diff --git a/src/gallium/meson.build b/src/gallium/meson.build
index 46029d1a151..bdf61218623 100644
--- a/src/gallium/meson.build
+++ b/src/gallium/meson.build
@@ -204,9 +204,6 @@ endif
 if with_dri
   subdir('frontends/dri')
   subdir('targets/dri')
-  if with_glx == 'dri' or with_platform_x11 or with_platform_xcb
-    subdir('targets/dril')
-  endif
 endif
 if with_osmesa
   subdir('frontends/osmesa')
diff --git a/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c b/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c
index 2570aeab8a1..fd06fd3bd97 100644
--- a/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c
+++ b/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_dri.c
@@ -248,8 +248,11 @@ static struct dri_extension_match gbm_swrast_device_extensions[] = {
    { __DRI_KOPPER, 1, offsetof(struct gbm_dri_device, kopper), true },
 };
 
+const __DRIextension **
+dri_loader_get_extensions(const char *driver_name);
+
 static const __DRIextension **
-dri_open_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri, bool driver_name_is_inferred)
+dri_open_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri)
 {
    /* Temporarily work around dri driver libs that need symbols in libglapi
     * but don't automatically link it in.
@@ -259,19 +262,7 @@ dri_open_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri, bool driver_name_is_inferred)
     */
    dlopen("libglapi.so.0", RTLD_LAZY | RTLD_GLOBAL);
 
-   static const char *search_path_vars[] = {
-      /* Read GBM_DRIVERS_PATH first for compatibility, but LIBGL_DRIVERS_PATH
-       * is recommended over GBM_DRIVERS_PATH.
-       */
-      "GBM_DRIVERS_PATH",
-      /* Read LIBGL_DRIVERS_PATH if GBM_DRIVERS_PATH was not set.
-       * LIBGL_DRIVERS_PATH is recommended over GBM_DRIVERS_PATH.
-       */
-      "LIBGL_DRIVERS_PATH",
-      NULL
-   };
-   return loader_open_driver(dri->driver_name, &dri->driver, search_path_vars,
-                             driver_name_is_inferred);
+   return dri_loader_get_extensions(dri->driver_name);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -281,9 +272,12 @@ dri_screen_create_for_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri, char *driver_name, bool
 
    dri->driver_name = swrast ? strdup("swrast") : driver_name;
 
-   const __DRIextension **extensions = dri_open_driver(dri, driver_name_is_inferred);
-   if (!extensions)
+   const __DRIextension **extensions = dri_open_driver(dri);
+   if (!extensions) {
+      if (driver_name_is_inferred)
+         fprintf(stderr, "MESA-LOADER: failed to open %s: driver not built!)\n", dri->driver_name);
       goto fail;
+   }
 
    bool bind_ok;
    if (!swrast) {
@@ -298,7 +292,7 @@ dri_screen_create_for_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri, char *driver_name, bool
 
    if (!bind_ok) {
       fprintf(stderr, "failed to bind extensions\n");
-      goto close_driver;
+      goto fail;
    }
 
    dri->driver_extensions = extensions;
@@ -308,7 +302,7 @@ dri_screen_create_for_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri, char *driver_name, bool
                                              dri->driver_extensions,
                                              &dri->driver_configs, driver_name_is_inferred, dri);
    if (dri->screen == NULL)
-      goto close_driver;
+      goto fail;
 
    if (!swrast) {
       extensions = dri->core->getExtensions(dri->screen);
@@ -326,9 +320,6 @@ dri_screen_create_for_driver(struct gbm_dri_device *dri, char *driver_name, bool
 free_screen:
    dri->core->destroyScreen(dri->screen);
 
-close_driver:
-   dlclose(dri->driver);
-
 fail:
    free(dri->driver_name);
    return -1;
@@ -1220,7 +1211,6 @@ dri_destroy(struct gbm_device *gbm)
    for (i = 0; dri->driver_configs[i]; i++)
       free((__DRIconfig *) dri->driver_configs[i]);
    free(dri->driver_configs);
-   dlclose(dri->driver);
    free(dri->driver_name);
 
    free(dri);
diff --git a/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_driint.h b/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_driint.h
index 694fa307629..03fd90a91c7 100644
--- a/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_driint.h
+++ b/src/gbm/backends/dri/gbm_driint.h
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ struct gbm_dri_visual {
 struct gbm_dri_device {
    struct gbm_device base;
 
-   void *driver;
    char *driver_name; /* Name of the DRI module, without the _dri suffix */
    bool software; /* A software driver was loaded */
 
diff --git a/src/gbm/meson.build b/src/gbm/meson.build
index 8216a0f7931..3b55208843a 100644
--- a/src/gbm/meson.build
+++ b/src/gbm/meson.build
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ libgbm = shared_library(
   include_directories : incs_gbm,
   c_args : [args_gbm],
   link_args : [ld_args_gc_sections],
-  link_with : libloader,
+  link_with : [libloader, libgallium_dri],
   dependencies : [deps_gbm, dep_dl, dep_thread, idep_mesautil, idep_xmlconfig],
   gnu_symbol_visibility : 'hidden',
   version : '1.0.0',
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 552ba4aed1e..b53dc86ee6e 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -101,11 +101,6 @@ endif
 if with_gallium_asahi or with_tools.contains('asahi')
   subdir('asahi')
 endif
-if with_gbm
-  subdir('gbm')
-else
-  inc_gbm = []
-endif
 if with_gallium
   subdir('mesa')
   subdir('gallium')
@@ -121,9 +116,19 @@ if with_gallium
     subdir('mesa/state_tracker/tests')
   endif
 endif
+if with_gbm
+  subdir('gbm')
+else
+  inc_gbm = []
+endif
 if with_egl
   subdir('egl')
 endif
+if with_gallium and with_gbm
+  if with_glx == 'dri' or with_platform_x11 or with_platform_xcb
+    subdir('gallium/targets/dril')
+  endif
+endif
 
 # This must be after at least mesa, glx, and gallium, since libgl will be
 # defined in one of those subdirs depending on the glx provider.