diff --git a/cogl/cogl-gles2/meson.build b/cogl/cogl-gles2/meson.build
index 40aa242ce..d446ca4c5 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-gles2/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/cogl-gles2/meson.build
@@ -21,10 +21,7 @@ libmutter_cogl_gles2 = shared_library('mutter-cogl-gles2-' + libmutter_api_versi
   include_directories: [cogl_includepath, cogl_path_includepath],
   link_depends: libmutter_cogl_gles2_map,
   link_args: libmutter_cogl_gles2_link_args,
-  dependencies: [
-    cogl_deps,
-    libmutter_cogl_dep
-  ],
+  dependencies: libmutter_cogl_dep,
   install_rpath: pkglibdir,
   install_dir: pkglibdir,
   install: true,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pango/meson.build b/cogl/cogl-pango/meson.build
index 0b2e74858..fb4d26142 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pango/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pango/meson.build
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ cogl_pango_public_headers = [
 ]
 
 cogl_pango_deps = [
-  cogl_deps,
   pango_dep,
   pangocairo_dep,
   libmutter_cogl_dep,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-path/meson.build b/cogl/cogl-path/meson.build
index d2bbef890..6faba674e 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-path/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/cogl-path/meson.build
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ libmutter_cogl_path = shared_library('mutter-cogl-path-' + libmutter_api_version
   include_directories: [cogl_includepath, cogl_path_includepath],
   link_depends: libmutter_cogl_path_map,
   link_args: libmutter_cogl_path_link_args,
-  dependencies: [libmutter_cogl_dep, cogl_deps],
+  dependencies: libmutter_cogl_dep,
   install_rpath: pkglibdir,
   install_dir: pkglibdir,
   install: true,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/meson.build b/cogl/cogl/meson.build
index 0fa4194e3..5d80e8750 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/cogl/meson.build
@@ -485,6 +485,7 @@ libmutter_cogl = shared_library(libmutter_cogl_name,
   install: true,
 )
 libmutter_cogl_dep = declare_dependency(
+  dependencies: [cogl_deps],
   link_with: libmutter_cogl,
 )
 
diff --git a/cogl/tests/conform/meson.build b/cogl/tests/conform/meson.build
index 43abc0b98..90ad4c31b 100644
--- a/cogl/tests/conform/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/tests/conform/meson.build
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ libmutter_cogl_test_conformance = executable('test-conformance',
   ],
   include_directories: cogl_test_conformance_includes,
   dependencies: [
-    cogl_deps,
     libmutter_cogl_dep,
     libmutter_cogl_path_dep,
     libmutter_cogl_test_fixtures_dep,
diff --git a/cogl/tests/unit/meson.build b/cogl/tests/unit/meson.build
index ca852fa25..d5951f627 100644
--- a/cogl/tests/unit/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/tests/unit/meson.build
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ libmutter_cogl_test_unit = executable('test-unit',
   ],
   include_directories: cogl_test_unit_includes,
   dependencies: [
-    cogl_deps,
     libmutter_cogl_dep,
     libmutter_cogl_path_dep,
     libmutter_cogl_test_fixtures_dep,