diff --git a/backend/meson.build b/backend/meson.build
index 71a00dc9b..b5b6f7a6c 100644
--- a/backend/meson.build
+++ b/backend/meson.build
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+udev = dependency('libudev')
+wlr_deps += udev
+
 wlr_files += files('backend.c')
 
 all_backends = ['drm', 'libinput', 'x11']
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 529d5b873..3b8adaeb6 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ drm = dependency('libdrm',
 	],
 )
 xkbcommon = dependency('xkbcommon')
-udev = dependency('libudev')
 pixman = dependency('pixman-1')
 math = cc.find_library('m')
 rt = cc.find_library('rt')
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ wlr_deps = [
 	wayland_server,
 	drm,
 	xkbcommon,
-	udev,
 	pixman,
 	math,
 	rt,