diff --git a/gio/tests/meson.build b/gio/tests/meson.build
index 788cf978b..755033be8 100644
--- a/gio/tests/meson.build
+++ b/gio/tests/meson.build
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ if not dbus1_dep.found()
     # MSVC: Search for the DBus library by the configuration, which corresponds
     # to the output of CMake builds of DBus.  Note that debugoptimized
     # is really a Release build with .PDB files.
-    if buildtype == 'debug'
+    if vs_crt == 'debug'
       dbus1_dep = cc.find_library('dbus-1d', required : false)
     else
       dbus1_dep = cc.find_library('dbus-1', required : false)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 36be4ab05..1e3ba4d38 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -210,15 +210,27 @@ else
 endif
 glibconfig_conf.set('glib_os', glib_os)
 
-# We need to know the build type to determine what .lib files we need on Visual Studio
-# for dependencies that don't normally come with pkg-config files for Visual Studio builds
-buildtype = get_option('buildtype')
+# We need to know the CRT being used to determine what .lib files we need on
+# Visual Studio for dependencies that don't normally come with pkg-config files
+vs_crt = 'release'
+vs_crt_opt = get_option('b_vscrt')
+if vs_crt_opt in ['mdd', 'mtd']
+  vs_crt = 'debug'
+elif vs_crt_opt == 'from_buildtype'
+  if get_option('buildtype') == 'debug'
+    vs_crt = 'debug'
+  endif
+endif
 
+# Use debug/optimization flags to determine whether to enable debug or disable
+# cast checks
 glib_debug_cflags = []
-if buildtype.startswith('debug')
+if get_option('debug')
   glib_debug_cflags += ['-DG_ENABLE_DEBUG']
-elif buildtype == 'release'
+  message('Enabling various debug infrastructure')
+elif get_option('optimization') in ['2', '3', 's']
   glib_debug_cflags += ['-DG_DISABLE_CAST_CHECKS']
+  message('Disabling cast checks')
 endif
 
 add_project_arguments(glib_debug_cflags, language: 'c')
@@ -1848,7 +1860,7 @@ else
     # MSVC: Search for the PCRE library by the configuration, which corresponds
     # to the output of CMake builds of PCRE.  Note that debugoptimized
     # is really a Release build with .PDB files.
-      if buildtype == 'debug'
+      if vs_crt == 'debug'
         pcre = cc.find_library('pcred', required : false)
       else
         pcre = cc.find_library('pcre', required : false)