working /var/log/wtmp at build time
--- a/meson.build
+++ a/meson.build
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@
 
   config_h.set('PATH_WTMP', '_PATH_WTMPX')
 else
-  path_wtmp = '/var/log/utx.log'
-  assert(run_command('test', '-e', path_wtmp).returncode() == 0, 'Do not know which filename to watch for wtmp changes')
+  path_wtmp = '/var/log/wtmp'
   config_h.set_quoted('PATH_WTMP', path_wtmp)
 endif