diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build
index d08e710cef..55571e8277 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/meson.build
@@ -107,13 +107,16 @@ foreach option : vulkan_conf_options
 endforeach
 
 if ['ios', 'darwin'].contains(host_system)
-  # - ios does not support the loader/validation layers
-  # - We need to link directly to MoltenVK to be able to use
-  #   MoltenVK-specific functions that use dispatchable handles (like
-  #   retrieving the metal device from the VkDevice) which is currently waiting
-  #   on implementing a proper Metal extension for Vulkan
-  #   https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK/issues/492
-  vulkan_dep = cc.find_library('MoltenVK', required : get_option('vulkan'))
+  vulkan_dep = dependency('vulkan', method: 'pkg-config', required : false)
+  if not vulkan_dep.found()
+    # - ios does not support the loader/validation layers
+    # - We need to link directly to MoltenVK to be able to use
+    #   MoltenVK-specific functions that use dispatchable handles (like
+    #   retrieving the metal device from the VkDevice) which is currently waiting
+    #   on implementing a proper Metal extension for Vulkan
+    #   https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK/issues/492
+    vulkan_dep = cc.find_library('MoltenVK', required : get_option('vulkan'))
+  endif
 elif host_system == 'windows'
   vulkan_root = run_command(python3, '-c', 'import os; print(os.environ.get("VK_SDK_PATH"))', check: false).stdout().strip()
   if vulkan_root != '' and vulkan_root != 'None'
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 if host_system != 'windows'
-  has_vulkan_header = cc.has_header('vulkan/vulkan_core.h')
+  has_vulkan_header = cc.has_header('vulkan/vulkan_core.h', dependencies: vulkan_dep)
 endif
 
 if not has_vulkan_header and get_option('vulkan').enabled()