diff --git a/mesonbuild/scripts/env2mfile.py b/mesonbuild/scripts/env2mfile.py
index 93a111ddc4a0..bd7b8d5682c0 100755
--- a/mesonbuild/scripts/env2mfile.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/scripts/env2mfile.py
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ def get_args_from_envvars(infos: MachineInfo) -> None:
     'powerpc64le': 'ppc64',
 }
 
+# map from DEB_HOST_ARCH_OS to Meson machine.system()
+deb_os_map = {
+    'hurd': 'gnu',
+}
+
 def deb_detect_cmake(infos: MachineInfo, data: T.Dict[str, str]) -> None:
     system_name_map = {'linux': 'Linux', 'kfreebsd': 'kFreeBSD', 'hurd': 'GNU'}
     system_processor_map = {'arm': 'armv7l', 'mips64el': 'mips64', 'powerpc64le': 'ppc64le'}
@@ -195,7 +200,8 @@ def dpkg_architecture_to_machine_info(output: str, options: T.Any) -> MachineInf
         k, v = line.split('=', 1)
         data[k] = v
     host_arch = data['DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE']
-    host_os = data['DEB_HOST_ARCH_OS']
+    host_os = deb_os_map.get(data['DEB_HOST_ARCH_OS'],
+                             data['DEB_HOST_ARCH_OS'])
     host_subsystem = host_os
     host_kernel = 'linux'
     host_cpu_family = deb_cpu_family_map.get(data['DEB_HOST_GNU_CPU'],
diff --git a/unittests/internaltests.py b/unittests/internaltests.py
index 13eb68752c4e..ccec6d5eae34 100644
--- a/unittests/internaltests.py
+++ b/unittests/internaltests.py
@@ -1976,10 +1976,8 @@ def locate_path(program: str) -> T.List[str]:
                         'CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME': 'GNU',
                         'CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR': 'i686',
                     },
-                    # TODO: Currently hurd, but should be gnu as per
-                    # https://mesonbuild.com/Reference-tables.html
-                    system='TODO',
-                    subsystem='TODO',
+                    system='gnu',
+                    subsystem='gnu',
                     # TODO: Currently linux, but should be gnu/hurd/mach?
                     # https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13740
                     kernel='TODO',