diff --git a/spa/meson.build b/spa/meson.build
index 9800ce134..680898d06 100644
--- a/spa/meson.build
+++ b/spa/meson.build
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ avcodec_dep = dependency('libavcodec', required : false)
 avformat_dep = dependency('libavformat', required : false)
 avfilter_dep = dependency('libavfilter', required : false)
 libva_dep = dependency('libva', required : false)
-sbc_dep = dependency('sbc')
+sbc_dep = dependency('sbc', required : false)
 libudev_dep = dependency('libudev')
 threads_dep = dependency('threads')
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/meson.build b/spa/plugins/meson.build
index 071dab915..889fa7d28 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/spa/plugins/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 subdir('alsa')
 subdir('audiomixer')
 subdir('audiotestsrc')
-subdir('bluez5')
+if sbc_dep.found()
+  subdir('bluez5')
+endif
 if avcodec_dep.found()
   subdir('ffmpeg')
 endif