diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -95,3 +95,9 @@
 efl_libs.csv
 .vscode/
 .uuid
+
+# Subprojects
+subprojects/pcre-*
+subprojects/zlib-*
+subprojects/packagecache
+subprojects/check*
diff --git a/header_checks/meson.build b/header_checks/meson.build
--- a/header_checks/meson.build
+++ b/header_checks/meson.build
@@ -211,21 +211,33 @@
   config_h.set10('HAVE_XATTR', true)
 endif
 
-regexp = []
-if sys_windows == true
-   regexp = cc.find_library('regex',
-                            has_headers: ['regex.h', 'fnmatch.h'],
-                            required: true)
-   if regexp.found() == false
-      error('regex can not be found')
-   endif
+
+# libraries
+
+# zlib
+zlib = dependency('zlib', fallback : ['zlib', 'zlib_dep'])
+
+if sys_windows
+  # For pcre, since the wrap doesn't provide a dependency-object for the posix
+  # implementation (just the multiplatform one), we need to make some
+  # workarounds in order to use the posix-compliant part of the lib
+  pcre_project = subproject('pcre')
+
+  pcre_lib = pcre_project.get_variable('pcre8')
+  pcre_posix_lib = pcre_project.get_variable('pcre_posix')
+  original_pcre = pcre_project.get_variable('pcre_dep')
+
+  regexp = declare_dependency(link_with : [pcre_lib, pcre_posix_lib], dependencies : original_pcre)
 else
-   if cc.has_header_symbol('fnmatch.h', 'fnmatch') == false
-      error('fnmatch can not be found')
-   endif
-   if cc.has_header_symbol('regex.h', 'regcomp') == false
-      error('regcomp can not be found')
-   endif
+  regexp = declare_dependency()
+
+  if not cc.has_header_symbol('regex.h', 'regcomp')
+    error('regcomp can not be found')
+  endif
+
+  if not cc.has_header_symbol('fnmatch.h', 'fnmatch')
+    error('fnmatch can not be found')
+  endif
 endif
 
 config_h.set('VMAJ', version_major)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -583,7 +583,8 @@
 subdir(join_paths('data'))
 
 if get_option('build-tests')
-  check = dependency('check')
+  check = dependency('check', fallback : ['check', 'check_dep'])
+
   subdir(join_paths('src', 'tests'))
   foreach test : test_dirs
     package_c_args = [
diff --git a/src/generic/evas/xcf/meson.build b/src/generic/evas/xcf/meson.build
--- a/src/generic/evas/xcf/meson.build
+++ b/src/generic/evas/xcf/meson.build
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
   'pixelfuncs.c'
 ])
 
-generic_deps = [eina, dependency('zlib')]
+generic_deps = [eina, zlib]
 generic_support = ['xcf.gz']
diff --git a/src/lib/emile/meson.build b/src/lib/emile/meson.build
--- a/src/lib/emile/meson.build
+++ b/src/lib/emile/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 emile_deps = []
 emile_pub_deps = [eina, efl]
-emile_ext_deps = [jpeg, crypto, dependency('zlib'), lz4, rg_etc, m]
+emile_ext_deps = [jpeg, crypto, zlib, lz4, rg_etc, m]
 
 emile_headers = [
   'Emile.h',
diff --git a/subprojects/check.wrap b/subprojects/check.wrap
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/check.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[wrap-git]
+url = https://github.com/expertisesolutions/check
+revision = windows-mutex-lock-meson
diff --git a/subprojects/pcre.wrap b/subprojects/pcre.wrap
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/pcre.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[wrap-file]
+directory = pcre-8.37
+
+source_url = https://ftp.pcre.org/pub/pcre/pcre-8.37.tar.bz2
+source_filename = pcre-8.37.tar.bz2
+source_hash = 51679ea8006ce31379fb0860e46dd86665d864b5020fc9cd19e71260eef4789d
+
+patch_url = https://wrapdb.mesonbuild.com/v1/projects/pcre/8.37/1/get_zip
+patch_filename = pcre-8.37-1-wrap.zip
+patch_hash = c0e179b0e8bcf0ecfb17d7154cc666070e3bde698126c2b2fefa37b6120328bf
diff --git a/subprojects/zlib.wrap b/subprojects/zlib.wrap
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/zlib.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[wrap-file]
+directory = zlib-1.2.11
+
+source_url = http://zlib.net/fossils/zlib-1.2.11.tar.gz
+source_filename = zlib-1.2.11.tar.gz
+source_hash = c3e5e9fdd5004dcb542feda5ee4f0ff0744628baf8ed2dd5d66f8ca1197cb1a1
+
+patch_url = https://wrapdb.mesonbuild.com/v1/projects/zlib/1.2.11/4/get_zip
+patch_filename = zlib-1.2.11-4-wrap.zip
+patch_hash = f733976fbfc59e0bcde01aa9469a24eeb16faf0a4280b17e9eaa60a301d75657