diff --git a/gio/meson.build b/gio/meson.build
index 8d542bcfe..b8baaa639 100644
--- a/gio/meson.build
+++ b/gio/meson.build
@@ -417,10 +417,11 @@ if host_system != 'windows'
     contenttype_sources += files('gcontenttype.c')
     appinfo_sources += files('gdesktopappinfo.c')
     gio_unix_include_headers += files('gdesktopappinfo.h')
-    subdir('xdgmime')
-    internal_deps += [xdgmime_lib]
   endif
 
+  subdir('xdgmime')
+  internal_deps += [xdgmime_lib]
+
   install_headers(gio_unix_include_headers, subdir : 'gio-unix-2.0/gio')
 
   if glib_conf.has('HAVE_NETLINK')
@@ -794,6 +795,7 @@ libgio = library('gio-2.0',
                   libgobject_dep, libgmodule_dep, selinux_dep, xattr_dep,
                   platform_deps, network_libs],
   c_args : gio_c_args,
+  objc_args : gio_c_args,
   # intl.lib is not compatible with SAFESEH
   link_args : [noseh_link_args, glib_link_flags],
 )
@@ -939,7 +941,7 @@ executable('gdbus', 'gdbus-tool.c',
   link_args : noseh_link_args,
   dependencies : [libgio_dep, libgobject_dep, libgmodule_dep, libglib_dep])
 
-if host_system != 'windows'
+if host_system != 'windows' and not glib_have_cocoa
   executable('gapplication', 'gapplication-tool.c',
     install : true,
     c_args : gio_c_args,
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index f0ffe77a5..b36b177e6 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -572,37 +572,49 @@ if host_system == 'linux'
 endif
 
 osx_ldflags = []
-
-# Mac OS X Carbon support
-glib_have_carbon = cc.compiles('''#include <Carbon/Carbon.h>
-                                  #include <CoreServices/CoreServices.h>''',
-                               name : 'Mac OS X Carbon support')
-
 glib_have_os_x_9_or_later = false
+glib_have_carbon = false
+glib_have_cocoa = false
+if host_system == 'darwin'
+  add_languages('objc')
+  objcc = meson.get_compiler('objc')
 
-if glib_have_carbon
-  glib_conf.set('HAVE_CARBON', true)
-  osx_ldflags += '-Wl,-framework,Carbon'
-  glib_have_os_x_9_or_later = cc.compiles('''#include <AvailabilityMacros.h>
-                                             #if MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED < 1090
-                                             #error Compiling for minimum OS X version before 10.9
-                                             #endif''', name : 'OS X 9 or later')
+  # FIXME: Should this be conditional? glib-gettext.m4 has some checks
+  osx_ldflags += ['-Wl,-framework,CoreFoundation']
+
+  # Mac OS X Carbon support
+  glib_have_carbon = objcc.compiles('''#include <Carbon/Carbon.h>
+                                       #include <CoreServices/CoreServices.h>''',
+                                    name : 'Mac OS X Carbon support')
+
+  if glib_have_carbon
+    glib_conf.set('HAVE_CARBON', true)
+    osx_ldflags += '-Wl,-framework,Carbon'
+    glib_have_os_x_9_or_later = objcc.compiles('''#include <AvailabilityMacros.h>
+                                                  #if MAC_OS_X_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED < 1090
+                                                  #error Compiling for minimum OS X version before 10.9
+                                                  #endif''',
+                                               name : 'OS X 9 or later')
+  endif
+
+  # Mac OS X Cocoa support
+  glib_have_cocoa = objcc.compiles('''#include <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
+                                      #ifdef GNUSTEP_BASE_VERSION
+                                      #error "Detected GNUstep, not Cocoa"
+                                      #endif''',
+                                   name : 'Mac OS X Cocoa support')
+
+  if glib_have_cocoa
+    glib_conf.set('HAVE_COCOA', true)
+    osx_ldflags += ['-Wl,-framework,Foundation', '-Wl,-framework,AppKit']
+  endif
+
+  # FIXME: libgio mix C and objC source files and there is no way to reliably
+  # know which language flags it's going to use to link. Add to both languages
+  # for now. See https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/3585.
+  add_project_link_arguments(osx_ldflags, language : ['objc', 'c'])
 endif
 
-# Mac OS X Cocoa support
-glib_have_cocoa = cc.compiles('''#include <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
-                                 #ifdef GNUSTEP_BASE_VERSION
-                                 #error "Detected GNUstep, not Cocoa"
-                                 #endif''',
-                              name : 'Mac OS X Cocoa support')
-
-if glib_have_cocoa
-  glib_conf.set('HAVE_COCOA', true)
-  osx_ldflags += ['-Wl,-framework,Foundation', '-Wl,-framework,AppKit']
-endif
-
-add_project_link_arguments(osx_ldflags, language : 'c')
-
 # Check for futex(2)
 if cc.links('''#include <linux/futex.h>
                #include <sys/syscall.h>