diff --git a/spa/examples/meson.build b/spa/examples/meson.build
index 5109c0c7d..fdd54fdcf 100644
--- a/spa/examples/meson.build
+++ b/spa/examples/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ spa_examples = [
   'local-v4l2',
 ]
 
-if not get_option('examples').allowed()
+if not get_option('examples').allowed() or not get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
   subdir_done()
 endif
 
diff --git a/spa/meson.build b/spa/meson.build
index ff07f9ddb..67e4b5c50 100644
--- a/spa/meson.build
+++ b/spa/meson.build
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ pkgconfig.generate(filebase : 'lib@0@'.format(spa_name),
 
 subdir('include')
 
+jack_dep = dependency('jack', version : '>= 1.9.10', required: get_option('jack'))
+summary({'JACK2': jack_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Backend')
+
 if get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
   udevrulesdir = get_option('udevrulesdir')
   if udevrulesdir == ''
@@ -87,8 +90,6 @@ if get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
     endif
     cdata.set('HAVE_LC3', get_option('bluez5-codec-lc3').allowed() and lc3_dep.found())
   endif
-  jack_dep = dependency('jack', version : '>= 1.9.10', required: get_option('jack'))
-  summary({'JACK2': jack_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Backend')
 
   have_vulkan = false
   vulkan_dep = dependency('vulkan', version : '>= 1.2.170', required: get_option('vulkan'))
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ if get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
   cdata.set('HAVE_LIBUDEV', libudev_dep.found())
   summary({'Udev': libudev_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true, section: 'Backend')
 
+  cdata.set('HAVE_SPA_PLUGINS', '1')
   subdir('plugins')
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/modules/meson.build b/src/modules/meson.build
index e2478c965..40d5662de 100644
--- a/src/modules/meson.build
+++ b/src/modules/meson.build
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ pipewire_module_loopback = shared_library('pipewire-module-loopback',
   dependencies : [spa_dep, mathlib, dl_lib, pipewire_dep],
 )
 
+plugin_dependencies = []
+if get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
+  plugin_dependencies += audioconvert_dep
+endif
+
 simd_cargs = []
 simd_dependencies = []
 
@@ -122,7 +127,7 @@ filter_chain_sources = [
   'module-filter-chain/convolver.c'
 ]
 filter_chain_dependencies = [
-  mathlib, dl_lib, pipewire_dep, sndfile_dep, audioconvert_dep
+  mathlib, dl_lib, pipewire_dep, sndfile_dep, plugin_dependencies
 ]
 
 pipewire_module_filter_chain = shared_library('pipewire-module-filter-chain',
@@ -175,7 +180,7 @@ pipewire_module_echo_cancel = shared_library('pipewire-module-echo-cancel',
   install : true,
   install_dir : modules_install_dir,
   install_rpath: modules_install_dir,
-  dependencies : [mathlib, dl_lib, pipewire_dep, audioconvert_dep],
+  dependencies : [mathlib, dl_lib, pipewire_dep, plugin_dependencies],
 )
 
 build_module_jack_tunnel = jack_dep.found()
diff --git a/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c b/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c
index 50cd39212..7b126bcc1 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ static inline void aec_run(struct impl *impl, const float *rec[], const float *p
 {
 	spa_audio_aec_run(impl->aec, rec, play, out, n_samples);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_SPA_PLUGINS
 	if (SPA_UNLIKELY(impl->wav_path[0])) {
 		if (impl->wav_file == NULL) {
 			struct wav_file_info info;
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ static inline void aec_run(struct impl *impl, const float *rec[], const float *p
 		wav_file_close(impl->wav_file);
 		impl->wav_file = NULL;
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 static void process(struct impl *impl)
diff --git a/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c b/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c
index 73e3ba79a..6a862f748 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-filter-chain/builtin_plugin.c
@@ -784,6 +784,7 @@ static float *create_dirac(const char *filename, float gain, int delay, int offs
 static float *resample_buffer(float *samples, int *n_samples,
 		unsigned long in_rate, unsigned long out_rate, uint32_t quality)
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_SPA_PLUGINS
 	uint32_t in_len, out_len, total_out = 0;
 	int out_n_samples;
 	float *out_samples, *out_buf, *in_buf;
@@ -849,6 +850,12 @@ error:
 	free(samples);
 	free(out_samples);
 	return NULL;
+#else
+	pw_log_error("compiled without spa-plugins support, can't resample");
+	float *out_samples = calloc(*n_samples, sizeof(float));
+	memcpy(out_samples, samples, *n_samples * sizeof(float));
+	return out_samples;
+#endif
 }
 
 static void * convolver_instantiate(const struct fc_descriptor * Descriptor,
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 1ce7d0089..3cad6dc56 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ test('test-loop',
                link_with: pwtest_lib)
 )
 
+if get_option('spa-plugins').allowed()
 test('test-context',
     executable('test-context',
                'test-context.c',
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ test('test-support',
                dependencies: [spa_dep, systemd_dep, spa_support_dep, spa_journal_dep],
                link_with: [pwtest_lib])
 )
+endif
 test('test-spa',
     executable('test-spa',
                'test-spa-buffer.c',