diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 558c6ab49b4..ed58e6148d7 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1938,7 +1938,7 @@ if build_machine.system() == 'windows'
     # _fileno functions)
     prog_flex = [prog_flex, '--wincompat']
   else
-    prog_flex = [find_program('flex', 'lex', required : with_any_opengl)]
+    prog_flex = [find_program('flex', 'lex', required : with_any_opengl, disabler : true)]
   endif
   # Force flex to use const keyword in prototypes, as relies on __cplusplus or
   # __STDC__ macro to determine whether it's safe to use const keyword
@@ -1953,13 +1953,13 @@ if build_machine.system() == 'windows'
 
   prog_bison = find_program('win_bison', required : false)
   if not prog_bison.found()
-    prog_bison = find_program('bison', 'yacc', required : with_any_opengl)
+    prog_bison = find_program('bison', 'yacc', required : with_any_opengl, disabler : true)
   endif
 else
   prog_bison = find_program('bison', required : false)
 
   if not prog_bison.found()
-    prog_bison = find_program('byacc', required : with_any_opengl)
+    prog_bison = find_program('byacc', required : with_any_opengl, disabler : true)
     yacc_is_bison = false
   endif
 
@@ -1970,7 +1970,7 @@ else
     prog_bison = [prog_bison, '-Wno-deprecated']
   endif
 
-  prog_flex = find_program('flex', required : with_any_opengl)
+  prog_flex = find_program('flex', required : with_any_opengl, disabler : true)
   prog_flex_cpp = prog_flex
 endif