diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ee2b415..7b01d0a 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
   default_options : ['buildtype=debugoptimized', 'c_std=c99', 'cpp_std=c++11']
 )
 
+null_dep = dependency('', required : false)
+
 system_has_kms_drm = ['openbsd', 'netbsd', 'freebsd', 'dragonfly', 'linux'].contains(host_machine.system())
 
 # Arguments for the preprocessor, put these in a separate array from the C and
@@ -422,7 +424,7 @@
   _vdpau = 'true'
 endif
 with_gallium_vdpau = _vdpau == 'true'
-dep_vdpau = []
+dep_vdpau = null_dep
 if with_gallium_vdpau
   dep_vdpau = dependency('vdpau', version : '>= 1.1')
   dep_vdpau = declare_dependency(
@@ -461,7 +463,7 @@
   _xvmc = 'true'
 endif
 with_gallium_xvmc = _xvmc == 'true'
-dep_xvmc = []
+dep_xvmc = null_dep
 if with_gallium_xvmc
   dep_xvmc = dependency('xvmc', version : '>= 1.0.6')
 endif
@@ -491,7 +493,8 @@
     error('OMX state tracker requires at least one of the following gallium drivers: r600, radeonsi, nouveau.')
   endif
 endif
-dep_omx = []
+with_gallium_omx = _omx
+dep_omx = null_dep
 dep_omx_other = []
 if ['auto', 'bellagio'].contains(_omx)
   dep_omx = dependency(
@@ -579,7 +582,7 @@
   _va = 'true'
 endif
 with_gallium_va = _va == 'true'
-dep_va = []
+dep_va = null_dep
 if with_gallium_va
   dep_va = dependency('libva', version : '>= 0.38.0')
   dep_va_headers = declare_dependency(
@@ -638,7 +641,7 @@
   with_gallium_opencl = true
   with_opencl_icd = _opencl == 'icd'
 else
-  dep_clc = []
+  dep_clc = null_dep
   with_gallium_opencl = false
   with_gallium_icd = false
 endif
@@ -831,7 +834,7 @@
 endif
 
 # Check for GCC style atomics
-dep_atomic = declare_dependency()
+dep_atomic = null_dep
 
 if cc.compiles('int main() { int n; return __atomic_load_n(&n, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE); }',
                name : 'GCC atomic builtins')
@@ -976,7 +979,7 @@
 
 # check for dl support
 if cc.has_function('dlopen')
-  dep_dl = []
+  dep_dl = null_dep
 else
   dep_dl = cc.find_library('dl')
 endif
@@ -995,7 +998,7 @@
 
 # Determine whether or not the rt library is needed for time functions
 if cc.has_function('clock_gettime')
-  dep_clock = []
+  dep_clock = null_dep
 else
   dep_clock = cc.find_library('rt')
 endif
@@ -1013,7 +1016,7 @@
     dep_elf = cc.find_library('elf')
   endif
 else
-  dep_elf = []
+  dep_elf = null_dep
 endif
 dep_expat = dependency('expat')
 # this only exists on linux so either this is linux and it will be found, or
@@ -1024,12 +1027,12 @@
 # but we always want to use the same version for all libdrm modules. That means
 # even if driver foo requires 2.4.0 and driver bar requires 2.4.3, if foo and
 # bar are both on use 2.4.3 for both of them
-dep_libdrm_amdgpu = []
-dep_libdrm_radeon = []
-dep_libdrm_nouveau = []
-dep_libdrm_etnaviv = []
-dep_libdrm_freedreno = []
-dep_libdrm_intel = []
+dep_libdrm_amdgpu = null_dep
+dep_libdrm_radeon = null_dep
+dep_libdrm_nouveau = null_dep
+dep_libdrm_etnaviv = null_dep
+dep_libdrm_freedreno = null_dep
+dep_libdrm_intel = null_dep
 
 _drm_amdgpu_ver = '2.4.91'
 _drm_radeon_ver = '2.4.71'
@@ -1114,7 +1117,7 @@
   dep_llvm = dependency('llvm', version : _llvm_version, modules : llvm_modules)
   with_llvm = true
 else
-  dep_llvm = []
+  dep_llvm = null_dep
   with_llvm = false
 endif
 if with_llvm
@@ -1144,7 +1147,7 @@
   error('The following drivers require LLVM: Radv, RadeonSI, SWR. One of these is enabled, but LLVM is disabled.')
 endif
 
-dep_glvnd = []
+dep_glvnd = null_dep
 if with_glvnd
   dep_glvnd = dependency('libglvnd', version : '>= 0.2.0')
   pre_args += '-DUSE_LIBGLVND=1'
@@ -1156,7 +1159,7 @@
     pre_args += '-DHAVE_VALGRIND'
   endif
 else
-  dep_valgrind = []
+  dep_valgrind = null_dep
 endif
 
 # pthread stubs. Lets not and say we didn't
@@ -1164,7 +1167,7 @@
 prog_bison = find_program('bison', required : with_any_opengl)
 prog_flex = find_program('flex', required : with_any_opengl)
 
-dep_selinux = []
+dep_selinux = null_dep
 if get_option('selinux')
   dep_selinux = dependency('libselinux')
   pre_args += '-DMESA_SELINUX'
@@ -1178,7 +1181,7 @@
     pre_args += '-DHAVE_LIBUNWIND'
   endif
 else
-  dep_unwind = []
+  dep_unwind = null_dep
 endif
 
 # TODO: gallium-hud
@@ -1217,29 +1220,29 @@
   pre_args += ['-DHAVE_WAYLAND_PLATFORM', '-DWL_HIDE_DEPRECATED']
 else
   prog_wl_scanner = []
-  dep_wl_protocols = []
-  dep_wayland_client = []
-  dep_wayland_server = []
+  dep_wl_protocols = null_dep
+  dep_wayland_client = null_dep
+  dep_wayland_server = null_dep
   wayland_dmabuf_xml = ''
 endif
 
-dep_x11 = []
-dep_xext = []
-dep_xdamage = []
-dep_xfixes = []
-dep_x11_xcb = []
-dep_xcb = []
-dep_xcb_glx = []
-dep_xcb_dri2 = []
-dep_xcb_dri3 = []
-dep_dri2proto = []
-dep_glproto = []
-dep_xxf86vm = []
-dep_xcb_dri3 = []
-dep_xcb_present = []
-dep_xcb_sync = []
-dep_xcb_xfixes = []
-dep_xshmfence = []
+dep_x11 = null_dep
+dep_xext = null_dep
+dep_xdamage = null_dep
+dep_xfixes = null_dep
+dep_x11_xcb = null_dep
+dep_xcb = null_dep
+dep_xcb_glx = null_dep
+dep_xcb_dri2 = null_dep
+dep_xcb_dri3 = null_dep
+dep_dri2proto = null_dep
+dep_glproto = null_dep
+dep_xxf86vm = null_dep
+dep_xcb_dri3 = null_dep
+dep_xcb_present = null_dep
+dep_xcb_sync = null_dep
+dep_xcb_xfixes = null_dep
+dep_xshmfence = null_dep
 if with_platform_x11
   if with_glx == 'xlib' or with_glx == 'gallium-xlib'
     dep_x11 = dependency('x11')
@@ -1299,7 +1302,7 @@
     pre_args += '-DHAVE_LIBSENSORS=1'
   endif
 else
-  dep_lmsensors = []
+  dep_lmsensors = null_dep
 endif
 
 # TODO: gallium tests
@@ -1334,7 +1337,7 @@
 if dep_libdrm.found()
   gl_priv_reqs += 'libdrm >= 2.4.75'
 endif
-if dep_xxf86vm != [] and dep_xxf86vm.found()
+if dep_xxf86vm.found()
   gl_priv_reqs += 'xxf86vm'
 endif
 if with_dri_platform == 'drm'
@@ -1348,7 +1351,7 @@
 if dep_m.found()
   gl_priv_libs += '-lm'
 endif
-if dep_dl != [] and dep_dl.found()
+if dep_dl.found()
   gl_priv_libs += '-ldl'
 endif