diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
index 7d6bf625e..fd2b0699b 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 
 from .. import mlog
 from ..compilers import clib_langs
-from ..mesonlib import MachineChoice, MesonException, HoldableObject
+from ..mesonlib import LibType, MachineChoice, MesonException, HoldableObject
 from ..mesonlib import version_compare_many
 from ..interpreterbase import FeatureDeprecated
 
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ class ExternalDependency(Dependency, HasNativeKwarg):
         self.required = kwargs.get('required', True)
         self.silent = kwargs.get('silent', False)
         self.static = kwargs.get('static', False)
+        self.libtype = LibType.STATIC if self.static else LibType.PREFER_SHARED
         if not isinstance(self.static, bool):
             raise DependencyException('Static keyword must be boolean')
         # Is this dependency to be run on the build platform?
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
index 28a3f7467..97869189a 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/pkgconfig.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 from .base import ExternalDependency, DependencyException, sort_libpaths, DependencyTypeName
-from ..mesonlib import LibType, MachineChoice, OptionKey, OrderedSet, PerMachine, Popen_safe
+from ..mesonlib import MachineChoice, OptionKey, OrderedSet, PerMachine, Popen_safe
 from ..programs import find_external_program, ExternalProgram
 from .. import mlog
 from pathlib import PurePath
@@ -267,7 +267,6 @@ class PkgConfigDependency(ExternalDependency):
         libs_found: OrderedSet[str] = OrderedSet()
         # Track not-found libraries to know whether to add library paths
         libs_notfound = []
-        libtype = LibType.STATIC if self.static else LibType.PREFER_SHARED
         # Generate link arguments for this library
         link_args = []
         for lib in full_args:
@@ -283,7 +282,7 @@ class PkgConfigDependency(ExternalDependency):
                     continue
                 if self.clib_compiler:
                     args = self.clib_compiler.find_library(lib[2:], self.env,
-                                                           libpaths, libtype)
+                                                           libpaths, self.libtype)
                 # If the project only uses a non-clib language such as D, Rust,
                 # C#, Python, etc, all we can do is limp along by adding the
                 # arguments as-is and then adding the libpaths at the end.