--- a/libvmaf/src/meson.build
+++ b/libvmaf/src/meson.build
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ ptools_sources = [
 ]
 
 thread_lib = dependency('threads')
+pugixml_lib = dependency('pugixml')
 math_lib = cc.find_library('m', required : false)
 
 libptools = shared_library(
@@ -241,7 +242,6 @@ libvmaf_feature_static_lib = static_libr
 )
 
 vmaf_sources = [
-    third_party_dir + 'pugixml/pugixml.cpp',
     src_dir + 'mem.c',
     src_dir + 'combo.c',
     src_dir + 'cpu_info.c',
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ libvmaf = both_libraries(
     include_directories : vmaf_include,
     c_args : vmaf_cflags_common,
     cpp_args : vmaf_cflags_common,
-    dependencies : [thread_lib, stdatomic_dependency],
+    dependencies : [thread_lib, pugixml_lib, stdatomic_dependency],
     objects : [
         platform_specific_cpu_objects,
         libptools.extract_all_objects(),
--- a/libvmaf/src/vmaf.cpp
+++ b/libvmaf/src/vmaf.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "vmaf.h"
 #include "combo.h"
-#include "third_party/pugixml/pugixml.hpp"
+#include <pugixml.hpp>
 #include "timer.h"
 #include "jsonprint.h"
 #include "debug.h"