diff --git a/android/build.py b/android/build.py
index 32507b427..bdf10ace3 100755
--- a/android/build.py
+++ b/android/build.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ from build.toolchain import AndroidNdkToolchain
 # a list of third-party libraries to be used by MPD on Android
 from build.libs import *
 thirdparty_libs = [
-    libmpdclient,
     libid3tag,
     libmodplug,
     wildmidi,
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8a2c4102a..57f339b9c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ project(
     'fmt:default_library=static',
     'gtest:default_library=static',
     'lame:default_library=static',
+    'libmpdclient:default_library=static',
     'liburing:default_library=static',
     'ogg:default_library=static',
     'openssl:default_library=static',
@@ -76,6 +77,8 @@ project(
     'curl:tftp=disabled',
     'lame:decoder=false',
     'lame:tools=disabled',
+    'libmpdclient:documentation=false',
+    'libmpdclient:test=false',
     'openssl:build_cli=false',
     'openssl:asm=disabled', # work around "call to undeclared function "asm" on Android
     'opus:docs=disabled',
diff --git a/python/build/libs.py b/python/build/libs.py
index d7881316f..a35978f50 100644
--- a/python/build/libs.py
+++ b/python/build/libs.py
@@ -8,12 +8,6 @@ from build.cmake import CmakeProject
 from build.autotools import AutotoolsProject
 from build.ffmpeg import FfmpegProject
 
-libmpdclient = MesonProject(
-    'https://www.musicpd.org/download/libmpdclient/2/libmpdclient-2.20.tar.xz',
-    '18793f68e939c3301e34d8fcadea1f7daa24143941263cecadb80126194e277d',
-    'lib/libmpdclient.a',
-)
-
 libsamplerate = CmakeProject(
     'https://github.com/libsndfile/libsamplerate/releases/download/0.2.2/libsamplerate-0.2.2.tar.xz',
     '97c010fc25156c33cddc272c1935afab',
diff --git a/subprojects/.gitignore b/subprojects/.gitignore
index b21704d8a..59adee2e2 100644
--- a/subprojects/.gitignore
+++ b/subprojects/.gitignore
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 /fmt-*/
 /googletest-*/
 /lame-*/
+/libmpdclient/
 /openssl-*/
 /opus-*/
 /sqlite-*/
diff --git a/subprojects/libmpdclient.wrap b/subprojects/libmpdclient.wrap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9f999ad8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/libmpdclient.wrap
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[wrap-git]
+url = https://github.com/MusicPlayerDaemon/libmpdclient
+revision = v2.21
+
+diff_files = libmpdclient_unicode.patch
+
+[provide]
+libmpdclient = libmpdclient_dep
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/libmpdclient_unicode.patch b/subprojects/packagefiles/libmpdclient_unicode.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a66a09e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/libmpdclient_unicode.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+commit 14e9b3be33a7b7e94bb6504a519e03072bae033d
+Author: Max Kellermann <max@musicpd.org>
+Date:   Wed Dec 20 17:13:54 2023 +0100
+
+    ierror: use FormatMessageA() instead of FormatMessage()
+    
+    Just in case _UNICODE is defined.
+
+diff --git a/src/ierror.c b/src/ierror.c
+index 1642dbd2..e068dc8c 100644
+--- a/src/ierror.c
++++ b/src/ierror.c
+@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ mpd_error_system_message(struct mpd_error_info *error, int code)
+ 	mpd_error_system(error, code);
+ 
+ #ifdef _WIN32
+-	nbytes = FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
+-			       FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS |
+-			       FORMAT_MESSAGE_MAX_WIDTH_MASK, NULL, code, 0,
+-			       (LPSTR)buffer, sizeof(buffer), NULL);
++	nbytes = FormatMessageA(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
++				FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS |
++				FORMAT_MESSAGE_MAX_WIDTH_MASK, NULL, code, 0,
++				(LPSTR)buffer, sizeof(buffer), NULL);
+ 	mpd_error_message(error, nbytes > 0 ? buffer : "Unknown error");
+ #else
+ 	mpd_error_message(error, strerror(code));
diff --git a/win32/build.py b/win32/build.py
index 94ed9eed7..d43f274ce 100755
--- a/win32/build.py
+++ b/win32/build.py
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ root_path = os.path.join(arch_path, 'root')
 # a list of third-party libraries to be used by MPD on Android
 from build.libs import *
 thirdparty_libs = [
-    libmpdclient,
     zlib,
     libid3tag,
     libmodplug,