diff --git a/ext/vulkan/meson.build b/ext/vulkan/meson.build
index 03e50d00f1..80f8559375 100644
--- a/ext/vulkan/meson.build
+++ b/ext/vulkan/meson.build
@@ -10,10 +10,7 @@ if not gstvulkan_dep.found()
   endif
 endif
 
-glslc = find_program('glslc', required: get_option('vulkan'))
-if not glslc.found()
-  subdir_done()
-endif
+assert(glslc.found())
 
 subdir('shaders')
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build b/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build
index 4897ec4b6d..e35b5553d7 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build
@@ -249,7 +249,11 @@ if not vulkan_windowing
   warning('No Windowing system found.  vulkansink will not work')
 endif
 
-if not vulkan_dep.found() or not has_vulkan_header
+# Only needed for the vulkan plugin, but doesn't make sense to build
+# anything else vulkan related if we are not going to build the plugin
+glslc = find_program('glslc', required: get_option('vulkan'))
+
+if not vulkan_dep.found() or not has_vulkan_header or not glslc.found()
   if get_option('vulkan').enabled()
     error('GStreamer Vulkan integration required via options, but needed dependencies not found.')
   else