diff --git a/test cases/common/188 test depends/gen.py b/test cases/common/188 test depends/gen.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ee4ed9818
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/188 test depends/gen.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import sys
+
+
+def main():
+    with open(sys.argv[1], 'w') as out:
+        out.write(sys.argv[2])
+        out.write('\n')
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/test cases/common/188 test depends/main.c b/test cases/common/188 test depends/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..78f2de106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/188 test depends/main.c	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+int main(void) { return 0; }
diff --git a/test cases/common/188 test depends/meson.build b/test cases/common/188 test depends/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..888c45118
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/188 test depends/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+project('test depends', 'c')
+
+gen = find_program('gen.py')
+
+custom_dep = custom_target('custom_dep',
+  build_by_default : false,
+  output : 'custom_dep.txt',
+  command : [gen, '@OUTPUT@', 'custom_dep'],
+)
+
+exe_dep = executable('exe_dep', 'main.c',
+  build_by_default : false,
+)
+
+test_prog = find_program('test.py')
+test('string dependencies', test_prog,
+  args : [
+    # This is declared for convenience,
+    # real use case might have some obscure method
+    # to find these dependencies, e.g. automatic plugin loading.
+    'custom_dep.txt',
+    exe_dep.full_path(),
+  ],
+  depends : [custom_dep, exe_dep],
+  workdir : meson.current_build_dir(),
+)
diff --git a/test cases/common/188 test depends/test.py b/test cases/common/188 test depends/test.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5b9f65c86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/188 test depends/test.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import os
+import os.path
+import sys
+
+
+def main():
+    print('Looking in:', os.getcwd())
+    not_found = list()
+    for f in sys.argv[1:]:
+        if not os.path.exists(f):
+            not_found.append(f)
+    if not_found:
+        print('Not found:', ', '.join(not_found))
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()