diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index 6e8cf1adf..5d3c0956c 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -1407,7 +1407,7 @@ class Interpreter(InterpreterBase):
         if not isinstance(sources, list):
             sources = [sources]
         sources = self.source_strings_to_files(self.flatten(sources))
-        deps = kwargs.get('dependencies', [])
+        deps = self.flatten(kwargs.get('dependencies', []))
         if not isinstance(deps, list):
             deps = [deps]
         compile_args = mesonlib.stringlistify(kwargs.get('compile_args', []))
diff --git a/test cases/common/87 declare dep/meson.build b/test cases/common/87 declare dep/meson.build
index 74333a245..e427defaf 100644
--- a/test cases/common/87 declare dep/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/87 declare dep/meson.build	
@@ -5,3 +5,20 @@ subdir('entity')
 exe = executable('dep_user', 'main.c',
   dependencies : entity_dep)
 test('dep', exe)
+
+# just to make sure [] works as a no-op dep here
+executable('dummy', 'main.c',
+  dependencies : [entity_dep, []])
+
+# simple case
+declare_dependency(dependencies : entity_dep)
+
+# nested deps should be flattened
+declare_dependency(dependencies : [entity_dep])
+declare_dependency(dependencies : [[entity_dep]])
+
+# check that [] properly works as a no-op dep in declare_dependency() too
+declare_dependency(dependencies : [])
+declare_dependency(dependencies : [[]])
+declare_dependency(dependencies : [entity_dep, []])
+declare_dependency(dependencies : [[], entity_dep])