diff --git a/pandas/_libs/meson.build b/pandas/_libs/meson.build
index 33fc65e5034d0..d84c605911f04 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/meson.build
+++ b/pandas/_libs/meson.build
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ foreach ext_name, ext_dict : libs_sources
         ext_dict.get('sources'),
         cython_args: cython_args,
         include_directories: [inc_np, inc_pd],
-        dependencies: ext_dict.get('deps', ''),
+        dependencies: ext_dict.get('deps', []),
         subdir: 'pandas/_libs',
         install: true,
     )
diff --git a/pandas/_libs/tslibs/meson.build b/pandas/_libs/tslibs/meson.build
index ac43dc7db5fb7..f76f04dbf75fe 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/tslibs/meson.build
+++ b/pandas/_libs/tslibs/meson.build
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ foreach ext_name, ext_dict : tslibs_sources
         ext_dict.get('sources'),
         cython_args: cython_args,
         include_directories: [inc_np, inc_pd],
-        dependencies: ext_dict.get('deps', ''),
+        dependencies: ext_dict.get('deps', []),
         subdir: 'pandas/_libs/tslibs',
         install: true,
     )