diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 83ae4347c7f..ab1f44b25c2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -3867,15 +3867,23 @@ foreach target : target_dirs
 
   target_common = common_ss.apply(config_target, strict: false)
   objects = common_all.extract_objects(target_common.sources())
-  deps = target_common.dependencies()
+  arch_deps += target_common.dependencies()
 
   target_specific = specific_ss.apply(config_target, strict: false)
   arch_srcs += target_specific.sources()
   arch_deps += target_specific.dependencies()
 
+  # allow using headers from the dependencies but do not include the sources,
+  # because this emulator only needs those in "objects".  For external
+  # dependencies, the full dependency is included below in the executable.
+  lib_deps = []
+  foreach dep : arch_deps
+    lib_deps += dep.partial_dependency(compile_args: true, includes: true)
+  endforeach
+
   lib = static_library('qemu-' + target,
                  sources: arch_srcs + genh,
-                 dependencies: arch_deps,
+                 dependencies: lib_deps,
                  objects: objects,
                  include_directories: target_inc,
                  c_args: c_args,
@@ -3923,7 +3931,7 @@ foreach target : target_dirs
     emulator = executable(exe_name, exe['sources'],
                install: true,
                c_args: c_args,
-               dependencies: arch_deps + deps + exe['dependencies'],
+               dependencies: arch_deps + exe['dependencies'],
                objects: lib.extract_all_objects(recursive: true),
                link_depends: [block_syms, qemu_syms],
                link_args: link_args,
diff --git a/hw/arm/meson.build b/hw/arm/meson.build
index 6808135c1f7..aefde0c69a3 100644
--- a/hw/arm/meson.build
+++ b/hw/arm/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 arm_ss = ss.source_set()
-arm_ss.add(files('boot.c'), fdt)
+arm_ss.add(files('boot.c'))
 arm_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ARM_VIRT', if_true: files('virt.c'))
 arm_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ACPI', if_true: files('virt-acpi-build.c'))
 arm_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_DIGIC', if_true: files('digic_boards.c'))
diff --git a/hw/loongarch/meson.build b/hw/loongarch/meson.build
index d306d82c2ee..bce7ebac97e 100644
--- a/hw/loongarch/meson.build
+++ b/hw/loongarch/meson.build
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ loongarch_ss.add(files(
     'fw_cfg.c',
     'boot.c',
 ))
-loongarch_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_LOONGARCH_VIRT', if_true: [files('virt.c'), fdt])
+loongarch_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_LOONGARCH_VIRT', if_true: files('virt.c'))
 loongarch_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_ACPI', if_true: files('acpi-build.c'))
 
 hw_arch += {'loongarch': loongarch_ss}
diff --git a/hw/mips/meson.build b/hw/mips/meson.build
index f06d88f3430..ca37c42d900 100644
--- a/hw/mips/meson.build
+++ b/hw/mips/meson.build
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ if 'CONFIG_TCG' in config_all_accel
 mips_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_JAZZ', if_true: files('jazz.c'))
 mips_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_MIPSSIM', if_true: files('mipssim.c'))
 mips_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_FULOONG', if_true: files('fuloong2e.c'))
-mips_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_MIPS_BOSTON', if_true: [files('boston.c'), fdt])
+mips_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_MIPS_BOSTON', if_true: files('boston.c'))
 endif
 
 hw_arch += {'mips': mips_ss}
diff --git a/hw/openrisc/meson.build b/hw/openrisc/meson.build
index 2dbc6365bb7..82f1f0ef1cc 100644
--- a/hw/openrisc/meson.build
+++ b/hw/openrisc/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 openrisc_ss = ss.source_set()
 openrisc_ss.add(files('cputimer.c'))
 openrisc_ss.add(files('boot.c'))
-openrisc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_OR1K_SIM', if_true: [files('openrisc_sim.c'), fdt])
-openrisc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_OR1K_VIRT', if_true: [files('virt.c'), fdt])
+openrisc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_OR1K_SIM', if_true: files('openrisc_sim.c'))
+openrisc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_OR1K_VIRT', if_true: files('virt.c'))
 
 hw_arch += {'openrisc': openrisc_ss}
diff --git a/hw/ppc/meson.build b/hw/ppc/meson.build
index d096636ee7f..3ebbf329bcc 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/meson.build
+++ b/hw/ppc/meson.build
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ ppc_ss.add(files(
   'ppc.c',
   'ppc_booke.c',
 ))
-ppc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_FDT_PPC', if_true: [files(
-  'fdt.c',
-), fdt])
+ppc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_FDT_PPC', if_true: files('fdt.c'))
 ppc_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_FW_CFG_PPC', if_true: files('fw_cfg.c'))
 
 # IBM pSeries (sPAPR)
diff --git a/hw/riscv/meson.build b/hw/riscv/meson.build
index 2f7ee81be3c..f872674093a 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/meson.build
+++ b/hw/riscv/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 riscv_ss = ss.source_set()
-riscv_ss.add(files('boot.c'), fdt)
+riscv_ss.add(files('boot.c'))
 riscv_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_RISCV_NUMA', if_true: files('numa.c'))
 riscv_ss.add(files('riscv_hart.c'))
 riscv_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_OPENTITAN', if_true: files('opentitan.c'))
