diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index e70e84c27..06700f189 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -432,6 +432,9 @@ summary({'OpenSSL (for raop-sink)': openssl_lib.found()}, bool_yn: true)
 
 lilv_lib = dependency('lilv-0', required: get_option('lv2'))
 summary({'lilv (for lv2 plugins)': lilv_lib.found()}, bool_yn: true)
+if lilv_lib.found()
+  cdata.set('HAVE_LILV', 1)
+endif
 
 installed_tests_metadir = pipewire_datadir / 'installed-tests' / pipewire_name
 installed_tests_execdir = pipewire_libexecdir / 'installed-tests' / pipewire_name
diff --git a/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c b/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c
index d3f2c3ac2..c1cc4004e 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c
@@ -754,9 +754,11 @@ static struct plugin *plugin_load(struct impl *impl, const char *type, const cha
 	else if (spa_streq(type, "ladspa")) {
 		pl = load_ladspa_plugin(path, NULL);
 	}
+#ifdef HAVE_LILV
 	else if (spa_streq(type, "lv2")) {
 		pl = load_lv2_plugin(path, NULL);
 	}
+#endif
 	if (pl == NULL)
 		goto exit;