diff --git a/contrib/ide/meson.build b/contrib/ide/meson.build
index b728c493..27f03749 100644
--- a/contrib/ide/meson.build
+++ b/contrib/ide/meson.build
@@ -1,17 +1,24 @@
+common_deps = [
+  gio_dep,
+  glib_dep,
+]
+
 sources = files(
   'ide-doap.c',
   'ide-doap-person.c',
 )
 
+deps = common_deps + [libxml_reader_dep]
+
 libide = static_library(
   'ide',
   sources: sources,
   include_directories: top_inc,
-  dependencies: libxml_dep,
+  dependencies: deps,
 )
 
 libide_dep = declare_dependency(
-  link_with: libide,
   include_directories: include_directories('.'),
-  dependencies: valac.find_library('ide', dirs: meson.current_source_dir()),
+  dependencies: common_deps + [valac.find_library('ide', dirs: meson.current_source_dir())],
+  link_with: libide,
 )
diff --git a/contrib/xml/meson.build b/contrib/xml/meson.build
index b0f3c589..31d4b00a 100644
--- a/contrib/xml/meson.build
+++ b/contrib/xml/meson.build
@@ -2,18 +2,18 @@ sources = files('xml-reader.c')
 
 deps = [
   gio_dep,
-  dependency('libxml-2.0', version: '>= 2.9.0'),
+  libxml_dep,
 ]
 
-libxml = static_library(
+libxml_reader = static_library(
   'xml',
   sources: sources,
   include_directories: top_inc,
   dependencies: deps,
 )
 
-libxml_dep = declare_dependency(
-  link_with: libxml,
+libxml_reader_dep = declare_dependency(
   include_directories: include_directories('.'),
   dependencies: deps,
+  link_with: libxml_reader,
 )
diff --git a/gitg/meson.build b/gitg/meson.build
index e5c7e9d5..3f149996 100644
--- a/gitg/meson.build
+++ b/gitg/meson.build
@@ -54,19 +54,12 @@ sources = gitg_sources + files(
 
 deps = [
   config_dep,
-  gee_dep,
-  gio_dep,
   gitg_platform_support_dep,
-  glib_dep,
-  gtk_dep,
+  gobject_introspection_dep,
   gtksourceview_dep,
-  libgit2_glib_dep,
-  libgitg_dep,
+  gtkspell_dep,
   libgitg_ext_dep,
   libpeas_dep,
-  m_dep,
-  dependency('gobject-introspection-1.0', version: '>= 0.10.1'),
-  dependency('gtkspell3-3.0'),
 ]
 
 cflags = warn_flags + [
diff --git a/libgitg-ext/meson.build b/libgitg-ext/meson.build
index 4e2cdd2d..4963e534 100644
--- a/libgitg-ext/meson.build
+++ b/libgitg-ext/meson.build
@@ -35,13 +35,6 @@ sources = files(
   'gitg-ext-user-query.vala',
 )
 
-deps = [
-  gee_dep,
-  gtk_dep,
-  libgit2_glib_dep,
-  libgitg_dep,
-]
-
 cflags = warn_flags + [
   '-DDATADIR="@0@"'.format(gitg_datadir),
   '-DLIBDIR="@0@"'.format(gitg_libdir),
@@ -53,7 +46,7 @@ libgitg_ext = shared_library(
   version: libversion,
   soversion: soversion,
   include_directories: top_inc,
-  dependencies: deps,
+  dependencies: libgitg_dep,
   c_args: cflags,
   vala_header: lib_name + '.h',
   vala_vapi: lib_api_name + '.vapi',
@@ -69,9 +62,18 @@ libgitg_ext = shared_library(
   ],
 )
 
+deps = [
+  gee_dep,
+  gio_dep,
+  glib_dep,
+  gtk_dep,
+  libgit2_glib_dep,
+]
+
 libgitg_ext_dep = declare_dependency(
-  link_with: libgitg_ext,
   include_directories: include_directories('.'),
+  dependencies: deps + [libgitg_dep],
+  link_with: libgitg_ext,
 )
 
 pkg.generate(
@@ -81,17 +83,7 @@ pkg.generate(
   description: gitg_name + ' extensions library',
   filebase: lib_api_name,
   subdirs: lib_api_name,
-  requires: [
-    'gio-2.0',
-    'glib-2.0',
-    'gmodule-2.0',
-    'gobject-2.0',
-    'gtk+-3.0',
-    'gthread-2.0',
-    'libgit2-glib-1.0',
-    'libgitg-1.0',
-    gio_system_pkg,
-  ],
+  requires: deps +  ['libgitg-1.0'],
   variables: 'exec_prefix=' + gitg_prefix,
 )
 
diff --git a/libgitg/meson.build b/libgitg/meson.build
index 53b3da1d..473ff03d 100644
--- a/libgitg/meson.build
+++ b/libgitg/meson.build
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ gir_api_name = '@0@-@1@'.format(gir_ns, gitg_gir_version)
 gir_name = gir_api_name + '.gir'
 gir_typelib = gir_api_name + '.typelib'
 
+common_deps = [
+  gee_dep,
+  gio_dep,
+  glib_dep,
+  gtk_dep,
+  libgit2_glib_dep,
+]
+
 sources = files(
   'gitg-assembly-info.vala',
   'gitg-async.vala',
@@ -84,18 +92,14 @@ sources += gnome.compile_resources(
   dependencies: resource_data,
 )
 
-deps = [
-  gee_dep,
+deps = common_deps + [
   gitg_platform_support_dep,
-  glib_dep,
-  gtk_dep,
+  gsettings_desktop_schemas_dep,
   gtksourceview_dep,
-  libgit2_glib_dep,
   libide_dep,
+  libsecret_dep,
   libsoup_dep,
   m_dep,
-  dependency('gsettings-desktop-schemas'),
-  dependency('libsecret-1'),
 ]
 
 cflags = warn_flags + [
@@ -108,9 +112,8 @@ ldflags = common_ldflags
 
 if gdk_targets.contains('quartz')
   sources += files('gitg-platform-support-osx.c')
-  gio_system_pkg = 'gio-unix-2.0'
   deps += [
-    dependency(gio_system_pkg),
+    dependency('gio-unix-2.0'),
     find_library('objc'),
   ]
   cflags += '-xobjective-c'
@@ -121,12 +124,10 @@ if gdk_targets.contains('quartz')
   ])
 elif gdk_targets.contains('win32')
   sources += files('gitg-platform-support-win32.c')
-  gio_system_pkg = 'gio-windows-2.0'
-  deps += dependency(gio_system_pkg)
+  deps += dependency('gio-windows-2.0')
 else
   sources += files('gitg-platform-support.c')
-  gio_system_pkg = 'gio-unix-2.0'
-  deps += dependency(gio_system_pkg)
+  deps += dependency('gio-unix-2.0')
 endif
 
 libgitg = shared_library(
@@ -152,10 +153,13 @@ libgitg = shared_library(
 )
 
 libgitg_dep = declare_dependency(
-  link_with: libgitg,
   include_directories: include_directories('.'),
+  dependencies: common_deps + [m_dep],
+  link_with: libgitg,
 )
 
+# FIXME: libgitg_dep requires m_dep because math.h and float.h includes are exposed
+#        However, meson is not able to append it
 pkg.generate(
   libraries: libgitg,
   version: gitg_version,
@@ -163,16 +167,7 @@ pkg.generate(
   description: gitg_name + ' library',
   filebase: lib_api_name,
   subdirs: lib_api_name,
-  requires: [
-    'gio-2.0',
-    'glib-2.0',
-    'gmodule-2.0',
-    'gobject-2.0',
-    'gthread-2.0',
-    'gtk+-3.0',
-    'libgit2-glib-1.0',
-    gio_system_pkg,
-  ],
+  requires: common_deps,
   variables: 'exec_prefix=' + gitg_prefix,
 )
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 1240cf38..fc0d0ad0 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -122,11 +122,16 @@ glib_req_version = '>= 2.38'
 gee_dep = dependency('gee-0.8')
 gio_dep = dependency('gio-2.0', version: glib_req_version)
 glib_dep = dependency('glib-2.0', version: glib_req_version)
+gobject_introspection_dep = dependency('gobject-introspection-1.0', version: '>= 0.10.1')
+gsettings_desktop_schemas_dep = dependency('gsettings-desktop-schemas')
 gtk_dep = dependency('gtk+-3.0', version: '>= 3.20.0')
+gtkspell_dep = dependency('gtkspell3-3.0')
 gtksourceview_dep = dependency('gtksourceview-3.0', version: '>= 3.10')
 libgit2_glib_dep = dependency('libgit2-glib-1.0', version: ['>= 0.25.0', '< 0.27.0'])
 libpeas_dep = dependency('libpeas-1.0')
+libsecret_dep = dependency('libsecret-1')
 libsoup_dep = dependency('libsoup-2.4')
+libxml_dep = dependency('libxml-2.0', version: '>= 2.9.0')
 
 config_dep = valac.find_library('config', dirs: vapi_dir)
 gitg_platform_support_dep = valac.find_library('gitg-platform-support', dirs: vapi_dir)
diff --git a/tests/gitg/meson.build b/tests/gitg/meson.build
index e3afd709..87803dd6 100644
--- a/tests/gitg/meson.build
+++ b/tests/gitg/meson.build
@@ -11,11 +11,7 @@ sources = gitg_sources + support_sources + files(
 
 deps = [
   config_dep,
-  gee_dep,
   gitg_assert_dep,
-  gtk_dep,
-  libgit2_glib_dep,
-  libgitg_dep,
   libgitg_ext_dep,
 ]
 
diff --git a/tests/libgitg/meson.build b/tests/libgitg/meson.build
index 427c1042..2c2c77cc 100644
--- a/tests/libgitg/meson.build
+++ b/tests/libgitg/meson.build
@@ -7,10 +7,7 @@ sources = support_sources + files(
 )
 
 deps = [
-  gee_dep,
   gitg_assert_dep,
-  gtk_dep,
-  libgit2_glib_dep,
   libgitg_dep,
 ]
 
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 44da4ca1..6e4bdf41 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -2,13 +2,6 @@ subdir('support')
 subdir('libgitg')
 subdir('gitg')
 
-deps = [
-  gee_dep,
-  gtk_dep,
-  libgit2_glib_dep,
-  libgitg_dep,
-]
-
 test_names = [
   'diff-view',
   'repository-list-box',
@@ -20,7 +13,7 @@ foreach test_name: test_names
     'tests-' + test_name,
     sources: test_name + '.vala',
     include_directories: top_inc,
-    dependencies: deps,
+    dependencies: libgitg_dep,
     c_args: warn_flags,
   )
 endforeach