diff --git a/gdk/meson.build b/gdk/meson.build
index e8656f14b9..fa5b66fb5c 100644
--- a/gdk/meson.build
+++ b/gdk/meson.build
@@ -199,15 +199,13 @@ libgdk = static_library('gdk',
   c_args: ['-DGDK_COMPILATION', '-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="Gdk"'],
   include_directories: [confinc, xinc, wlinc],
   link_with: gdk_backends,
-  dependencies: gdk_deps,
-)
-
+  dependencies: gdk_deps)
 
+# We don't have link_with: to internal static libs here on purpose, just
+# list the dependencies and generated headers and such, for use in the
+# "public" libgtk_dep used by internal executables.
 libgdk_dep = declare_dependency(
   sources: ['gdk.h', gdkconfig, gdkenum_h],
   depends: gdk_sources,
   include_directories: [confinc, xinc, wlinc],
-  dependencies: gdk_deps,
-  link_with: libgdk,
-  link_args: ['-Bsymbolic'],
-)
+  dependencies: gdk_deps)
diff --git a/gsk/meson.build b/gsk/meson.build
index 3bd0590a2e..0b8743838b 100644
--- a/gsk/meson.build
+++ b/gsk/meson.build
@@ -157,12 +157,14 @@ libgsk = static_library('gsk',
   dependencies: gsk_deps,
   include_directories: [confinc],
   c_args: ['-DGSK_COMPILATION', '-DG_LOG_DOMAIN="Gsk"'],
-)
+  link_with: libgdk,
+  link_args: ['-Bsymbolic'])
 
+# We don't have link_with: to internal static libs here on purpose, just
+# list the dependencies and generated headers and such, for use in the
+# "public" libgtk_dep used by internal executables.
 libgsk_dep = declare_dependency(
   depends: gsk_sources,
-  link_with: libgsk,
-  link_args: ['-Bsymbolic'],
   include_directories: [confinc],
-  sources: [gskenum_h, gskresources]
-)
+  sources: [gskenum_h, gskresources],
+  dependencies: libgdk_dep)
diff --git a/gtk/meson.build b/gtk/meson.build
index d667a6c036..2adbe2c6ea 100644
--- a/gtk/meson.build
+++ b/gtk/meson.build
@@ -830,22 +830,17 @@ libgtk = shared_library('gtk-4',
   sources: [typefuncs, gtk_sources, gtkmarshal_h, gtkprivatetypebuiltins_h],
   c_args: gtk_cargs,
   include_directories: [confinc, gdkinc, gtkinc],
-  dependencies: [gtk_deps, libgdk_dep, libgsk_dep],
-  install: true
-)
+  dependencies: gtk_deps + [libgdk_dep, libgsk_dep],
+  link_with: [libgdk, libgsk],
+  link_args: ['-Bsymbolic'],
+  install: true)
 
 libgtk_dep = declare_dependency(
-  sources: [
-    'gtk.h',
-    gtkversion,
-    gtktypebuiltins_h,
-  ],
-  include_directories: [confinc],
-  dependencies: gtk_deps,
+  sources: [gtkversion, gtktypebuiltins_h],
+  include_directories: [confinc, gtkinc],
+  dependencies: gtk_deps + [libgdk_dep, libgsk_dep],
   link_with: libgtk,
-  link_args: ['-Bsymbolic'],
-  include_directories: [confinc, gtkinc]
-)
+  link_args: ['-Bsymbolic'])
 
 # Installed tools
 
diff --git a/testsuite/gdk/meson.build b/testsuite/gdk/meson.build
index 6c85e75b93..cfe2d07913 100644
--- a/testsuite/gdk/meson.build
+++ b/testsuite/gdk/meson.build
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ test('gdk/keysyms', test_keysyms)
 test_rectangle = executable('rectangle', 'rectangle.c', dependencies: libgtk_dep)
 test('gdk/rectangle', test_rectangle)
 
-test_rgba = executable('rgba', 'rgba.c', dependencies: libgdk_dep)
+test_rgba = executable('rgba', 'rgba.c', dependencies: libgtk_dep)
 test('gdk/rgba', test_rgba)
 
 test_seat = executable('seat', 'seat.c', dependencies: libgtk_dep)