diff --git a/scipy/fft/_pocketfft/meson.build b/scipy/fft/_pocketfft/meson.build
index 163d0c0adad3..88077d6f58b0 100644
--- a/scipy/fft/_pocketfft/meson.build
+++ b/scipy/fft/_pocketfft/meson.build
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
-thread_dep = dependency('threads', required: false)
-
-# mingw-w64 does not implement pthread_pfork, needed by pocket_fft
-win_gcc = is_windows and meson.get_compiler('cpp').get_id() == 'gcc'
-
 pocketfft_threads = []
 fft_deps = []
 if is_windows
-  if win_gcc
+  if is_mingw
+    # mingw-w64 does not implement pthread_pfork, needed by pocket_fft
     # Disable threading completely, because of freezes using threading for
     # mingw-w64 gcc: https://github.com/mreineck/pocketfft/issues/1
     pocketfft_threads += ['-DPOCKETFFT_NO_MULTITHREADING']
diff --git a/scipy/meson.build b/scipy/meson.build
index 8754112cf117..7d119b966478 100644
--- a/scipy/meson.build
+++ b/scipy/meson.build
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ if is_windows
   endif
 endif
 
+thread_dep = dependency('threads', required: false)
+
 # NumPy include directory - needed in all submodules
 incdir_numpy = run_command(py3,
   [
diff --git a/scipy/optimize/_highs/meson.build b/scipy/optimize/_highs/meson.build
index b78921372cdc..df325b7b53fb 100644
--- a/scipy/optimize/_highs/meson.build
+++ b/scipy/optimize/_highs/meson.build
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ ipx_lib = static_library('ipx',
     '../../_lib/highs/extern/',
     'cython/src/'
   ],
+  dependencies: thread_dep,
   cpp_args: [highs_flags, highs_define_macros]
 )
 
@@ -220,6 +221,7 @@ highs_lib = static_library('highs',
     '../../_lib/highs/src/lp_data/',
     '../../_lib/highs/src/util/',
   ],
+  dependencies: thread_dep,
   cpp_args: [highs_flags, highs_define_macros]
 )
 
@@ -234,6 +236,7 @@ _highs_wrapper = py3.extension_module('_highs_wrapper',
     '../../_lib/highs/src/lp_data/',
     '../../_lib/highs/src/util/'
   ],
+  dependencies: thread_dep,
   link_args: version_link_args,
   link_with: [highs_lib, ipx_lib, basiclu_lib],
   cpp_args: [highs_flags, highs_define_macros, cython_c_args],
@@ -252,6 +255,7 @@ _highs_constants = py3.extension_module('_highs_constants',
     '../../_lib/highs/src/lp_data/',
     '../../_lib/highs/src/simplex/'
   ],
+  dependencies: thread_dep,
   link_args: version_link_args,
   install: true,
   subdir: 'scipy/optimize/_highs'
diff --git a/scipy/stats/meson.build b/scipy/stats/meson.build
index 8eeaa1a2df1a..1185312538f6 100644
--- a/scipy/stats/meson.build
+++ b/scipy/stats/meson.build
@@ -96,12 +96,10 @@ py3.install_sources([
   subdir: 'scipy/stats'
 )
 
-pthread = dependency('threads')
-
 _qmc_cy = py3.extension_module('_qmc_cy',
   cython_gen_cpp.process('_qmc_cy.pyx'),
   cpp_args: cython_cpp_args,
-  dependencies: [pthread],
+  dependencies: thread_dep,
   include_directories: [inc_np],
   link_args: version_link_args,
   install: true,