diff --git a/app/widgets/meson.build b/app/widgets/meson.build
index bc55af6bc4..fbd996805a 100644
--- a/app/widgets/meson.build
+++ b/app/widgets/meson.build
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@ stamp_widgets_enums = custom_target('stamp-widgets-enums.h',
   build_by_default: true
 )
 
-gimp_language_store_data = custom_target('gimplanguagestore-data.h',
-                                         input: [ gen_languages ],
-                                         output: 'gimplanguagestore-data.h',
-                                         command: [ gen_languages ])
+gimp_language_store_data = []
+if isocodes.found()
+  gimp_language_store_data = custom_target('gimplanguagestore-data.h',
+                                           input: [ gen_languages ],
+                                           output: 'gimplanguagestore-data.h',
+                                           command: [ gen_languages ])
+endif
 
 libappwidgets_sources = [
   'gimpaccellabel.c',
diff --git a/tools/meson.build b/tools/meson.build
index b65217489e..5b2340b52c 100644
--- a/tools/meson.build
+++ b/tools/meson.build
@@ -30,17 +30,19 @@ gimp_test_clipboard = executable('gimp-test-clipboard' + exec_ver,
   install: true,
 )
 
-gen_languages = executable('gen-languages',
-                           'gen-languages.c',
-                           '../app/config/gimpxmlparser.c',
-                           include_directories: [ rootInclude, appInclude ],
-                           dependencies: [ gio, gegl ],
-                           link_with: [ libgimpbase ],
-                           c_args: [
-                             '-DSRCDIR="@0@"'.format(meson.project_source_root()),
-                             '-DISOCODES_LOCALEDIR="@0@"'.format(isocodes_localedir),
-                           ],
-                           install: false)
+if isocodes.found()
+  gen_languages = executable('gen-languages',
+                             'gen-languages.c',
+                             '../app/config/gimpxmlparser.c',
+                             include_directories: [ rootInclude, appInclude ],
+                             dependencies: [ gio, gegl ],
+                             link_with: [ libgimpbase ],
+                             c_args: [
+                               '-DSRCDIR="@0@"'.format(meson.project_source_root()),
+                               '-DISOCODES_LOCALEDIR="@0@"'.format(isocodes_localedir),
+                             ],
+                             install: false)
+endif
 
 if enable_default_bin
   if not platform_windows