diff --git a/config/meson.build b/config/meson.build
index 58421342b..224d29e1c 100644
--- a/config/meson.build
+++ b/config/meson.build
@@ -173,6 +173,13 @@ if pcap_dep.found() and cc.has_header('pcap.h', dependencies: pcap_dep)
 	dpdk_extra_ldflags += '-lpcap'
 endif
 
+# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
+if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
+	atomic_dep = cc.find_library('atomic', required: true)
+	add_project_link_arguments('-latomic', language: 'c')
+	dpdk_extra_ldflags += '-latomic'
+endif
+
 # add -include rte_config to cflags
 add_project_arguments('-include', 'rte_config.h', language: 'c')
 
diff --git a/drivers/event/octeontx/meson.build b/drivers/event/octeontx/meson.build
index 73118a485..2b74bb62d 100644
--- a/drivers/event/octeontx/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/event/octeontx/meson.build
@@ -11,8 +11,3 @@ sources = files('ssovf_worker.c',
 )
 
 deps += ['common_octeontx', 'mempool_octeontx', 'bus_vdev', 'pmd_octeontx']
-
-# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
-if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
-	ext_deps += cc.find_library('atomic')
-endif
diff --git a/drivers/event/octeontx2/meson.build b/drivers/event/octeontx2/meson.build
index 4b938416b..0ade51cec 100644
--- a/drivers/event/octeontx2/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/event/octeontx2/meson.build
@@ -18,11 +18,6 @@ if not dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64')
 	extra_flags += ['-Wno-int-to-pointer-cast', '-Wno-pointer-to-int-cast']
 endif
 
-# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
-if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
-	ext_deps += cc.find_library('atomic')
-endif
-
 foreach flag: extra_flags
 	if cc.has_argument(flag)
 		cflags += flag
diff --git a/drivers/event/opdl/meson.build b/drivers/event/opdl/meson.build
index 1fe034ea1..cc6029c6f 100644
--- a/drivers/event/opdl/meson.build
+++ b/drivers/event/opdl/meson.build
@@ -9,8 +9,3 @@ sources = files(
 	'opdl_test.c',
 )
 deps += ['bus_vdev']
-
-# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
-if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
-	ext_deps += cc.find_library('atomic')
-endif
diff --git a/examples/l2fwd-event/meson.build b/examples/l2fwd-event/meson.build
index c4664c3a3..4e9a069d6 100644
--- a/examples/l2fwd-event/meson.build
+++ b/examples/l2fwd-event/meson.build
@@ -16,8 +16,3 @@ sources = files(
 	'l2fwd_event_internal_port.c',
 	'l2fwd_event_generic.c'
 )
-
-# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
-if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
-	ext_deps += cc.find_library('atomic')
-endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_distributor/meson.build b/lib/librte_distributor/meson.build
index 266af6434..bd12ddb2f 100644
--- a/lib/librte_distributor/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_distributor/meson.build
@@ -9,8 +9,3 @@ else
 endif
 headers = files('rte_distributor.h')
 deps += ['mbuf']
-
-# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
-if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
-	ext_deps += cc.find_library('atomic')
-endif
diff --git a/lib/librte_rcu/meson.build b/lib/librte_rcu/meson.build
index 5929bd3a7..c009ae4b7 100644
--- a/lib/librte_rcu/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_rcu/meson.build
@@ -3,8 +3,3 @@
 
 sources = files('rte_rcu_qsbr.c')
 headers = files('rte_rcu_qsbr.h')
-
-# for clang 32-bit compiles we need libatomic for 64-bit atomic ops
-if cc.get_id() == 'clang' and dpdk_conf.get('RTE_ARCH_64') == false
-	ext_deps += cc.find_library('atomic')
-endif