diff --git a/src/systemd/meson.build b/src/systemd/meson.build
index 4dbbe13099..536dd9703f 100644
--- a/src/systemd/meson.build
+++ b/src/systemd/meson.build
@@ -1,33 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
-sources = files(
-  'src/libsystemd-network/arp-util.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-identifier.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-network.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-option.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-packet.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp6-network.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp6-option.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/lldp-neighbor.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/lldp-network.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/network-internal.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-client.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-lease.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-client.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-lease.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-ipv4acd.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-ipv4ll.c',
-  'src/libsystemd-network/sd-lldp.c',
-  'src/libsystemd/sd-event/event-util.c',
-  'src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c',
-  'src/libsystemd/sd-id128/id128-util.c',
-  'src/libsystemd/sd-id128/sd-id128.c',
-  'nm-sd.c',
-  'nm-sd-utils-core.c',
-  'nm-sd-utils-dhcp.c',
-  'sd-adapt-core/nm-sd-adapt-core.c',
-)
-
 incs = include_directories(
   'sd-adapt-core',
   'src/libsystemd-network',
@@ -35,16 +7,50 @@ incs = include_directories(
   'src/systemd',
 )
 
-deps = [
-  daemon_nm_default_dep,
-  libnm_systemd_shared_dep,
-]
-
 libnm_systemd_core = static_library(
   'nm-systemd-core',
-  sources: sources,
+  sources: files(
+    'src/libsystemd-network/arp-util.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-identifier.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-network.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-option.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp-packet.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp6-network.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/dhcp6-option.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/lldp-neighbor.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/lldp-network.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/network-internal.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-client.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-lease.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-client.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-lease.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-ipv4acd.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-ipv4ll.c',
+    'src/libsystemd-network/sd-lldp.c',
+    'src/libsystemd/sd-event/event-util.c',
+    'src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c',
+    'src/libsystemd/sd-id128/id128-util.c',
+    'src/libsystemd/sd-id128/sd-id128.c',
+    'nm-sd.c',
+    'nm-sd-utils-core.c',
+    'nm-sd-utils-dhcp.c',
+    'sd-adapt-core/nm-sd-adapt-core.c',
+  ),
   include_directories: incs,
-  dependencies: deps,
+  dependencies: [
+    daemon_nm_default_dep,
+    libnm_systemd_shared_dep,
+  ],
   c_args: '-DNETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION=NM_NETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION_SYSTEMD',
   link_with: libc_siphash,
 )
+
+libnm_systemd_core_dep = declare_dependency(
+  include_directories: incs,
+  dependencies: [
+    glib_dep,
+    daemon_nm_default_dep,
+    libnm_systemd_shared_dep,
+  ],
+  link_with: libnm_systemd_core,
+)