diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4be5845f2d6..65afcb4ec60 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1158,7 +1158,7 @@ if dep_thread.found() and host_machine.system() != 'windows'
     pre_args += '-DPTHREAD_SETAFFINITY_IN_NP_HEADER'
   endif
 endif
-dep_expat = dependency('expat')
+dep_expat = dependency('expat', fallback : ['expat', 'expat_dep'])
 # this only exists on linux so either this is linux and it will be found, or
 # it's not linux and wont
 dep_m = cc.find_library('m', required : false)
diff --git a/subprojects/expat.wrap b/subprojects/expat.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0b7c53e54db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/expat.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[wrap-file]
+directory = expat-2.2.5
+
+source_url = https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/releases/download/R_2_2_5/expat-2.2.5.tar.bz2
+source_filename = expat-2.2.5.tar.bz2
+source_hash = d9dc32efba7e74f788fcc4f212a43216fc37cf5f23f4c2339664d473353aedf6
+
+patch_url = https://wrapdb.mesonbuild.com/v1/projects/expat/2.2.5/4/get_zip
+patch_filename = expat-2.2.5-4-wrap.zip
+patch_hash = 25748839be2bbdd2ff586d1a05aa6fc37aeada75c78416df6e8347a6321abaac