diff --git a/meta/recipes-graphics/mesa/mesa-common.inc b/meta/recipes-graphics/mesa/mesa-common.inc
index 7d729b4..df035e6 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-graphics/mesa/mesa-common.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-graphics/mesa/mesa-common.inc
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ EXTRA_OECONF = "--enable-glu \
 # Multiple virtual/gl providers being built breaks staging
 EXCLUDE_FROM_WORLD = "1"
 
+# ie mesa-dri could be empty and mesa-dri-dev RDEPENDS on it
+ALLOW_EMPTY_${PN} = "1"
+
 PACKAGES =+ "libegl libegl-dev libegl-dbg libglu libglu-dev libosmesa libosmesa-dev libgl libgl-dev"
 FILES_libegl = "${libdir}/libEGL.so.* ${libdir}/egl/*.so"
 FILES_libgl = "${libdir}/libGL.so.*"