diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 1d5a004e4..a1f90374e 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ xdp_method_info_built_sources = configure_file(
 
 xdp_method_info_sources = files('xdp-method-info.c') + xdp_method_info_built_sources
 
+xdp_utils_deps = []
 xdp_utils_includes = include_directories('.')
 xdp_utils_sources = files(
   'xdp-utils.c',
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ xdp_utils_sources = files(
 
 if have_libsystemd
   xdp_utils_sources += sd_escape_sources
+  xdp_utils_deps += [libsystemd_dep]
 endif
 
 xdg_desktop_portal_sources = files(
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ common_deps = [
 xdg_desktop_portal_deps = common_deps + [
   geoclue_dep,
   pipewire_dep,
-  libsystemd_dep,
+  xdp_utils_deps,
 ]
 
 incs_xdg_desktop_portal = [
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 1f3beb627..9e9ca1f31 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ test_portals = executable(
   portal_built_sources,
   test_portals_sources,
   xdp_utils_sources,
-  dependencies: [common_deps, libportal_dep, libsystemd_dep],
+  dependencies: [common_deps, libportal_dep, xdp_utils_deps],
   include_directories: [common_includes, xdp_utils_includes],
   c_args: [
     '-DXDG_DP_BUILDDIR="src"',
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ limited_portals = executable(
   portal_built_sources,
   limited_portals_sources,
   xdp_utils_sources,
-  dependencies: [common_deps, libportal_dep, libsystemd_dep],
+  dependencies: [common_deps, libportal_dep, xdp_utils_deps],
   include_directories: [common_includes, xdp_utils_includes],
   c_args: [
     '-DXDG_DP_BUILDDIR="src"',
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ test_permission_store = executable(
   'utils.c',
   permission_store_built_sources,
   xdp_utils_sources,
-  dependencies: [common_deps, libsystemd_dep],
+  dependencies: [common_deps, xdp_utils_deps],
   include_directories: [common_includes, xdp_utils_includes],
   install: enable_installed_tests,
   install_dir: installed_tests_dir,
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ test_xdp_utils = executable(
   'test-xdp-utils.c',
   'utils.c',
   xdp_utils_sources,
-  dependencies: [common_deps, libsystemd_dep],
+  dependencies: [common_deps, xdp_utils_deps],
   include_directories: [common_includes, xdp_utils_includes],
   install: enable_installed_tests,
   install_dir: installed_tests_dir,