diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9a96865045..92ee77094f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -768,11 +768,6 @@ find_package( Fontconfig REQUIRED )
 # Include MinGW resource compiler.
 include( MinGWResourceCompiler )
 
-if( WIN32 )
-    # we need the gdiplus library for cairo printing on windows
-    set( GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES gdiplus )
-endif()
-
 # Find ngspice library, required for integrated circuit simulator
 if( KICAD_SPICE )
     find_package( ngspice REQUIRED )
diff --git a/common/gal/CMakeLists.txt b/common/gal/CMakeLists.txt
index 7c91c57292..1e37c09b50 100644
--- a/common/gal/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/gal/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ set( GAL_SRCS
 
 add_library( gal STATIC ${GAL_SRCS} )
 
+if( WIN32 )
+    # we need the gdiplus library for cairo printing on windows
+    set( GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES gdiplus )
+endif()
+
 target_link_libraries( gal
     common          # This is needed until the circular dependency is removed
     kimath
diff --git a/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt b/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
index 4144b084e6..994eed208b 100644
--- a/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ target_link_libraries( cvpcb_kiface
     kimath
     ${PCBNEW_IO_LIBRARIES}
     ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-    ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
     )
 
 # Must follow github_plugin
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ target_link_libraries( cvpcb_kiface ${Boost_LIBRARIES} )
 target_include_directories( cvpcb_kiface PRIVATE
     $<TARGET_PROPERTY:thread-pool,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>
     )
-    
+
 if( UNIX AND NOT APPLE )
     # -lrt must follow Boost
     target_link_libraries( cvpcb_kiface rt )
diff --git a/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt b/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
index c3ed694809..5f64d349a2 100644
--- a/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -468,7 +468,6 @@ target_link_libraries( eeschema_kiface
         scripting
         sexpr
         ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-        ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
     )
 
 if( KICAD_SPICE )
diff --git a/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt b/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
index 727ec98f00..1e0e26baa6 100644
--- a/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ target_link_libraries( gerbview_kiface
     gal
     common
     ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-    ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
     )
 set_source_files_properties( gerbview.cpp PROPERTIES
     # The KIFACE is in gerbview.cpp, export it:
diff --git a/kicad/CMakeLists.txt b/kicad/CMakeLists.txt
index 56d348ea6d..055fd6d1fb 100644
--- a/kicad/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kicad/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ else()
         gal
         common      #repeated due to a circular dependency between gal and common
         ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-        ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
         )
 endif()
 
diff --git a/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt b/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
index eea62a97c3..b8b99ad371 100644
--- a/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ target_link_libraries( pl_editor_kiface
     gal
     common
     ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-    ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
     )
 set_target_properties( pl_editor_kiface PROPERTIES
     OUTPUT_NAME     pl_editor
diff --git a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
index 79cee6fbb3..a01eb5e9e1 100644
--- a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -719,7 +719,6 @@ set( PCBNEW_KIFACE_LIBRARIES
     markdown_lib
     ${PCBNEW_IO_LIBRARIES}
     ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-    ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
     ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}
     ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
     ${PCBNEW_EXTRA_LIBS}    # -lrt must follow Boost
diff --git a/qa/pcbnew_utils/CMakeLists.txt b/qa/pcbnew_utils/CMakeLists.txt
index 9d5ecf3443..b0a68d9f6a 100644
--- a/qa/pcbnew_utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/qa/pcbnew_utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ target_link_libraries( qa_pcbnew_utils PUBLIC
 #     unit_test_utils
 #     ${PCBNEW_IO_LIBRARIES}
 #     ${wxWidgets_LIBRARIES}
-#     ${GDI_PLUS_LIBRARIES}
 #     ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}
 #     ${Boost_LIBRARIES}      # must follow GITHUB
 #     ${PCBNEW_EXTRA_LIBS}    # -lrt must follow Boost