diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6b64d827..914c6bdb 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ glib_req_version = '>= 2.53.4'
 peas_req_version = '>= 0.7.4'
 
 gio_dep = dependency('gio-2.0', version: glib_req_version)
-gio_unix_dep = dependency('gio-unix-2.0', version: glib_req_version)
-gnome_desktop_dep = dependency('gnome-desktop-3.0', version: '>= 2.91.2')
+gio_unix_dep = dependency('gio-unix-2.0', version: glib_req_version, required: false)
+gnome_desktop_dep = dependency('gnome-desktop-3.0', version: '>= 2.91.2', required: false)
 libpeas_gtk_dep = dependency('libpeas-gtk-1.0', version: peas_req_version)
 
 m_dep = cc.find_library('m')
diff --git a/src/eog-error-message-area.c b/src/eog-error-message-area.c
index 70618d88..2ac44b78 100644
--- a/src/eog-error-message-area.c
+++ b/src/eog-error-message-area.c
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <glib-object.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+#ifndef _WIN32
 #include <gio/gdesktopappinfo.h>
+#endif
 
 /* gboolean <-> gpointer conversion macros taken from gedit */
 #ifndef GBOOLEAN_TO_POINTER
@@ -324,6 +326,7 @@ static gpointer
 _check_evince_availability(gpointer data)
 {
 	gboolean result = FALSE;
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	GDesktopAppInfo *app_info;
 
 	app_info = g_desktop_app_info_new ("evince.desktop");
@@ -331,6 +334,7 @@ _check_evince_availability(gpointer data)
 		result = TRUE;
 		g_object_unref (app_info);
 	}
+#endif
 	return GBOOLEAN_TO_POINTER(result);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/eog-file-chooser.c b/src/eog-file-chooser.c
index 03052549..3b2b4410 100644
--- a/src/eog-file-chooser.c
+++ b/src/eog-file-chooser.c
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include <gio/gio.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+
 /* We must define GNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API to be able
    to use GnomeDesktopThumbnail */
 #ifndef GNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API
@@ -35,14 +37,17 @@
 #endif
 #include <libgnome-desktop/gnome-desktop-thumbnail.h>
 
+#endif
+
 static char *last_dir[] = { NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL };
 
 #define FILE_FORMAT_KEY "file-format"
 
 struct _EogFileChooserPrivate
 {
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	GnomeDesktopThumbnailFactory *thumb_factory;
-
+#endif
 	GtkWidget *image;
 	GtkWidget *size_label;
 	GtkWidget *dim_label;
@@ -57,10 +62,10 @@ eog_file_chooser_finalize (GObject *object)
 	EogFileChooserPrivate *priv;
 
 	priv = EOG_FILE_CHOOSER (object)->priv;
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	if (priv->thumb_factory != NULL)
 		g_object_unref (priv->thumb_factory);
-
+#endif
 	(* G_OBJECT_CLASS (eog_file_chooser_parent_class)->finalize) (object);
 }
 
@@ -344,7 +349,7 @@ update_preview_cb (GtkFileChooser *file_chooser, gpointer data)
 				       G_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_STANDARD_CONTENT_TYPE,
 				       0, NULL, NULL);
 	g_object_unref (file);
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	if ((file_info != NULL) && (priv->thumb_factory != NULL)
 	    && g_file_info_get_file_type (file_info) != G_FILE_TYPE_SPECIAL) {
 		guint64 mtime;
@@ -392,7 +397,7 @@ update_preview_cb (GtkFileChooser *file_chooser, gpointer data)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
+#endif
 	if (thumb_path != NULL) {
 		g_free (thumb_path);
 	}
@@ -431,9 +436,9 @@ eog_file_chooser_add_preview (GtkWidget *widget)
 
 	gtk_file_chooser_set_preview_widget (GTK_FILE_CHOOSER (widget), vbox);
 	gtk_file_chooser_set_preview_widget_active (GTK_FILE_CHOOSER (widget), FALSE);
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	priv->thumb_factory = gnome_desktop_thumbnail_factory_new (GNOME_DESKTOP_THUMBNAIL_SIZE_NORMAL);
-
+#endif
 	g_signal_connect (widget, "update-preview",
 			  G_CALLBACK (update_preview_cb), NULL);
 }
diff --git a/src/eog-thumbnail.c b/src/eog-thumbnail.c
index 8fd2c7cf..5e5eeea6 100644
--- a/src/eog-thumbnail.c
+++ b/src/eog-thumbnail.c
@@ -25,21 +25,22 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include <config.h>
 #endif
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 /* We must define GNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API to be able
    to use GnomeDesktopThumbnail */
 #ifndef GNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API
 #define GNOME_DESKTOP_USE_UNSTABLE_API
 #endif
 #include <libgnome-desktop/gnome-desktop-thumbnail.h>
-
+#endif
 #include "eog-thumbnail.h"
 #include "eog-list-store.h"
 #include "eog-debug.h"
 
 #define EOG_THUMB_ERROR eog_thumb_error_quark ()
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 static GnomeDesktopThumbnailFactory *factory = NULL;
+#endif
 static GdkPixbuf *frame = NULL;
 
 typedef enum {
@@ -97,13 +98,13 @@ get_valid_thumbnail (EogThumbData *data, GError **error)
 	/* It's no error if the thumbnail does not exist */
 	if (error && g_error_matches (*error, G_FILE_ERROR, G_FILE_ERROR_NOENT))
 		g_clear_error (error);
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	/* is this thumbnail file up to date? */
 	if (thumb != NULL && !gnome_desktop_thumbnail_is_valid (thumb, data->uri_str, data->mtime)) {
 		g_object_unref (thumb);
 		thumb = NULL;
 	}
-
+#endif
 	return thumb;
 }
 
@@ -115,9 +116,9 @@ create_thumbnail_from_pixbuf (EogThumbData *data,
 	GdkPixbuf *thumb;
 	gint width, height;
 	gfloat perc;
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	g_assert (factory != NULL);
-
+#endif
 	width = gdk_pixbuf_get_width (pixbuf);
 	height = gdk_pixbuf_get_height (pixbuf);
 
@@ -157,7 +158,11 @@ eog_thumb_data_new (GFile *file, GError **error)
 	data = g_slice_new0 (EogThumbData);
 
 	data->uri_str    = g_file_get_uri (file);
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	data->thumb_path = gnome_desktop_thumbnail_path_for_uri (data->uri_str, GNOME_DESKTOP_THUMBNAIL_SIZE_NORMAL);
+#else
+    data->thumb_path = "";
+#endif
 
 	file_info = g_file_query_info (file,
 				       G_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_STANDARD_CONTENT_TYPE ","
@@ -478,7 +483,7 @@ eog_thumbnail_load (EogImage *image, GError **error)
 
 	if (data == NULL)
 		return NULL;
-
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	if (!data->can_read ||
 	    (data->failed_thumb_exists && gnome_desktop_thumbnail_factory_has_valid_failed_thumbnail (factory, data->uri_str, data->mtime))) {
 		eog_debug_message (DEBUG_THUMBNAIL, "%s: bad permissions or valid failed thumbnail present",data->uri_str);
@@ -523,15 +528,19 @@ eog_thumbnail_load (EogImage *image, GError **error)
 	eog_thumb_data_free (data);
 
 	return thumb;
+#else
+    return NULL;
+#endif
 }
 
 void
 eog_thumbnail_init (void)
 {
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	if (factory == NULL) {
 		factory = gnome_desktop_thumbnail_factory_new (GNOME_DESKTOP_THUMBNAIL_SIZE_NORMAL);
 	}
-
+#endif
 	if (frame == NULL) {
 		frame = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_resource (
 				"/org/gnome/eog/ui/pixmaps/thumbnail-frame.png",
diff --git a/src/eog-window.c b/src/eog-window.c
index 7fd2fd83..01fe4fb8 100644
--- a/src/eog-window.c
+++ b/src/eog-window.c
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <gio/gio.h>
 #include <gdk/gdkkeysyms.h>
+#ifndef _WIN32
 #include <gio/gdesktopappinfo.h>
+#endif
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
 #include <libpeas/peas-extension-set.h>
@@ -1356,6 +1358,7 @@ eog_window_error_message_area_response (GtkInfoBar       *message_area,
 		break;
 	case EOG_ERROR_MESSAGE_AREA_RESPONSE_OPEN_WITH_EVINCE:
 	{
+#ifndef _WIN32
 		GDesktopAppInfo *app_info;
 		GFile *img_file;
 		GList *img_files = NULL;
@@ -1372,6 +1375,7 @@ eog_window_error_message_area_response (GtkInfoBar       *message_area,
 							       img_files);
 			g_list_free_full (img_files, g_object_unref);
 		}
+#endif
 	}
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 7416a208..d4cebb20 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -163,7 +163,6 @@ libeog = shared_library(
   link_args: ldflags,
   link_depends: symbol_map,
   install: true,
-  install_dir: eog_pkglibdir,
 )
 
 libeog_dep = declare_dependency(