diff --git a/giscanner/meson.build b/giscanner/meson.build
index e63a5ab78..3d7dc678a 100644
--- a/giscanner/meson.build
+++ b/giscanner/meson.build
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ giscanner_lib = static_library('giscanner',
   dependencies: [glib_dep, gobject_dep, gio_dep, gmodule_dep],
 )

 # https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/4117
 if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
+  python_ext_dep = libpython_dep
-  python_ext_dep = python.dependency()
 else
+  python_ext_dep = libpython_dep
-  python_ext_dep = python.dependency().partial_dependency(compile_args: true)
 endif

 if not python_ext_dep.found()
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2a9d68556..cffe9014c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -156,4 +156,5 @@ libffi_dep = dependency('libffi',
 
 # python headers
-cc.check_header('Python.h', dependencies: [python.dependency()], required: true)
+libpython_dep = dependency('python-@0@'.format(python_version), method : 'pkg-config')
+cc.check_header('Python.h', dependencies: [libpython_dep], required: true)