diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py
index 99c5c07f0487..c35022d62f9b 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py
@@ -281,7 +281,13 @@ def __check_libfiles(self, shared):
 
     def _set_new_link_args(self, environment):
         """How to set linker args for LLVM versions >= 3.9"""
-        mode = self.get_config_value(['--shared-mode'], 'link_args')[0]
+        try:
+            mode = self.get_config_value(['--shared-mode'], 'link_args')[0]
+        except IndexError:
+            mlog.debug('llvm-config --shared-mode returned an error')
+            self.is_found = False
+            return
+
         if not self.static and mode == 'static':
             # If llvm is configured with LLVM_BUILD_LLVM_DYLIB but not with
             # LLVM_LINK_LLVM_DYLIB and not LLVM_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS (which
diff --git a/run_project_tests.py b/run_project_tests.py
index 037ba4218875..acd8590a503b 100755
--- a/run_project_tests.py
+++ b/run_project_tests.py
@@ -865,6 +865,12 @@ def skippable(suite, test):
     if any([x in test for x in ['16 sdl', '17 mpi']]):
         return True
 
+    # We test cmake, and llvm-config. Some linux spins don't provide cmake or
+    # don't provide either the static or shared llvm libraries (fedora and
+    # opensuse only have the dynamic ones, for example).
+    if test.endswith('15 llvm'):
+        return True
+
     # No frameworks test should be skipped on linux CI, as we expect all
     # prerequisites to be installed
     if mesonlib.is_linux():
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson.build b/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson.build
index 4b2c88c89dd4..bae83c51e813 100644
--- a/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson.build	
@@ -1,28 +1,23 @@
 project('llvmtest', ['c', 'cpp'], default_options : ['c_std=c99'])
 
-d = dependency('llvm', required : false, method : 'config-tool')
+method = get_option('method')
+static = get_option('link-static')
+d = dependency('llvm', required : false, method : method, static : static)
 if not d.found()
-  d = dependency('llvm', required : false, static : true)
-  if not d.found()
-    error('MESON_SKIP_TEST llvm not found.')
-  else
-    static = true
-  endif
-else
-  static = false
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST llvm not found.')
 endif
 
-d = dependency('llvm', modules : 'not-found', required : false, static : static)
+d = dependency('llvm', modules : 'not-found', required : false, static : static, method : method)
 assert(d.found() == false, 'not-found llvm module found')
 
-d = dependency('llvm', version : '<0.1', required : false, static : static)
+d = dependency('llvm', version : '<0.1', required : false, static : static, method : method)
 assert(d.found() == false, 'ancient llvm module found')
 
-d = dependency('llvm', optional_modules : 'not-found', required : false, static : static)
+d = dependency('llvm', optional_modules : 'not-found', required : false, static : static, method : method)
 assert(d.found() == true, 'optional module stopped llvm from being found.')
 
 # Check we can apply a version constraint
-d = dependency('llvm', version : ['< 500', '>=@0@'.format(d.version())], required: false, static : static)
+d = dependency('llvm', version : ['< 500', '>=@0@'.format(d.version())], required: false, static : static, method : method)
 assert(d.found() == true, 'Cannot set version constraints')
 
 dep_tinfo = dependency('tinfo', required : false)
@@ -31,29 +26,23 @@ if not dep_tinfo.found()
   dep_tinfo = cpp.find_library('tinfo', required: false)
 endif
 
-foreach method : ['config-tool', 'cmake']
-  foreach static : [true, false]
-    message('Trying method @0@ for @1@ link'.format(method, static ? 'static' : 'dynamic'))
-    llvm_dep = dependency(
-      'llvm',
-      modules : ['bitwriter', 'asmprinter', 'executionengine', 'target',
-                'mcjit', 'nativecodegen', 'amdgpu'],
-      required : false,
-      static : static,
-      method : method,
-    )
-    if llvm_dep.found()
-      name = static ? 'static' : 'dynamic'
-      executable(
-        'sum-@0@-@1@'.format(name, method),
-        'sum.c',
-        dependencies : [
-          llvm_dep, dep_tinfo,
-          # zlib will be statically linked on windows
-          dependency('zlib', required : host_machine.system() != 'windows'),
-          meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('dl', required : false),
-        ]
-      )
-    endif
-  endforeach
-endforeach
+llvm_dep = dependency(
+  'llvm',
+  modules : ['bitwriter', 'asmprinter', 'executionengine', 'target',
+             'mcjit', 'nativecodegen', 'amdgpu'],
+  required : false,
+  static : static,
+  method : method,
+)
+if llvm_dep.found()
+  executable(
+    'sum',
+    'sum.c',
+    dependencies : [
+      llvm_dep, dep_tinfo,
+      # zlib will be statically linked on windows
+      dependency('zlib', required : host_machine.system() != 'windows'),
+      meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('dl', required : false),
+    ]
+  )
+endif
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson_options.txt b/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson_options.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..de3d172c40fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/meson_options.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+option(
+  'method',
+  type : 'combo',
+  choices : ['config-tool', 'cmake']
+)
+option(
+  'link-static',
+  type : 'boolean',
+  value : false,
+)
diff --git a/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/test.json b/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0cad05a6f4ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/frameworks/15 llvm/test.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "matrix": {
+    "options": {
+      "method": [
+        { "val": "config-tool" },
+        { "val": "cmake" }
+      ],
+      "link-static": [
+        { "val": true },
+        { "val": false }
+      ]
+    },
+    "exclude": [
+      { "method": "cmake", "link-static": false }
+    ]
+  }
+}