diff --git a/src/apps/cam/meson.build b/src/apps/cam/meson.build
index 06dbea0645b7..4b6099ddab63 100644
--- a/src/apps/cam/meson.build
+++ b/src/apps/cam/meson.build
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
 
-libevent = dependency('libevent_pthreads', required : get_option('cam'))
-
-if not libevent.found()
+if opt_cam.disabled() or not libevent.found()
     cam_enabled = false
     subdir_done()
 endif
diff --git a/src/apps/lc-compliance/meson.build b/src/apps/lc-compliance/meson.build
index 8b57474be2b2..05d622be0a40 100644
--- a/src/apps/lc-compliance/meson.build
+++ b/src/apps/lc-compliance/meson.build
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
 
-libevent = dependency('libevent_pthreads', required : get_option('lc-compliance'))
 libgtest = dependency('gtest', required : get_option('lc-compliance'),
                       fallback : ['gtest', 'gtest_dep'])
 
-if not (libevent.found() and libgtest.found())
+if opt_lc_compliance.disabled() or not libevent.found() or not libgtest.found()
     lc_compliance_enabled = false
     subdir_done()
 endif
diff --git a/src/apps/meson.build b/src/apps/meson.build
index 9e4388bd7881..159deb0b7fc2 100644
--- a/src/apps/meson.build
+++ b/src/apps/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
 
+opt_cam = get_option('cam')
+opt_lc_compliance = get_option('lc-compliance')
+
+libevent = dependency('libevent_pthreads', required : opt_cam)
+if not libevent.found()
+    libevent = dependency('libevent_pthreads', required : opt_lc_compliance)
+endif
+
 subdir('lc-compliance')
 
 subdir('cam')