diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 94b49e72430c7eba4ddfbd590aa2a9d71c0ed5ed..15dbc378ec3a8b8358713a3f597c0a7d5346103d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ wayland_protocols_version = meson.project_version()
 
 fs = import('fs')
 
-dep_scanner = dependency('wayland-scanner', native: true)
-
 stable_protocols = [
 	'presentation-time',
 	'viewporter',
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 66337e720ab81416388661cd5c477dd1386b28fa..74824ae8d8049856dc20e3ab2283a7b87c81534f 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 prog_scan_sh = find_program('scan.sh')
+dep_scanner = dependency('wayland-scanner', native: true)
 prog_scanner = find_program(dep_scanner.get_pkgconfig_variable('wayland_scanner'))
 
 libwayland = [