diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index c24e2c544..0f0e2e988 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ export_symbols = -export-symbols harfbuzz.def
 harfbuzz_def_dependency = harfbuzz.def
 export_symbols_subset = -export-symbols harfbuzz-subset.def
 harfbuzz_subset_def_dependency = harfbuzz-subset.def
+export_symbols_cairo = -export-symbols harfbuzz-cairo.def
+harfbuzz_cairo_def_dependency = harfbuzz-cairo.def
 export_symbols_icu = -export-symbols harfbuzz-icu.def
 harfbuzz_icu_def_dependency = harfbuzz-icu.def
 export_symbols_gobject = -export-symbols harfbuzz-gobject.def
@@ -197,8 +199,9 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES += libharfbuzz-cairo.la
 libharfbuzz_cairo_la_LINK = $(chosen_linker) $(libharfbuzz_cairo_la_LDFLAGS)
 libharfbuzz_cairo_la_SOURCES = $(HB_CAIRO_sources)
 libharfbuzz_cairo_la_CPPFLAGS = $(HBCFLAGS) $(CAIRO_CFLAGS) $(CODE_COVERAGE_CFLAGS)
-libharfbuzz_cairo_la_LDFLAGS = $(base_link_flags) $(export_symbols_subset) $(CODE_COVERAGE_LDFLAGS)
+libharfbuzz_cairo_la_LDFLAGS = $(base_link_flags) $(export_symbols_cairo) $(CODE_COVERAGE_LDFLAGS)
 libharfbuzz_cairo_la_LIBADD = $(CAIRO_LIBS) libharfbuzz.la
+EXTRA_libharfbuzz_cairo_la_DEPENDENCIES = $(harfbuzz_cairo_def_dependency)
 pkginclude_HEADERS += $(HB_CAIRO_headers)
 pkgconfig_DATA += harfbuzz-cairo.pc
 EXTRA_DIST += harfbuzz-cairo.pc.in
@@ -305,6 +308,8 @@ harfbuzz.def: $(HBHEADERS)
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(srcdir)/gen-def.py "$@" $^
 harfbuzz-subset.def: $(HB_SUBSET_headers)
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(srcdir)/gen-def.py "$@" $^
+harfbuzz-cairo.def: $(HB_CAIRO_headers)
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(srcdir)/gen-def.py "$@" $^
 harfbuzz-icu.def: $(HB_ICU_headers)
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(srcdir)/gen-def.py "$@" $^
 harfbuzz-gobject.def: $(HB_GOBJECT_headers)
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 66696165c..da5124105 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -615,6 +615,12 @@ if conf.get('HAVE_CAIRO', 0) == 1
     dependencies: [m_dep, cairo_dep])
   meson.override_dependency('harfbuzz-cairo', libharfbuzz_cairo_dep)
 
+  harfbuzz_cairo_def = custom_target('harfbuzz-cairo.def',
+    command: [gen_def, '@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@'],
+    input: hb_cairo_headers,
+    output: 'harfbuzz-cairot .def')
+  defs_list += [harfbuzz_cairo_def]
+
   pkgmod.generate(libharfbuzz_cairo,
     description: 'HarfBuzz cairo support',
     requires: ['harfbuzz = @0@'.format(meson.project_version())],