diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 5e61ce80..b5f060f0 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -422,19 +422,29 @@ install_man('ratbagd/ratbagd.8')
 # (org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1). This server is used by ratbagdctl.devel.
 #
 
+config_ratbagd_devel = configuration_data()
+dbus_devel_policy = configure_file(input : 'dbus/org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1.conf.in',
+				   output : 'org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1.conf',
+				   configuration : config_ratbagd_devel)
+
+# This is a hack. We always install the devel policy file into
+# /etc/dbus-1/system.d, independent of any prefixes we use otherwise.
+# This should never be used outside of developer machines anyway, but
+# installations on those may use different prefixes for building.
+# This is not set in stone, suggest something better if you can.
+dbussystemdir = join_paths('/', get_option('sysconfdir'), 'dbus-1', 'system.d')
+
 executable('ratbagd.devel',
 	   src_ratbagd,
 	   dependencies : deps_ratbagd,
 	   include_directories : include_directories('src'),
 	   install : false,
 	   c_args : ['-DRATBAG_DBUS_INTERFACE="ratbag_devel1"',
+		     '-DDBUS_POLICY_SRC="@0@/@1@"'.format(meson.build_root(), dbus_devel_policy),
+		     '-DDBUS_POLICY_DST="@0@/@1@"'.format(dbussystemdir, dbus_devel_policy),
 		     '-DDISABLE_COREDUMP=1'],
 )
 
-config_ratbagd_devel = configuration_data()
-configure_file(input : 'dbus/org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1.conf.in',
-	       output : 'org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1.conf',
-	       configuration : config_ratbagd_devel)
 
 #### unit file ####
 if enable_systemd
diff --git a/ratbagd/ratbagd.c b/ratbagd/ratbagd.c
index 7349bbfb..6c462b68 100644
--- a/ratbagd/ratbagd.c
+++ b/ratbagd/ratbagd.c
@@ -521,6 +521,56 @@ static int ratbagd_run(struct ratbagd *ctx)
 	return sd_event_loop(ctx->event);
 }
 
+static bool install_ratbagd_devel_dbus_policy(void)
+{
+	bool rc = true;
+#ifdef RATBAG_DEVELOPER_EDITION
+	_cleanup_close_ int in = -1, out = -1;
+	int nread, nwrite;
+	char buf[40960];
+
+	rc = false;
+
+	log_verbose("Installing DBus policy file to %s\n", DBUS_POLICY_DST);
+
+	in = open(DBUS_POLICY_SRC, O_RDONLY);
+	if (in == -1) {
+		log_error("Failed to source policy file: %m\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+	out = open(DBUS_POLICY_DST, O_CREAT|O_WRONLY, 0644);
+	if (out == -1) {
+		log_error("Failed to open destination: %m\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+
+	nread = read(in, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	if (nread < 0) {
+		log_error("Failed to read policy file: %m\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	nwrite = write(out, buf, nread);
+	if (nread != nwrite) {
+		log_error("Failed to write policy file: %m\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	rc = true;
+
+out:
+#endif
+	return rc;
+}
+
+static void remove_ratbagd_devel_dbus_policy(void)
+{
+#ifdef RATBAG_DEVELOPER_EDITION
+	unlink(DBUS_POLICY_DST);
+#endif
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct ratbagd *ctx = NULL;
@@ -550,6 +600,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (!install_ratbagd_devel_dbus_policy())
+		goto exit;
+
 	r = ratbagd_new(&ctx);
 	if (r < 0)
 		goto exit;
@@ -558,6 +611,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	r = ratbagd_run(ctx);
 
+	remove_ratbagd_devel_dbus_policy();
 exit:
 	ratbagd_free(ctx);
 
diff --git a/tools/ratbagctl.test.in b/tools/ratbagctl.test.in
index 53a0f404..7cb918bf 100755
--- a/tools/ratbagctl.test.in
+++ b/tools/ratbagctl.test.in
@@ -603,11 +603,6 @@ class TestRatbagCtlLED(TestRatbagCtl):
 def setUpModule():
     global ratbagd_process, ratbagd, parser
 
-    # To do actually do this:
-    # - copy the org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1.conf to
-    # /etc/dbus-1/system.d
-    # - start builddir/ratbagd.devel (in gdb if need be)
-    # - run builddir/ratbagctl.test
     ratbagd_process = None
     if start_ratbagd:
         ratbagd_process = toolbox.start_ratbagd()
diff --git a/tools/toolbox.py b/tools/toolbox.py
index d4be4784..8bb3c8dc 100644
--- a/tools/toolbox.py
+++ b/tools/toolbox.py
@@ -36,9 +36,6 @@ RATBAGCTL_NAME = 'ratbagctl'
 RATBAGCTL_PATH = os.path.join('@MESON_BUILD_ROOT@', RATBAGCTL_NAME)
 RATBAGCTL_DEVEL_NAME = 'ratbagctl.devel'
 RATBAGCTL_DEVEL_PATH = os.path.join('@MESON_BUILD_ROOT@', RATBAGCTL_DEVEL_NAME)
-DBUS_CONF_DIR = '/etc/dbus-1/system.d'
-DBUS_CONF_NAME = 'org.freedesktop.ratbag_devel1.conf'
-DBUS_CONF_PATH = os.path.join(DBUS_CONF_DIR, DBUS_CONF_NAME)
 
 
 def import_non_standard_path(name, path):
@@ -61,12 +58,6 @@ def start_ratbagd(verbosity=0):
     from gi.repository import Gio
     import time
 
-    os.makedirs(DBUS_CONF_DIR, exist_ok=True)
-
-    # first copy the policy for the ratbagd daemon to be allowed to run
-    shutil.copy(os.path.join('@MESON_BUILD_ROOT@', DBUS_CONF_NAME),
-                DBUS_CONF_PATH)
-
     # FIXME: kill any running ratbagd.devel
 
     args = [os.path.join('@MESON_BUILD_ROOT@', "ratbagd.devel")]
@@ -111,10 +102,6 @@ def terminate_ratbagd(ratbagd):
             ratbagd.wait(5)
         except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
             ratbagd.kill()
-    try:
-        os.unlink(DBUS_CONF_PATH)
-    except FileNotFoundError:
-        pass
 
 
 def sync_dbus():
@@ -130,9 +117,6 @@ from ratbagctl import open_ratbagd, get_parser, RatbagError, RatbagErrorCapabili
 __all__ = [
     RATBAGCTL_NAME,
     RATBAGCTL_PATH,
-    DBUS_CONF_DIR,
-    DBUS_CONF_NAME,
-    DBUS_CONF_PATH,
     start_ratbagd,
     terminate_ratbagd,
     open_ratbagd,