diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py
index 14b7cba06..18f191513 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from .base import (  # noqa: F401
     ExternalDependency, NotFoundDependency, ExternalLibrary, ExtraFrameworkDependency, InternalDependency,
     PkgConfigDependency, CMakeDependency, find_external_dependency, get_dep_identifier, packages, _packages_accept_language,
     DependencyFactory)
-from .dev import GMockDependency, GTestDependency, ValgrindDependency, llvm_factory
+from .dev import GMockDependency, ValgrindDependency, gtest_factory, llvm_factory
 from .coarrays import CoarrayDependency
 from .mpi import MPIDependency
 from .scalapack import ScalapackDependency
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ from .ui import GLDependency, GnuStepDependency, Qt4Dependency, Qt5Dependency, S
 
 packages.update({
     # From dev:
-    'gtest': GTestDependency,
+    'gtest': gtest_factory,
     'gmock': GMockDependency,
     'llvm': llvm_factory,
     'valgrind': ValgrindDependency,
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py
index 2cedc978e..e8d462f30 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/dev.py
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ def get_shared_library_suffix(environment, for_machine: MachineChoice):
     return '.so'
 
 
-class GTestDependency(ExternalDependency):
-    def __init__(self, environment, kwargs):
-        super().__init__('gtest', environment, kwargs, language='cpp')
+class GTestDependencySystem(ExternalDependency):
+    def __init__(self, name: str, environment, kwargs):
+        super().__init__(name, environment, kwargs, language='cpp')
         self.main = kwargs.get('main', False)
         self.src_dirs = ['/usr/src/gtest/src', '/usr/src/googletest/googletest/src']
         self.detect()
@@ -98,25 +98,20 @@ class GTestDependency(ExternalDependency):
     def log_tried(self):
         return 'system'
 
-    @classmethod
-    def _factory(cls, environment, kwargs):
-        methods = process_method_kw(cls.get_methods(), kwargs)
-        candidates = []
-
-        if DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG in methods:
-            pcname = 'gtest_main' if kwargs.get('main', False) else 'gtest'
-            candidates.append(functools.partial(PkgConfigDependency, pcname, environment, kwargs))
-
-        if DependencyMethods.SYSTEM in methods:
-            candidates.append(functools.partial(GTestDependency, environment, kwargs))
-
-        return candidates
-
     @staticmethod
     def get_methods():
         return [DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.SYSTEM]
 
 
+class GTestDependencyPC(PkgConfigDependency):
+
+    def __init__(self, name: str, environment: 'Environment', kwargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any]):
+        assert name == 'gtest'
+        if kwargs.get('main'):
+            name = 'gtest_main'
+        super().__init__(name, environment, kwargs)
+
+
 class GMockDependency(ExternalDependency):
     def __init__(self, environment, kwargs):
         super().__init__('gmock', environment, kwargs, language='cpp')
@@ -132,11 +127,10 @@ class GMockDependency(ExternalDependency):
         # GMock without GTest is pretty much useless
         # this also mimics the structure given in WrapDB,
         # where GMock always pulls in GTest
-        gtest_dep = GTestDependency(environment, gtest_kwargs)
-        if not gtest_dep.is_found:
+        found = self._add_sub_dependency2(gtest_factory(environment, self.for_machine, gtest_kwargs))
+        if not found:
             self.is_found = False
             return
-        self.ext_deps.append(gtest_dep)
 
         # GMock may be a library or just source.
         # Work with both.
@@ -452,3 +446,10 @@ llvm_factory = DependencyFactory(
     cmake_class=LLVMDependencyCMake,
     configtool_class=LLVMDependencyConfigTool,
 )
+
+gtest_factory = DependencyFactory(
+    'gtest',
+    [DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG, DependencyMethods.SYSTEM],
+    pkgconfig_class=GTestDependencyPC,
+    system_class=GTestDependencySystem,
+)