diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9a1d9032f..7f36b7328 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -308,9 +308,12 @@ if (WIN32 AND HB_HAVE_UNISCRIBE)
 endif ()
 
 if (WIN32 AND HB_HAVE_DIRECTWRITE)
+  check_include_file_cxx(dwrite_1.h, HAVE_DWRITE_1_H)
+  if (NOT ${HAVE_DWRITE_1_H})
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "DirectWrite was enabled explicitly, but required header is missing")
+  endif()
   add_definitions(-DHAVE_DIRECTWRITE)
   list(APPEND project_headers ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/hb-directwrite.h)
-  list(APPEND THIRD_PARTY_LIBS dwrite rpcrt4)
 endif ()
 
 if (HB_HAVE_GOBJECT)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bc52d34f3..d763dc95a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -373,10 +373,6 @@ if test "x$with_directwrite" = "xyes" -a "x$have_directwrite" != "xtrue"; then
 	AC_MSG_ERROR([directwrite support requested but not found])
 fi
 if $have_directwrite; then
-	DIRECTWRITE_CXXFLAGS=
-	DIRECTWRITE_LIBS=-ldwrite
-	AC_SUBST(DIRECTWRITE_CXXFLAGS)
-	AC_SUBST(DIRECTWRITE_LIBS)
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_DIRECTWRITE, 1, [Have DirectWrite library])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_DIRECTWRITE, $have_directwrite)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4a69d6d9e..8039efdc2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -232,17 +232,12 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows' and not get_option('gdi').disabled()
 endif
 
 # DirectWrite (Windows)
-directwrite_dep = null_dep
 if host_machine.system() == 'windows' and not get_option('directwrite').disabled()
   if get_option('directwrite').enabled() and not cpp.has_header('dwrite_1.h')
     error('DirectWrite was enabled explicitly, but required header is missing.')
   endif
 
-  directwrite_dep = cpp.find_library('dwrite', required: get_option('directwrite'))
-
-  if directwrite_dep.found()
-    conf.set('HAVE_DIRECTWRITE', 1)
-  endif
+  conf.set('HAVE_DIRECTWRITE', 1)
 endif
 
 # CoreText (macOS)
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index ace0df244..611c9a62d 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -429,7 +429,6 @@ endif
 if conf.get('HAVE_DIRECTWRITE', 0) == 1
   hb_sources += hb_directwrite_sources
   hb_headers += hb_directwrite_headers
-  harfbuzz_deps += directwrite_dep
   # hb-directwrite needs a C++ linker
   libharfbuzz_link_language = 'cpp'
 endif