diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b3d3305814c7ec0785ae8793665707984fe83c2e..f69633b5047929f64431eba6380d66c233b9fd9f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ dir_locale = dir_prefix / get_option('localedir')
 
 host_os = host_machine.system()
 
+bsd = ['freebsd', 'openbsd', 'dragonfly']
 cygwin = 'cygwin'
 windows = 'windows'
+sys_bsd = bsd.contains(host_os)
 sys_cygwin = cygwin.contains(host_os)
 sys_windows = windows.contains(host_os)
 
@@ -559,9 +561,24 @@ else
 endif
 xml_deps += lzma_dep
 
+# icu
+icu_dep = dependency('icu-i18n', method: 'pkg-config', required: get_option('icu'))
+if icu_dep.found()
+    defs = icu_dep.get_variable(pkgconfig: 'DEFS')
+    if cc.has_argument(defs)
+        libxml2_cflags += defs
+    endif
+endif
+xml_deps += icu_dep
+
 ### iconv
 if not get_option('minimum')
-    iconv_dep = dependency('iconv', required: get_option('iconv'))
+# this is a hack for the BSDs. The iconv dependency works as long as libiconv is not in the include path.
+    if sys_bsd and icu_dep.found()
+        iconv_dep = cc.find_library('iconv', dirs: icu_dep.get_variable(pkgconfig: 'includedir'), required: get_option('iconv'))
+    else
+        iconv_dep = dependency('iconv', required: get_option('iconv'))
+    endif
 else
     iconv_dep = dependency('', required: false)
 endif
@@ -573,14 +590,6 @@ else
     want_iso8859x = true
 endif
 
-# icu
-icu_dep = dependency('icu-i18n', method: 'pkg-config', required: get_option('icu'))
-if icu_dep.found()
-    def_var = icu_dep.get_variable(pkgconfig: 'DEFS')
-    config_dir += include_directories(def_var)
-    xml_deps += icu_dep
-endif
-
 subdir('include/libxml')
 
 # Set config_h after all subdirs and dependencies have set values