diff --git a/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/Config.in b/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/Config.in
index 34ec85ff4a..a9bb2aa388 100644
--- a/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/Config.in
+++ b/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/Config.in
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_GST1_VALIDATE
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_GST1_PLUGINS_BASE
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_PYTHON_PYEXPAT
+	# cairo is autodetected but needs PNG support
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_CAIRO_PNG if BR2_PACKAGE_CAIRO
 	help
 	  GstValidate is a tool that allows GStreamer developers to
 	  check that the GstElements they write behave the way they
diff --git a/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/gst1-validate.mk b/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/gst1-validate.mk
index b8b09daf07..a7d66be461 100644
--- a/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/gst1-validate.mk
+++ b/package/gstreamer1/gst1-validate/gst1-validate.mk
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ GST1_VALIDATE_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
 GST1_VALIDATE_CONF_OPTS = --disable-sphinx-doc
 
-GST1_VALIDATE_DEPENDENCIES = gstreamer1 gst1-plugins-base host-python python
+GST1_VALIDATE_DEPENDENCIES = \
+	gstreamer1 \
+	gst1-plugins-base \
+	host-python \
+	python \
+	$(if $(BR2_PACKAGE_CAIRO),cairo)
 
 $(eval $(autotools-package))