diff --git a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+.inc b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+.inc
index 7f920dd28c..fca24e9b98 100644
--- a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+.inc
+++ b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+.inc
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ SECTION = "libs"
 LICENSE = "LGPL"
 PRIORITY = "optional"
 DEPENDS = "glib-2.0 pango atk jpeg libpng libxext libxcursor gtk-doc-native \
-           libgcrypt libxdamage libxrender libxcomposite"
+           libgcrypt libxdamage libxrender libxcomposite cairo"
 
 inherit autotools pkgconfig
 
diff --git a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.10.14.bb b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.10.14.bb
index 68d4e06a73..2bc7217d49 100644
--- a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.10.14.bb
+++ b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.10.14.bb
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 require gtk+.inc
 
-DEPENDS += "cairo"
 PR = "r20"
 
 SRC_URI = "ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v2.10/gtk+-${PV}.tar.bz2 \
diff --git a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.12.7.bb b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.12.7.bb
index c4adf6d3bd..98136e45de 100644
--- a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.12.7.bb
+++ b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.12.7.bb
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 require gtk+.inc
 
-DEPENDS += "cairo"
 PR = "r9"
 
 SRC_URI = "http://download.gnome.org/sources/gtk+/2.12/gtk+-${PV}.tar.bz2 \
diff --git a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.13.3.bb b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.13.3.bb
index 10384c1b63..8797550597 100644
--- a/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.13.3.bb
+++ b/meta/packages/gtk+/gtk+_2.13.3.bb
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 require gtk+.inc
 
-DEPENDS += "cairo"
 PR = "r1"
 
 SRC_URI = "http://download.gnome.org/sources/gtk+/2.13/gtk+-${PV}.tar.bz2 \