diff --git a/src/iguana/services/meson.build b/src/iguana/services/meson.build
index f3635e94..5d69faee 100644
--- a/src/iguana/services/meson.build
+++ b/src/iguana/services/meson.build
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ services_sources = [ 'Logger.cc', 'Object.cc', 'ConfigFileReader.cc', 'YAMLReade
 services_headers = [ 'Logger.h', 'Object.h', 'ConfigFileReader.h', 'YAMLReader.h', 'ConcurrentParam.h', 'GlobalParam.h', 'RCDBReader.h' ]
 
 if rcdb_dep.found()
-  add_project_arguments('-DUSE_RCDB', language: ['cpp'])
+  add_project_arguments('-DUSE_RCDB', '-DRCDB_SQLITE', language: ['cpp'])
 endif
 
 services_lib = shared_library(
diff --git a/subprojects/rcdb/meson.build b/subprojects/rcdb/meson.build
index a07b71c5..a4602a8f 100644
--- a/subprojects/rcdb/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/rcdb/meson.build
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ else
   warning('RCDB not found; either use build option "rcdb:home" or set environment variable "$RCDB_HOME"')
 endif
 
+sqlite_dep = dependency('sqlite3', required: use_rcdb)
+#
+#
+### clas12root consumes rcdb using mysql, NOT sqlite
+#
+#
+
 rcdb_dep = not use_rcdb ? dependency('', required: false) : declare_dependency(
   # RCDB lacks a public version number, use its prefix instead to at least
   # inform the user which RCDB installation is used; alternatively, we could
@@ -34,4 +41,5 @@ rcdb_dep = not use_rcdb ? dependency('', required: false) : declare_dependency(
     includedir,
     is_system: true, # suppress consumer warnings
   ),
+  dependencies: [ sqlite_dep ],
 )