diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ee49e2b2f..ab4242d20 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ cxx = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
 deps += cc.find_library('m', required: false)
 deps += cc.find_library('dl', required: false)
-deps += cc.find_library('iconv', required: false)
+iconv_dep = cc.find_library('iconv', required: false)
+if not iconv_dep.found() and host_machine.system() == 'windows'
+    iconv_sp = subproject('iconv') # this really needs to be replaced with a proper port
+    deps_inc += iconv_sp.get_variable('iconv_incs')
+    iconv_dep = iconv_sp.get_variable('libiconv_dep')
+endif
+deps += iconv_dep
 
 deps += dependency('libass', version: '>=0.9.7')
 deps += dependency('boost', version: '>=1.50.0',
diff --git a/subprojects/iconv/meson.build b/subprojects/iconv/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..75261a585
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/iconv/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+project('iconv', 'c', license: 'LGPL',
+        meson_version: '>=0.49.0')
+
+iconv_src = [
+    'libcharset/localcharset.c',
+    'libiconv/iconv.c'
+]
+
+iconv_headers = ['include/iconv.h']
+
+iconv_incs = include_directories(
+    'include',
+    'libcharset',
+    'libiconv'
+)
+
+libiconv = library('iconv', iconv_src, include_directories: iconv_incs)
+libiconv_dep = declare_dependency(link_with: libiconv,
+                                  include_directories: iconv_incs)