diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4988419d3..ef1485262 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ if get_option('gpg')
   conf.set('ENABLE_GPG', '1')
 endif
 libm = cc.find_library('m', required: false)
-libgcab = dependency('libgcab-1.0')
+libgcab = dependency('libgcab-1.0', fallback : ['gcab', 'gcab_dep'])
 if libgcab.version().version_compare('>= 0.8')
   conf.set('HAVE_GCAB_0_8', '1')
 endif
diff --git a/subprojects/.gitignore b/subprojects/.gitignore
index 94e3341fd..4d276a280 100644
--- a/subprojects/.gitignore
+++ b/subprojects/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 gusb
+gcab
 flashrom
 libxmlb
diff --git a/subprojects/gcab.wrap b/subprojects/gcab.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..35e59d0a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/gcab.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[wrap-git]
+directory = gcab
+url = https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gcab.git
+revision = b55268ac1020cd6c033acb52f2e6ae984bf5c9fd