diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 85627e3a6..d3466d5ae 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -505,6 +505,12 @@ else
     build_dri2 = get_option('dri2') == 'true'
 endif
 
+if host_machine.system() in ['freebsd', 'openbsd']
+   epoll_dep = dependency('epoll-shim')
+else
+   epoll_dep = []
+endif
+
 have_eventfd = cc.has_header('sys/eventfd.h')
 if get_option('dri3') == 'auto'
     build_dri3 = dri3proto_dep.found() and xshmfence_dep.found() and libdrm_dep.found() and have_eventfd
diff --git a/present/meson.build b/present/meson.build
index ec5d4cc6e..bc806a668 100644
--- a/present/meson.build
+++ b/present/meson.build
@@ -16,12 +16,6 @@ hdrs_present = [
     'presentext.h',
 ]
 
-if host_machine.system() in ['freebsd', 'openbsd']
-   epoll_dep = dependency('epoll-shim')
-else
-   epoll_dep = []
-endif
-
 libxserver_present = static_library('libxserver_present',
     srcs_present,
     include_directories: inc,