diff --git a/gio/tests/meson.build b/gio/tests/meson.build
index 1c16619e5..95da6002c 100644
--- a/gio/tests/meson.build
+++ b/gio/tests/meson.build
@@ -840,7 +840,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
   test_gresource = custom_target('test.gresource',
     input : 'test.gresource.xml',
-    depends : test_generated_txt,
+    depends : [test_generated_txt, gspawn_helpers],
     output : 'test.gresource',
     command : [glib_compile_resources,
                compiler_type,
@@ -855,6 +855,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
   test_resources2_c = custom_target('test_resources2.c',
     input : 'test3.gresource.xml',
+    depends : [gspawn_helpers],
     output : 'test_resources2.c',
     command : [glib_compile_resources,
                compiler_type,
@@ -868,6 +869,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
   test_resources2_h = custom_target('test_resources2.h',
     input : 'test3.gresource.xml',
+    depends : [gspawn_helpers],
     output : 'test_resources2.h',
     command : [glib_compile_resources,
                compiler_type,
@@ -881,7 +883,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
   test_resources_c = custom_target('test_resources.c',
     input : 'test2.gresource.xml',
-    depends : big_test_resource,
+    depends : [big_test_resource, gspawn_helpers],
     output : 'test_resources.c',
     command : [glib_compile_resources,
                compiler_type,
@@ -895,6 +897,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
   digit_test_resources_c = custom_target('digit_test_resources.c',
     input : '111_digit_test.gresource.xml',
+    depends : [gspawn_helpers],
     output : 'digit_test_resources.c',
     command : [glib_compile_resources,
                compiler_type,
@@ -908,6 +911,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
   digit_test_resources_h = custom_target('digit_test_resources.h',
     input : '111_digit_test.gresource.xml',
+    depends : [gspawn_helpers],
     output : 'digit_test_resources.h',
     command : [glib_compile_resources,
                compiler_type,
@@ -960,6 +964,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
 
     test_gresource_binary = custom_target('test5.gresource',
       input : 'test5.gresource.xml',
+      depends : [gspawn_helpers],
       output : 'test5.gresource',
       command : [glib_compile_resources,
                  compiler_type,
@@ -975,6 +980,7 @@ if not meson.is_cross_build()
     # Create resource data file
     test_resources_binary_c = custom_target('test_resources_binary.c',
       input : 'test5.gresource.xml',
+      depends : [gspawn_helpers],
       output : 'test_resources_binary.c',
       command : [glib_compile_resources,
                  compiler_type,
@@ -1090,7 +1096,7 @@ foreach test_name, extra_args : gio_tests
   suite = ['gio'] + extra_args.get('suite', [])
   timeout = suite.contains('slow') ? test_timeout_slow : test_timeout
   local_test_env = test_env
-  depends = [extra_args.get('depends', [])]
+  depends = [extra_args.get('depends', []), gspawn_helpers]
 
   foreach program : extra_args.get('extra_programs', [])
     depends += test_extra_programs_targets[program]
diff --git a/glib/meson.build b/glib/meson.build
index b2dd569e1..b5545b63b 100644
--- a/glib/meson.build
+++ b/glib/meson.build
@@ -463,26 +463,30 @@ pkg.generate(libglib,
 )
 meson.override_dependency('glib-2.0', libglib_dep)
 
+# FIXME: This needs to be added to the `depends` of every invocation of
+# glib_compile_resources in the build process. We can drop this when
+# https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13385 is fixed.
+gspawn_helpers = []
 # On Windows, glib needs a spawn helper for g_spawn* API
 if host_system == 'windows'
   if host_machine.cpu_family() == 'x86'
-    executable('gspawn-win32-helper', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
+    gspawn_helpers += executable('gspawn-win32-helper', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
       install : true,
       win_subsystem : 'windows',
       include_directories : configinc,
       dependencies : [libglib_dep])
-    executable('gspawn-win32-helper-console', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
+    gspawn_helpers += executable('gspawn-win32-helper-console', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
       install : true,
       c_args : ['-DHELPER_CONSOLE'],
       include_directories : configinc,
       dependencies : [libglib_dep])
   else
-    executable('gspawn-win64-helper', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
+    gspawn_helpers += executable('gspawn-win64-helper', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
       install : true,
       win_subsystem : 'windows',
       include_directories : configinc,
       dependencies : [libglib_dep])
-    executable('gspawn-win64-helper-console', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
+    gspawn_helpers += executable('gspawn-win64-helper-console', 'gspawn-win32-helper.c',
       install : true,
       c_args : ['-DHELPER_CONSOLE'],
       include_directories : configinc,
diff --git a/glib/tests/meson.build b/glib/tests/meson.build
index 4d5667fcd..ffa931453 100644
--- a/glib/tests/meson.build
+++ b/glib/tests/meson.build
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ foreach test_name, extra_args : glib_tests
     install: install,
   )
 
-  depends = [extra_args.get('depends', [])]
+  depends = [extra_args.get('depends', []), gspawn_helpers]
   suite = ['glib', 'core'] + extra_args.get('suite', [])
   timeout = suite.contains('slow') ? test_timeout_slow : test_timeout