diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 89fb9fe2f..48bd6537a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -33,5 +33,6 @@ __pycache__
 subprojects/*
 !subprojects/packagefiles
 !subprojects/*.wrap
+python/subprojects/*
 
 compile_commands.json
diff --git a/dev/release/rat_exclude_files.txt b/dev/release/rat_exclude_files.txt
index cb0a83409..819866645 100644
--- a/dev/release/rat_exclude_files.txt
+++ b/dev/release/rat_exclude_files.txt
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ dist/flatcc.c
 src/nanoarrow/ipc/flatcc_generated.h
 thirdparty/*
 python/src/nanoarrow/dlpack_abi.h
+python/subprojects/arrow-nanoarrow
diff --git a/dev/release/source_build.sh b/dev/release/source_build.sh
index e9fa56974..92d182a5e 100755
--- a/dev/release/source_build.sh
+++ b/dev/release/source_build.sh
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ main() {
     # Resolve all hard and symbolic links
     rm -rf "${base_name}.tmp/"
     mv "${base_name}/" "${base_name}.tmp/"
-    cp -R -L "${base_name}.tmp" "${base_name}"
+    cp -R -d "${base_name}.tmp" "${base_name}"
     rm -rf "${base_name}.tmp/"
 
     # Create new tarball
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ba68167a1..144319c77 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ if get_option('ipc')
     )
     nanoarrow_ipc_dep = declare_dependency(include_directories: [incdir],
                                            link_with: nanoarrow_ipc_lib,
-                                           dependencies: [nanoarrow_dep, flatcc_dep])
+                                           dependencies: [nanoarrow_dep])
 endif
 
 needs_device = get_option('device') or get_option('metal') or get_option('cuda')
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ if needs_device
       install: true,
       cpp_args: device_defines,
   )
+
+  nanoarrow_device_dep = declare_dependency(include_directories: [incdir],
+                                            link_with: nanoarrow_device_lib,
+                                            dependencies: device_deps)
 endif
 
 needs_testing = get_option('testing') or get_option('tests')
diff --git a/python/bootstrap.py b/python/bootstrap.py
index 60c7a04f7..b9f6d5ef6 100644
--- a/python/bootstrap.py
+++ b/python/bootstrap.py
@@ -223,10 +223,6 @@ def _write_defs(self, output):
         output.write(b"\n")
 
 
-# Runs cmake -DNANOARROW_BUNDLE=ON if cmake exists or copies nanoarrow.c/h
-# from ../dist if it does not. Running cmake is safer because it will sync
-# any changes from nanoarrow C library sources in the checkout but is not
-# strictly necessary for things like installing from GitHub.
 def copy_or_generate_nanoarrow_c(target_dir: pathlib.Path):
     vendored_files = [
         "nanoarrow.h",
@@ -239,21 +235,12 @@ def copy_or_generate_nanoarrow_c(target_dir: pathlib.Path):
     dst = {name: target_dir / name for name in vendored_files}
 
     this_dir = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.resolve()
-    source_dir = this_dir.parent
-    is_cmake_dir = (source_dir / "CMakeLists.txt").exists()
-    is_in_nanoarrow_repo = (
-        is_cmake_dir and (source_dir / "src" / "nanoarrow" / "nanoarrow.h").exists()
-    )
-
-    if not is_in_nanoarrow_repo:
-        raise ValueError(
-            "Attempt to build source distribution outside the nanoarrow repo"
-        )
+    arrow_proj_dir = this_dir / "subprojects" / "arrow-nanoarrow"
 
     subprocess.run(
         [
             sys.executable,
-            source_dir / "ci" / "scripts" / "bundle.py",
+            arrow_proj_dir / "ci" / "scripts" / "bundle.py",
             "--symbol-namespace",
             "PythonPkg",
             "--header-namespace",
diff --git a/python/generate_dist.py b/python/generate_dist.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..abf4104bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/generate_dist.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import os
+import pathlib
+import shutil
+
+
+def main():
+    src_dir = pathlib.Path(os.environ["MESON_SOURCE_ROOT"]).parent.resolve()
+    dist_dir = pathlib.Path(os.environ["MESON_DIST_ROOT"]).resolve()
+    subproj_dir = dist_dir / "subprojects" / "arrow-nanoarrow"
+
+    if subproj_dir.is_symlink():
+        subproj_dir.unlink()
+
+    subproj_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    shutil.copy(src_dir / "meson.build", subproj_dir / "meson.build")
+    shutil.copy(src_dir / "meson.options", subproj_dir / "meson.options")
+
+    # Copy over any subproject dependency / wrap files
+    subproj_subproj_dir = subproj_dir / "subprojects"
+    subproj_subproj_dir.mkdir()
+    for f in (src_dir / "subprojects").glob("*.wrap"):
+        shutil.copy(f, subproj_subproj_dir / f.name)
+    shutil.copytree(
+        src_dir / "subprojects" / "packagefiles", subproj_subproj_dir / "packagefiles"
+    )
+
+    target_src_dir = subproj_dir / "src"
+    shutil.copytree(src_dir / "src", target_src_dir)
+
+    # CMake isn't actually required for building, but the bundle.py script reads from
+    # its configuration
+    shutil.copy(src_dir / "CMakeLists.txt", subproj_dir / "CMakeLists.txt")
+
+    subproj_ci_scripts_dir = subproj_dir / "ci" / "scripts"
+    subproj_ci_scripts_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    shutil.copy(
+        src_dir / "ci" / "scripts" / "bundle.py", subproj_ci_scripts_dir / "bundle.py"
+    )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/python/meson.build b/python/meson.build
index d2336be51..c5f9792d8 100644
--- a/python/meson.build
+++ b/python/meson.build
@@ -25,10 +25,14 @@ project(
         'warning_level=2',
         'c_std=c99',
         'default_library=static',
+        # We need to set these options at the project default_option level
+        # due to https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/6728
+        'arrow-nanoarrow:ipc=true',
+        'arrow-nanoarrow:device=true',
+        'arrow-nanoarrow:namespace=PythonPkg',
     ],
 )
 
-py = import('python').find_installation(pure: false)
-
-subdir('vendor')
 subdir('src/nanoarrow')
+
+meson.add_dist_script('python', meson.current_source_dir() / 'generate_dist.py')
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index 3cfeb6b95..80d04a267 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ Changelog = "https://github.com/apache/arrow-nanoarrow/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md"
 requires = [
     "meson>=1.3.0",
     "meson-python",
-    "cmake>=3.14",
     "Cython"
 ]
 build-backend = "mesonpy"
+
+
+[tool.meson-python.args]
+install = ['--skip-subprojects']
diff --git a/python/src/nanoarrow/_ipc_lib.pyx b/python/src/nanoarrow/_ipc_lib.pyx
index fcb6530ad..163644d9e 100644
--- a/python/src/nanoarrow/_ipc_lib.pyx
+++ b/python/src/nanoarrow/_ipc_lib.pyx
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ from nanoarrow._array cimport CArrayView
 from nanoarrow._utils cimport Error
 
 
-cdef extern from "nanoarrow_ipc.h" nogil:
+cdef extern from "nanoarrow/nanoarrow_ipc.h" nogil:
     struct ArrowIpcInputStream:
         ArrowErrorCode (*read)(ArrowIpcInputStream* stream, uint8_t* buf,
                                int64_t buf_size_bytes, int64_t* size_read_out,
diff --git a/python/src/nanoarrow/meson.build b/python/src/nanoarrow/meson.build
index e56bbcd3d..e1b1449f6 100644
--- a/python/src/nanoarrow/meson.build
+++ b/python/src/nanoarrow/meson.build
@@ -15,6 +15,40 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+nanoarrow_proj = subproject('arrow-nanoarrow')
+nanoarrow_dep = nanoarrow_proj.get_variable('nanoarrow_dep')
+nanoarrow_ipc_dep = nanoarrow_proj.get_variable('nanoarrow_ipc_dep')
+nanoarrow_device_dep = nanoarrow_proj.get_variable('nanoarrow_device_dep')
+
+py = import('python').find_installation(pure: false)
+
+vendored_files = custom_target(
+    'generate-pyx',
+    output: [
+        'flatcc.c',
+        'nanoarrow.c',
+        'nanoarrow_c.pxd',
+        'nanoarrow_device.c',
+        'nanoarrow_device_c.pxd',
+        'nanoarrow_device.h',
+        'nanoarrow_device.hpp',
+        'nanoarrow.h',
+        'nanoarrow.hpp',
+        'nanoarrow_ipc.c',
+        'nanoarrow_ipc.h',
+        'nanoarrow_ipc.hpp',
+    ],
+    command: [
+        py,
+        meson.current_source_dir() + '/../../bootstrap.py',
+        '--output-dir', meson.current_build_dir()
+    ],
+)
+
+nanoarrow_pyx_dep = declare_dependency(
+    sources: vendored_files[2],
+)
+
 cyfiles = [
     '_array.pyx',
     '_array_stream.pyx',
@@ -30,7 +64,7 @@ cython_args = [
     '--include-dir',
     meson.current_source_dir(),
     '--include-dir',
-    meson.project_build_root() / 'vendor',
+    meson.current_build_dir(),
 ]
 if get_option('buildtype') == 'debug'
     cython_args += ['--gdb']
@@ -38,11 +72,11 @@ endif
 
 fs = import('fs')
 foreach cyf : cyfiles
-  cyfile_deps = [nanoarrow_pyx_dep]
+  cyfile_deps = [nanoarrow_pyx_dep, nanoarrow_dep]
 
   stem = fs.stem(cyf)
   if stem in ['_array', '_device']
-    cyfile_deps += [nanoarrow_device_pyx_dep]
+    cyfile_deps += [nanoarrow_device_dep]
   elif stem == '_ipc_lib'
     cyfile_deps += [nanoarrow_ipc_dep]
   endif
diff --git a/python/subprojects/arrow-nanoarrow b/python/subprojects/arrow-nanoarrow
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..a2a06e1e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/subprojects/arrow-nanoarrow
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../arrow-nanoarrow/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/vendor/meson.build b/python/vendor/meson.build
deleted file mode 100644
index a3505e682..000000000
--- a/python/vendor/meson.build
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-vendored_files = custom_target(
-    'generate-pyx',
-    output: [
-        'flatcc.c',
-        'nanoarrow.c',
-        'nanoarrow_c.pxd',
-        'nanoarrow_device.c',
-        'nanoarrow_device_c.pxd',
-        'nanoarrow_device.h',
-        'nanoarrow_device.hpp',
-        'nanoarrow.h',
-        'nanoarrow.hpp',
-        'nanoarrow_ipc.c',
-        'nanoarrow_ipc.h',
-        'nanoarrow_ipc.hpp',
-    ],
-    command: [
-        py,
-        meson.current_source_dir() + '/../bootstrap.py',
-        '--output-dir', meson.current_build_dir()
-    ],
-)
-
-nanoarrow_lib = static_library(
-    'nanoarrow',
-    sources: vendored_files[1],
-)
-
-nanoarrow_pyx_dep = declare_dependency(
-    sources: vendored_files[2],
-    link_with: nanoarrow_lib
-)
-
-nanoarrow_ipc_lib = static_library(
-    'nanoarrow_ipc',
-    sources: [vendored_files[0], vendored_files[9]],
-    link_with: nanoarrow_lib,
-)
-
-nanoarrow_ipc_dep = declare_dependency(
-    link_with: nanoarrow_ipc_lib
-)
-
-nanoarrow_device_lib = static_library(
-    'nanoarrow_device',
-    sources: vendored_files[3],
-    link_with: nanoarrow_lib,
-)
-
-nanoarrow_device_pyx_dep = declare_dependency(
-    sources: vendored_files[4],
-    link_with: nanoarrow_device_lib,
-)