diff --git a/ext/qroverlay/meson.build b/ext/qroverlay/meson.build
index 0e4393f44a..0b1803d1c7 100644
--- a/ext/qroverlay/meson.build
+++ b/ext/qroverlay/meson.build
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 qrencode_dep = dependency('libqrencode', required: get_option('qroverlay'))
-json_dep = dependency('json-glib-1.0', fallback : ['json-glib', 'json_glib_dep'])
 if qrencode_dep.found()
-  gstqroverlay = library('gstqroverlay', ['gstqroverlay.c', 'gstdebugqroverlay.c', 'gstbaseqroverlay.c'],
-    c_args : gst_plugins_bad_args,
-    include_directories : [configinc],
-    dependencies : [gstvideo_dep, qrencode_dep, json_dep],
-    install : true,
-    install_dir : plugins_install_dir,
-  )
-  pkgconfig.generate(gstqroverlay, install_dir : plugins_pkgconfig_install_dir)
-  plugins += [gstqroverlay]
+  json_dep = dependency('json-glib-1.0', fallback : ['json-glib', 'json_glib_dep'], required: get_option('qroverlay'))
+  if json_dep.found()
+    gstqroverlay = library('gstqroverlay', ['gstqroverlay.c', 'gstdebugqroverlay.c', 'gstbaseqroverlay.c'],
+      c_args : gst_plugins_bad_args,
+      include_directories : [configinc],
+      dependencies : [gstvideo_dep, qrencode_dep, json_dep],
+      install : true,
+      install_dir : plugins_install_dir,
+    )
+    pkgconfig.generate(gstqroverlay, install_dir : plugins_pkgconfig_install_dir)
+    plugins += [gstqroverlay]
+  endif
 endif