diff --git a/app/dumpcap/meson.build b/app/dumpcap/meson.build
index 69c016c780..57f3f1ace4 100644
--- a/app/dumpcap/meson.build
+++ b/app/dumpcap/meson.build
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 # Copyright(c) 2019 Microsoft Corporation
 
 if not dpdk_conf.has('RTE_HAS_LIBPCAP')
-    build = false
-    reason = 'missing dependency, "libpcap"'
+    error('missing dependency: "libpcap"')
 endif
 
 if is_windows
diff --git a/buildtools/pkg-config/meson.build b/buildtools/pkg-config/meson.build
index b36add17e3..a0a265ad92 100644
--- a/buildtools/pkg-config/meson.build
+++ b/buildtools/pkg-config/meson.build
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ pkg.generate(name: 'DPDK', # main DPDK pkgconfig file
         description: '''The Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK).
 Note that CFLAGS might contain an -march flag higher than typical baseline.
 This is required for a number of static inline functions in the public headers.''',
-        requires: ['libdpdk-libs', libbsd], # may need libbsd for string funcs
-                      # if libbsd is not enabled, then this is blank
+        requires: ['libdpdk-libs'],
         libraries_private: ['-Wl,--whole-archive'] +
             dpdk_drivers + dpdk_static_libraries +
             ['-Wl,--no-whole-archive'] + platform_flags
diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index bbdad71ffc..0ef6422cd3 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -238,12 +238,10 @@ if meson.is_cross_build() and not meson.get_external_property('numa', true)
     find_libnuma = false
 endif
 if find_libnuma
-    numa_dep = cc.find_library('numa', required: false)
-    if numa_dep.found() and cc.has_header('numaif.h') and cc.links(min_c_code, dependencies: numa_dep)
+    numa_dep = dependency('numa', method: 'pkg-config', required: false)
+    if numa_dep.found()
         dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_HAS_LIBNUMA', true)
         has_libnuma = true
-        add_project_link_arguments('-lnuma', language: 'c')
-        dpdk_extra_ldflags += '-lnuma'
     endif
 endif
 
@@ -269,18 +267,18 @@ if libarchive.found()
 endif
 
 # check for libbsd
-libbsd = dependency('libbsd', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+libbsd = disabler()
 if libbsd.found()
     dpdk_conf.set('RTE_USE_LIBBSD', 1)
 endif
 
-jansson_dep = dependency('jansson', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+jansson_dep = disabler()
 if jansson_dep.found()
     dpdk_conf.set('RTE_HAS_JANSSON', 1)
 endif
 
 # check for OpenSSL
-openssl_dep = dependency('openssl', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+openssl_dep = disabler()
 if openssl_dep.found()
     dpdk_conf.set('RTE_HAS_OPENSSL', 1)
 endif
diff --git a/drivers/common/mlx5/linux/meson.build b/drivers/common/mlx5/linux/meson.build
index 3767e7a69b..69e869e1ce 100644
--- a/drivers/common/mlx5/linux/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/common/mlx5/linux/meson.build
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ endif
 libnames = [ 'mlx5', 'ibverbs' ]
 libs = []
 foreach libname:libnames
-    lib = dependency('lib' + libname, static:static_ibverbs, required:false, method: 'pkg-config')
+    lib = dependency('lib' + libname, static:static_ibverbs, required:true, method: 'pkg-config')
     if not lib.found() and not static_ibverbs
         lib = cc.find_library(libname, required:false)
     endif
diff --git a/drivers/common/mlx5/windows/meson.build b/drivers/common/mlx5/windows/meson.build
index f454788a9f..56715526e9 100644
--- a/drivers/common/mlx5/windows/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/common/mlx5/windows/meson.build
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright 2019 Mellanox Technologies, Ltd
 
-if not cc.has_header('mlx5devx.h')
+if not cc.has_header('mlx5devx.h', required: true)
     build = false
     reason = 'missing dependency, "mlx5devx.h"'
     subdir_done()
 endif
 
-devxlib = cc.find_library('mlx5devx', required: false)
+devxlib = cc.find_library('mlx5devx', required: true)
 if not devxlib.found() or not cc.links(min_c_code, dependencies: devxlib)
     build = false
     reason = 'missing dependency, "mlx5devx"'
diff --git a/drivers/common/qat/meson.build b/drivers/common/qat/meson.build
index 31e06f4376..f67e9c5ef5 100644
--- a/drivers/common/qat/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/common/qat/meson.build
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ if disable_drivers.contains(qat_compress_path)
             'Explicitly disabled via build config')
 endif
 
-libcrypto = dependency('libcrypto', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+libcrypto = dependency('libcrypto', required: true, method: 'pkg-config')
 
 if arch_subdir == 'arm'
     if libcrypto.found()
diff --git a/drivers/compress/isal/meson.build b/drivers/compress/isal/meson.build
index 4b3eaa2274..e6a139f308 100644
--- a/drivers/compress/isal/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/compress/isal/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright 2018 Intel Corporation
 
-dep = dependency('libisal', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+dep = dependency('libisal', required: true, method: 'pkg-config')
 if not dep.found()
     build = false
     reason = 'missing dependency, "libisal"'
diff --git a/drivers/compress/zlib/meson.build b/drivers/compress/zlib/meson.build
index f8937cad3e..3fedd9db75 100644
--- a/drivers/compress/zlib/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/compress/zlib/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright(c) 2018 Cavium Networks
 
-dep = dependency('zlib', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+dep = dependency('zlib', required: true, method: 'pkg-config')
 if not dep.found()
     build = false
     reason = 'missing dependency, "zlib"'
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/ccp/meson.build b/drivers/crypto/ccp/meson.build
index a19c77a8d1..c3ccf59794 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/ccp/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/crypto/ccp/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ if not is_linux
     reason = 'only supported on Linux'
     subdir_done()
 endif
-dep = dependency('libcrypto', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+dep = dependency('libcrypto', required: true, method: 'pkg-config')
 if not dep.found()
     build = false
     reason = 'missing dependency, "libcrypto"'
diff --git a/drivers/crypto/openssl/meson.build b/drivers/crypto/openssl/meson.build
index af469a9827..de45a4a694 100644
--- a/drivers/crypto/openssl/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/crypto/openssl/meson.build
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ if is_windows
     subdir_done()
 endif
 
-dep = dependency('libcrypto', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+dep = dependency('libcrypto', required: true, method: 'pkg-config')
 if not dep.found()
     build = false
     reason = 'missing dependency, "libcrypto"'
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/cuda/meson.build b/drivers/gpu/cuda/meson.build
index d54473f148..1b5a01ce1f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/cuda/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/gpu/cuda/meson.build
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ if not is_linux
         reason = 'only supported on Linux'
         subdir_done()
 endif
-if not cc.has_header('cuda.h')
+if not cc.has_header('cuda.h', required: true)
         build = false
         reason = 'missing dependency, "cuda.h"'
         subdir_done()
 endif
-if not cc.has_header('cudaTypedefs.h')
+if not cc.has_header('cudaTypedefs.h', required: true)
         build = false
         reason = 'missing dependency, "cudaTypedefs.h"'
         subdir_done()
diff --git a/drivers/net/bnx2x/meson.build b/drivers/net/bnx2x/meson.build
index bc66ab8032..21ff1276c3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bnx2x/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/net/bnx2x/meson.build
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ if is_windows
     subdir_done()
 endif
 
-dep = dependency('zlib', required: false, method: 'pkg-config')
+dep = dependency('zlib', required: true, method: 'pkg-config')
 build = dep.found()
 reason = 'missing dependency, "zlib"'
 ext_deps += dep
diff --git a/drivers/net/intel/ipn3ke/meson.build b/drivers/net/intel/ipn3ke/meson.build
index 23c4d36b4f..a29abb1f77 100644
--- a/drivers/net/intel/ipn3ke/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/net/intel/ipn3ke/meson.build
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ endif
 #
 
 if not has_libfdt
-    build = false
-    reason = 'missing dependency, "libfdt"'
-    subdir_done()
+    error('missing dependency: "libfdt"')
 endif
 
 includes += include_directories('../../../raw/ifpga')
diff --git a/drivers/net/mana/meson.build b/drivers/net/mana/meson.build
index 19d4b3695e..646b35523d 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mana/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/net/mana/meson.build
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ cflags += no_wvla_cflag
 libnames = ['ibverbs', 'mana']
 libs = []
 foreach libname:libnames
-    lib = dependency('lib' + libname, required:false)
+    lib = dependency('lib' + libname, required:true)
     if not lib.found()
         lib = cc.find_library(libname, required:false)
     endif
diff --git a/drivers/net/mlx4/meson.build b/drivers/net/mlx4/meson.build
index 1eb67f3c47..d75b004435 100644
--- a/drivers/net/mlx4/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/net/mlx4/meson.build
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ libnames = [ 'mlx4', 'ibverbs' ]
 libs = []
 foreach libname:libnames
     lib = dependency('lib' + libname, static:static_ibverbs,
-            required:false, method: 'pkg-config')
+            required:true, method: 'pkg-config')
     if not lib.found() and not static_ibverbs
         lib = cc.find_library(libname, required:false)
     endif
diff --git a/drivers/net/pcap/meson.build b/drivers/net/pcap/meson.build
index f30fc8338b..ceb42bbd90 100644
--- a/drivers/net/pcap/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/net/pcap/meson.build
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 # Copyright(c) 2017 Intel Corporation
 
 if not dpdk_conf.has('RTE_HAS_LIBPCAP')
-    build = false
-    reason = 'missing dependency, "libpcap"'
+    error('missing dependency: "libpcap"')
 endif
 
 sources = files(
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga/meson.build b/drivers/raw/ifpga/meson.build
index 8d5f41fd5d..e312c0dfd4 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga/meson.build
@@ -2,14 +2,12 @@
 # Copyright(c) 2018 Intel Corporation
 
 if not has_libfdt
-    build = false
-    reason = 'missing dependency, "libfdt"'
-    subdir_done()
+    error('missing dependency: "libfdt"')
 endif
 
 rtdep = dependency('librt', required: false)
 if not rtdep.found()
-    rtdep = cc.find_library('rt', required: false)
+    rtdep = cc.find_library('rt', required: true)
 endif
 if not rtdep.found() or not cc.links(min_c_code, dependencies: rtdep)
     build = false
diff --git a/lib/eal/linux/meson.build b/lib/eal/linux/meson.build
index 29ba313218..5a173c43d6 100644
--- a/lib/eal/linux/meson.build
+++ b/lib/eal/linux/meson.build
@@ -25,5 +25,6 @@ endif
 
 deps += ['kvargs', 'telemetry']
 if has_libnuma
+    ext_deps += numa_dep
     dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_EAL_NUMA_AWARE_HUGEPAGES', true)
 endif
diff --git a/lib/vhost/meson.build b/lib/vhost/meson.build
index 6a24981d10..5283e7904f 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/meson.build
+++ b/lib/vhost/meson.build
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ if not is_linux
     reason = 'only supported on Linux'
 endif
 if has_libnuma
+    ext_deps += numa_dep
     dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_LIBRTE_VHOST_NUMA', true)
 endif
 dpdk_conf.set('RTE_LIBRTE_VHOST_POSTCOPY', cc.has_header('linux/userfaultfd.h'))