diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2a195d56a4c..555c94796c6 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ build_system = build_machine.system()
 host_cpu = host_machine.cpu_family()
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
+have_cxx = add_languages('cpp', required: false, native: false)
+if have_cxx
+  cxx = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
+endif
 
 not_found_dep = dependency('', required: false)
 thread_dep = dependency('threads')
@@ -836,15 +840,13 @@ endif
 
 llvmopt = get_option('llvm')
 llvm = not_found_dep
-if add_languages('cpp', required: llvmopt, native: false)
+if have_cxx
   llvm = dependency('llvm', version: '>=14', method: 'config-tool', required: llvmopt)
 
   if llvm.found()
 
     cdata.set('USE_LLVM', 1)
 
-    cxx = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
-
     llvm_binpath = llvm.get_variable(configtool: 'bindir')
 
     ccache = find_program('ccache', native: true, required: false)
@@ -853,8 +855,13 @@ if add_languages('cpp', required: llvmopt, native: false)
     # find via PATH, too.
     clang = find_program(llvm_binpath / 'clang', 'clang', required: true)
   endif
-elif llvmopt.auto()
-  message('llvm requires a C++ compiler')
+else
+  msg = 'llvm requires a C++ compiler'
+  if llvmopt.auto()
+    message(msg)
+  elif llvmopt.enabled()
+    error(msg)
+  endif
 endif
 
 
@@ -1916,7 +1923,7 @@ endforeach
 
 # We need to repeat the test for C++ because gcc and clang prefer different
 # format archetypes.
-if llvm.found()
+if have_cxx
   attrib_error_args = cxx.get_supported_arguments('-Werror=format', '-Werror=ignored-attributes')
   foreach a : printf_attributes
     if cxx.compiles(testsrc.format(a),
@@ -2083,7 +2090,7 @@ common_functional_flags = [
 ]
 
 cflags += cc.get_supported_arguments(common_functional_flags)
-if llvm.found()
+if have_cxx
   cxxflags += cxx.get_supported_arguments(common_functional_flags)
 endif
 
@@ -2107,7 +2114,7 @@ common_warning_flags = [
 ]
 
 cflags_warn += cc.get_supported_arguments(common_warning_flags)
-if llvm.found()
+if have_cxx
   cxxflags_warn += cxx.get_supported_arguments(common_warning_flags)
 endif
 
@@ -2161,7 +2168,7 @@ foreach w : negative_warning_flags
   if cc.has_argument('-W' + w)
     cflags_warn += '-Wno-' + w
   endif
-  if llvm.found() and cxx.has_argument('-W' + w)
+  if have_cxx and cxx.has_argument('-W' + w)
     cxxflags_warn += '-Wno-' + w
   endif
 endforeach
@@ -2229,7 +2236,7 @@ elif optimization == 's'
 endif
 
 cflags_builtin = cc.get_supported_arguments(common_builtin_flags)
-if llvm.found()
+if have_cxx
   cxxflags_builtin = cxx.get_supported_arguments(common_builtin_flags)
 endif
 
@@ -3950,7 +3957,7 @@ summary(
   section: 'Compiler Flags',
 )
 
-if llvm.found()
+if have_cxx
   summary(
     {
       'C++ compiler': '@0@ @1@'.format(cxx.get_id(), cxx.version()),
diff --git a/src/include/meson.build b/src/include/meson.build
index d9c7b709330..b940c5cd3d6 100644
--- a/src/include/meson.build
+++ b/src/include/meson.build
@@ -36,9 +36,15 @@ config_paths_data.set_quoted('MANDIR', dir_prefix / dir_man)
 var_cc = ' '.join(cc.cmd_array())
 var_cpp = ' '.join(cc.cmd_array() + ['-E'])
 var_cflags = ' '.join(cflags + cflags_builtin + cflags_warn + get_option('c_args'))
-if llvm.found()
+if have_cxx
+  var_cxx = ' '.join(cxx.cmd_array())
   var_cxxflags = ' '.join(cxxflags + cxxflags_builtin + cxxflags_warn + get_option('cpp_args'))
 else
+  # Default to 'g++' so that PGXS users get a clear "g++ not found"
+  # error when building C++ extensions.  Otherwise, they'd get a
+  # confusing error because no binary is specified in the build
+  # commands and the first flag would be interpreted as the program.
+  var_cxx = 'g++'
   var_cxxflags = ''
 endif
 var_cppflags = ' '.join(cppflags)
diff --git a/src/makefiles/meson.build b/src/makefiles/meson.build
index 124df2c8582..aa2f9a87b14 100644
--- a/src/makefiles/meson.build
+++ b/src/makefiles/meson.build
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ pgxs_kv = {
 
   'CC': var_cc,
   'CPP': var_cpp,
+  'CXX': var_cxx,
   'GCC': cc.get_argument_syntax() == 'gcc' ? 'yes' : 'no',
 
   'CPPFLAGS': var_cppflags,
@@ -122,13 +123,11 @@ pgxs_kv = {
 if llvm.found()
   pgxs_kv += {
     'CLANG': clang.full_path(),
-    'CXX': ' '.join(cpp.cmd_array()),
     'LLVM_BINPATH': llvm_binpath,
   }
 else
   pgxs_kv += {
     'CLANG': '',
-    'CXX': '',
     'LLVM_BINPATH': '',
   }
 endif