diff --git a/ci/build-macos.sh b/ci/build-macos.sh
index 19288578a6..14b3a1b934 100755
--- a/ci/build-macos.sh
+++ b/ci/build-macos.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${FFMPEG_SYSROOT}/lib/pkgconfig/" CC="${CC}" CXX="${CXX}" \
 meson setup build \
     -Dprefix="${MPV_INSTALL_PREFIX}" \
     -D{libmpv,tests}=true \
-    -D{gl,iconv,lcms2,libplacebo,lua,jpeg,plain-gl,zlib}=enabled \
+    -D{gl,iconv,lcms2,lua,jpeg,plain-gl,zlib}=enabled \
     -D{cocoa,coreaudio,gl-cocoa,macos-cocoa-cb,macos-touchbar,videotoolbox-gl}=enabled
 
 meson compile -C build -j4
diff --git a/ci/build-mingw64.sh b/ci/build-mingw64.sh
index 259ba86c5a..57068c1c9b 100755
--- a/ci/build-mingw64.sh
+++ b/ci/build-mingw64.sh
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ meson setup $build --cross-file "$prefix_dir/crossfile" \
     -Dc_args="-Wno-error=deprecated -Wno-error=deprecated-declarations" \
     --buildtype debugoptimized \
     -Dlibmpv=true -Dlua=luajit \
-    -D{shaderc,spirv-cross,d3d11,libplacebo}=enabled
+    -D{shaderc,spirv-cross,d3d11}=enabled
 
 meson compile -C $build
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 1067284e7f..2ccba61138 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ libavutil = dependency('libavutil', version: '>= 56.70.100')
 libswresample = dependency('libswresample', version: '>= 3.9.100')
 libswscale = dependency('libswscale', version: '>= 5.9.100')
 
+libplacebo = dependency('libplacebo', version: '>=6.338.0', fallback: ['libplacebo', 'libplacebo'],
+    default_options: ['default_library=static', 'demos=false'])
+
 libass = dependency('libass', version: '>= 0.12.2')
 
 # the dependency order of libass -> ffmpeg is necessary due to
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@ dependencies = [libass,
                 libavfilter,
                 libavformat,
                 libavutil,
+                libplacebo,
                 libswresample,
                 libswscale]
 
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ features = {
     'avif-muxer': libavformat.version().version_compare('>= 59.24.100'),
     'libass': true,
     'threads': true,
+    'libplacebo': true,
 }
 
 
@@ -234,6 +239,12 @@ sources = files(
     'video/repack.c',
     'video/sws_utils.c',
 
+    ## libplacebo
+    'video/out/placebo/ra_pl.c',
+    'video/out/placebo/utils.c',
+    'video/out/vo_gpu_next.c',
+    'video/out/gpu_next/context.c',
+
     ## osdep
     'osdep/io.c',
     'osdep/semaphore_osx.c',
@@ -930,16 +941,6 @@ if features['jpeg']
     dependencies += jpeg
 endif
 
-libplacebo = dependency('libplacebo', version: '>=6.292.0', required: get_option('libplacebo'))
-features += {'libplacebo': libplacebo.found()}
-if features['libplacebo']
-    dependencies += libplacebo
-    sources += files('video/out/placebo/ra_pl.c',
-                     'video/out/placebo/utils.c',
-                     'video/out/vo_gpu_next.c',
-                     'video/out/gpu_next/context.c')
-endif
-
 sdl2_video = get_option('sdl2-video').require(
     features['sdl2'],
     error_message: 'sdl2 was not found!',
@@ -1257,7 +1258,7 @@ endif
 # vulkan
 vulkan_opt = get_option('vulkan').require(
     libplacebo.get_variable('pl_has_vulkan', default_value: '0') == '1',
-    error_message: 'libplacebo could not be found!',
+    error_message: 'libplacebo compiled without vulkan support!',
 )
 vulkan = dependency('vulkan', version: '>= 1.1.70', required: vulkan_opt)
 features += {'vulkan': vulkan.found()}
@@ -1330,9 +1331,8 @@ endif
 
 vulkan_interop = get_option('vulkan-interop').require(
     features['vulkan'] and vulkan.version().version_compare('>=1.3.238') and
-    features['libplacebo'] and
     libavutil.version().version_compare('>=58.11.100'),
-    error_message: 'Vulkan Interop requires vulkan headers >= 1.3.238, libplacebo, and libavutil >= 58.11.100',
+    error_message: 'Vulkan Interop requires vulkan headers >= 1.3.238, and libavutil >= 58.11.100',
 )
 features += {'vulkan-interop': vulkan_interop.allowed()}
 if vulkan_interop.allowed()
@@ -1426,14 +1426,9 @@ features += {'vaapi': vaapi.allowed()}
 if features['vaapi']
     dependencies += libva
     sources += files('video/filter/vf_vavpp.c',
-                     'video/vaapi.c')
-endif
-
-features += {'vaapi-egl': features['vaapi'] and features['egl'] and features['drm']}
-features += {'vaapi-libplacebo': features['vaapi'] and libplacebo.found()}
-
-if features['vaapi-egl'] or features['vaapi-libplacebo']
-    sources += files('video/out/hwdec/hwdec_vaapi.c')
+                     'video/vaapi.c',
+                     'video/out/hwdec/hwdec_vaapi.c',
+                     'video/out/hwdec/dmabuf_interop_pl.c')
 endif
 
 dmabuf_interop_gl = features['egl'] and features['drm']
@@ -1442,12 +1437,6 @@ if features['dmabuf-interop-gl']
     sources += files('video/out/hwdec/dmabuf_interop_gl.c')
 endif
 
-dmabuf_interop_pl = features['vaapi-libplacebo']
-features += {'dmabuf-interop-pl': dmabuf_interop_pl}
-if features['dmabuf-interop-pl']
-    sources += files('video/out/hwdec/dmabuf_interop_pl.c')
-endif
-
 vdpau_opt = get_option('vdpau').require(
     features['x11'],
     error_message: 'x11 was not found!',
@@ -1786,7 +1775,6 @@ if get_option('tests')
 endif
 
 summary({'d3d11': features['d3d11'],
-         'gpu-next': features['libplacebo'],
          'javascript': features['javascript'],
          'libmpv': get_option('libmpv'),
          'lua': features['lua'],
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index b22884354f..8a7e4af4f9 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ option('gl-dxinterop', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'OpenGL/Dire
 option('gl-win32', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'OpenGL Win32 Backend')
 option('gl-x11', type: 'feature', value: 'disabled', description: 'OpenGL X11/GLX (deprecated/legacy)')
 option('jpeg', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'JPEG support')
-option('libplacebo', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'libplacebo support')
 option('rpi', type: 'feature', value: 'disabled', description: 'Raspberry Pi support')
 option('sdl2-video', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'SDL2 video output')
 option('shaderc', type: 'feature', value: 'auto', description: 'libshaderc SPIR-V compiler')
diff --git a/player/main.c b/player/main.c
index 8f0e63b418..cd84026730 100644
--- a/player/main.c
+++ b/player/main.c
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#if HAVE_LIBPLACEBO
 #include <libplacebo/config.h>
-#endif
 
 #include "mpv_talloc.h"
 
@@ -149,9 +147,7 @@ void mp_print_version(struct mp_log *log, int always)
     mp_msg(log, v, "%s %s\n", mpv_version, mpv_copyright);
     if (strcmp(mpv_builddate, "UNKNOWN"))
         mp_msg(log, v, " built on %s\n", mpv_builddate);
-#if HAVE_LIBPLACEBO
     mp_msg(log, v, "libplacebo version: %s\n", PL_VERSION);
-#endif
     check_library_versions(log, v);
     mp_msg(log, v, "\n");
     // Only in verbose mode.
diff --git a/video/out/gpu/hwdec.c b/video/out/gpu/hwdec.c
index 878ac148fb..d8be6da777 100644
--- a/video/out/gpu/hwdec.c
+++ b/video/out/gpu/hwdec.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ extern const struct ra_hwdec_driver ra_hwdec_aimagereader;
 extern const struct ra_hwdec_driver ra_hwdec_vulkan;
 
 const struct ra_hwdec_driver *const ra_hwdec_drivers[] = {
-#if HAVE_VAAPI_EGL || HAVE_VAAPI_LIBPLACEBO
+#if HAVE_VAAPI
     &ra_hwdec_vaapi,
 #endif
 #if HAVE_VIDEOTOOLBOX_GL || HAVE_IOS_GL
diff --git a/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_drmprime.c b/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_drmprime.c
index 290f11c535..f7c6250cb6 100644
--- a/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_drmprime.c
+++ b/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_drmprime.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const static dmabuf_interop_init interop_inits[] = {
 #if HAVE_DMABUF_INTEROP_GL
     dmabuf_interop_gl_init,
 #endif
-#if HAVE_DMABUF_INTEROP_PL
+#if HAVE_VAAPI
     dmabuf_interop_pl_init,
 #endif
 #if HAVE_DMABUF_WAYLAND
diff --git a/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_vaapi.c b/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_vaapi.c
index 2eb458fa99..d8a45171a0 100644
--- a/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_vaapi.c
+++ b/video/out/hwdec/hwdec_vaapi.c
@@ -128,9 +128,7 @@ const static dmabuf_interop_init interop_inits[] = {
 #if HAVE_DMABUF_INTEROP_GL
     dmabuf_interop_gl_init,
 #endif
-#if HAVE_DMABUF_INTEROP_PL
     dmabuf_interop_pl_init,
-#endif
 #if HAVE_DMABUF_WAYLAND
     dmabuf_interop_wl_init,
 #endif
diff --git a/video/out/vo.c b/video/out/vo.c
index 8d907d6bde..9b48ad20a7 100644
--- a/video/out/vo.c
+++ b/video/out/vo.c
@@ -76,9 +76,7 @@ static const struct vo_driver *const video_out_drivers[] =
     &video_out_mediacodec_embed,
 #endif
     &video_out_gpu,
-#if HAVE_LIBPLACEBO
     &video_out_gpu_next,
-#endif
 #if HAVE_VDPAU
     &video_out_vdpau,
 #endif