diff --git a/stubs/colo.c b/migration/colo-stubs.c
similarity index 100%
rename from stubs/colo.c
rename to migration/colo-stubs.c
diff --git a/migration/meson.build b/migration/meson.build
index 1eeb915ff6..f76b1ba328 100644
--- a/migration/meson.build
+++ b/migration/meson.build
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ system_ss.add(files(
 
 if get_option('replication').allowed()
   system_ss.add(files('colo-failover.c', 'colo.c'))
+else
+  system_ss.add(files('colo-stubs.c'))
 endif
 
 system_ss.add(when: rdma, if_true: files('rdma.c'))
diff --git a/stubs/colo-compare.c b/net/colo-stubs.c
similarity index 100%
rename from stubs/colo-compare.c
rename to net/colo-stubs.c
diff --git a/net/meson.build b/net/meson.build
index 9432a588e4..e0cd71470e 100644
--- a/net/meson.build
+++ b/net/meson.build
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ if get_option('replication').allowed() or \
     get_option('colo_proxy').allowed()
   system_ss.add(files('colo-compare.c'))
   system_ss.add(files('colo.c'))
+else
+  system_ss.add(files('colo-stubs.c'))
 endif
 
 if get_option('colo_proxy').allowed()
diff --git a/stubs/meson.build b/stubs/meson.build
index a4404e765a..a252bffad0 100644
--- a/stubs/meson.build
+++ b/stubs/meson.build
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ stub_ss.add(files('target-get-monitor-def.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('target-monitor-defs.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('trace-control.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('uuid.c'))
-stub_ss.add(files('colo.c'))
-stub_ss.add(files('colo-compare.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('vmstate.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('vm-stop.c'))
 stub_ss.add(files('win32-kbd-hook.c'))