diff --git a/common/build-helper/gir.sh b/common/build-helper/gir.sh
index 63c22929c50..075eaeef1d2 100644
--- a/common/build-helper/gir.sh
+++ b/common/build-helper/gir.sh
@@ -23,5 +23,10 @@ if [ "$build_option_gir" ] || [[ $build_options != *"gir"* ]]; then
 		# Provide basic .gir types like GLib, GObject, DBus, Gio, cairo
 		# and tooling like g-ir-compiler
 		makedepends+=" gobject-introspection"
+
+		# Provide gtk+3-devel in the host if it is in the makedepends
+		if [[ $makedepends == *"gtk+3-devel"* ]]; then
+			hostmakedepends+=" gtk+3-devel"
+		fi
 	fi
 fi
diff --git a/srcpkgs/gcr/template b/srcpkgs/gcr/template
index 11abb8171a5..dbb40327dde 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/gcr/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/gcr/template
@@ -22,10 +22,6 @@ checksum=95204aa2111c301778ebfbe60975ce3ed698c958430ffcc2a785ac5e593d168b
 build_options="gir vala"
 build_options_default="gir vala"
 
-if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
-	hostmakedepends+=" gtk+3-devel"
-fi
-
 do_check() {
 	# requires X11 server
 	: