diff --git a/recipes/libs/cairo/recipe.toml b/recipes/libs/cairo/recipe.toml
index 47b1d5eb..a158b74b 100644
--- a/recipes/libs/cairo/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/libs/cairo/recipe.toml
@@ -5,30 +5,24 @@ patches = ["redox.patch"]
 
 [build]
 dependencies = [
-	"expat",
-	"freetype2",
-	"fontconfig",
-    "gettext",
+    "fontconfig",
+    "freetype2",
     "glib",
-    "libffi",
-    "libiconv",
-	"libpng",
-    "libpthread-stubs",
+    "libpng",
     "libx11",
-    "libxau",
     "libxcb",
     "libxext",
-    "pcre2",
-	"pixman",
-    "x11proto",
-	"zlib",
+    "libxrender",
+    "pixman",
+]
+dev-dependencies = [
+    # xext and xrender is required by pkg-config, don't move them here
 ]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
 DYNAMIC_INIT
-#TODO: fix mutex implementation
 #TODO: why are math defines missing?
-CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -DCAIRO_NO_MUTEX=1 -DM_SQRT2=1.41421356237309504880 -DM_LN2=0.69314718055994530942"
+CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -DM_SQRT2=1.41421356237309504880 -DM_LN2=0.69314718055994530942"
 cookbook_meson \
     -Dxlib-xcb=enabled \
     -Dtests=disabled
diff --git a/recipes/libs/pango/recipe.toml b/recipes/libs/pango/recipe.toml
index 8080ad3c..45b97903 100644
--- a/recipes/libs/pango/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/libs/pango/recipe.toml
@@ -6,30 +6,14 @@ patches = ["redox.patch"]
 [build]
 dependencies = [
     "cairo",
-    "expat",
     "fontconfig",
     "freetype2",
     "fribidi",
-    "gettext",
     "glib",
     "harfbuzz",
-    "libffi",
-    "libiconv",
-    "libpng",
-    "libpthread-stubs",
-    "libx11",
-    "libxau",
-    "libxcb",
-    "libxext",
-    "libxft",
-    "libxrender",
-    "pcre",
-    "pcre2",
-    "pixman",
-    "x11proto",
-    "xcb-proto",
-    "xextproto",
-    "zlib",
+    # "libx11",
+    # "libxft",
+    # "libxrender",
 ]
 template = "custom"
 script = """
diff --git a/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/gtk3/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/gtk3/recipe.toml
index 468ae198..02631e99 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/gtk3/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/gtk3/recipe.toml
@@ -23,25 +23,17 @@ dependencies = [
     "libjpeg",
     "liborbital",
     "libpng",
-    "libpthread-stubs",
-    "libwayland",
-    # "libx11",
-    # "libxau",
+    "libxfixes",
     "libxkbcommon",
-    # "libxcb",
-    # "libxext",
-    # "libxfixes",
-    # "libxi",
-    # "libxrandr",
-    # "libxrender",
-    # "libxxf86vm",
+    "libxi",
+    "libxrandr",
+    "libx11",
+    "libwayland",
     "mesa",
     "pango",
     "pcre2",
     "pixman",
-    "shared-mime-info",
     "wayland-protocols",
-    "x11proto",
     "zlib",
 ]
 template = "custom"
@@ -50,7 +42,6 @@ DYNAMIC_INIT
 CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -DM_SQRT2=1.41421356237309504880"
 cookbook_meson \
     -Dexamples=false \
-    -Dx11_backend=false \
     -Dintrospection=false \
     -Dtests=false
 """
diff --git a/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/libepoxy/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/libepoxy/recipe.toml
index f14bee50..7544bdc5 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/libepoxy/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/wip/libs/gnome/libepoxy/recipe.toml
@@ -4,23 +4,14 @@ blake3 = "0ccee9635115fe417cfc4bc33ffd160bf1e2852bd6c03816b4af771d59462f53"
 patches = ["redox.patch"]
 
 [build]
-template = "custom"
-dependencies = [
-    "libpthread-stubs",
+template = "meson"
+dev-dependencies = [
     "libx11",
-    "libxau",
-    "libxcb",
-    "libxext",
-    "libxfixes",
-    "libxxf86vm",
     "mesa",
-    "x11proto",
-    "zlib",
 ]
-script = """
-DYNAMIC_INIT
-cookbook_meson \
-    -Degl=yes \
-    -Dglx=no \
-    -Dtests=false
-"""
+mesonflags = [
+    "-Degl=yes",
+# we're forcing x11 backend via EGL
+    "-Dx11=true",
+    "-Dtests=false",
+]
diff --git a/recipes/wip/libs/other/libicu/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/libs/other/libicu/recipe.toml
index f779b82e..87f7c09f 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/libs/other/libicu/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/wip/libs/other/libicu/recipe.toml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ blake3 = "5657d84c78549f198f1335ec9d2f1de2b0ac2771fe081cbf00016370872c13f3"
 patches = ["redox.patch"]
 
 [build]
-dependencies = [
+dev-dependencies = [
     "host:libicu"
 ]
 template = "custom"
@@ -28,5 +28,4 @@ if [ "$TARGET" = "$COOKBOOK_HOST_TARGET" ]; then
 # this is not ideal, but there's no other better way
 rsync -a ./ "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr"
 fi
-
 """
diff --git a/recipes/wip/x11/libx11/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/x11/libx11/recipe.toml
index a56da978..04d6c029 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/x11/libx11/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/wip/x11/libx11/recipe.toml
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ autotools_recursive_regenerate
 
 [build]
 dependencies = [
-    "libpthread-stubs",
-    "libxau",
     "libxcb",
+]
+dev-dependencies = [
+    "libxau",
     "x11proto",
     "xtrans",
 ]
diff --git a/recipes/wip/x11/libxft/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/x11/libxft/recipe.toml
index d671cadf..5edaef3e 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/x11/libxft/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/wip/x11/libxft/recipe.toml
@@ -7,20 +7,9 @@ autotools_recursive_regenerate
 
 [build]
 dependencies = [
-    "expat",
     "fontconfig",
     "freetype2",
-    "libpng",
-    "libpthread-stubs",
     "libx11",
-    "libxau",
-    "libxcb",
     "libxrender",
-    "x11proto",
-    "zlib",
 ]
-template = "custom"
-script = """
-DYNAMIC_INIT
-cookbook_configure
-"""
+template = "configure"
diff --git a/recipes/wip/x11/libxrender/recipe.toml b/recipes/wip/x11/libxrender/recipe.toml
index 4442e6a1..76f3467d 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/x11/libxrender/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/wip/x11/libxrender/recipe.toml
@@ -7,11 +7,7 @@ autotools_recursive_regenerate
 
 [build]
 dependencies = [
-    "libpthread-stubs",
     "libx11",
-    "libxau",
-    "libxcb",
-    "x11proto",
 ]
 template = "custom"
 script = """