diff -up pango-1.40.3/configure.ac.delay_load pango-1.40.3/configure.ac
--- pango-1.40.3/configure.ac.delay_load	2016-09-13 05:50:19.000000000 +0200
+++ pango-1.40.3/configure.ac	2016-09-23 14:22:19.120974626 +0200
@@ -301,6 +301,31 @@ if test "$pango_os_win32" = "yes"; then
 fi
 
 #
+# Checks for delay-loaded fontconfig/freetype runtime dependencies
+#
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(delay-load,
+              [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-delay-load],
+                              [makes the pangoft2 backend and the fontconfig/freetype dependencies optional at runtime (win32 only)])],,
+              [enable_delay_load=no])
+
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to enable the use of delay-loaded fontconfig/freetype dependencies])
+if test $have_win32 = false; then
+  enable_delay_load=false
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_DELAY_LOAD, test x"$enable_delay_load" = x"yes")
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_delay_load])
+
+if test x"$enable_delay_load" = x"yes" ; then 
+  AC_CHECK_TOOL([GENDEF], [gendef])
+
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether gendef was found])
+  if test x"$GENDEF" = x"" ; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([The gendef tool (required for delay loading the pangoft2 backend and the fontconfig/freetype dependencies) couldn't be detected])
+  fi
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+fi
+
+#
 # Checks for CoreText
 #
 
diff -up pango-1.40.3/pango/Makefile.am.delay_load pango-1.40.3/pango/Makefile.am
--- pango-1.40.3/pango/Makefile.am.delay_load	2016-08-29 14:51:18.000000000 +0200
+++ pango-1.40.3/pango/Makefile.am	2016-09-23 14:25:23.972800493 +0200
@@ -329,8 +329,36 @@ libpangocairo_1_0_la_SOURCES += pangocai
 endif
 
 if HAVE_CAIRO_FREETYPE
+if ENABLE_DELAY_LOAD
+# Create delay-loaded import libraries for pangoft2, fontconfig and freetype
+libpangoft2-delay-loaded-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).dll.a: libpangoft2-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).la
+	$(GENDEF) - .libs/libpangoft2-1.0-0.dll > pangoft2.def; \
+	$(DLLTOOL) --def pangoft2.def --kill-at --output-delaylib libpangoft2-delay-loaded-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).dll.a
+
+libfontconfig-delay-loaded.dll.a:
+	DLL=$(bindir)/libfontconfig-1.dll; \
+	if test ! -f "$$DLL" ; then \
+	  echo "*** File $$DLL could not be found, unable to create delay-loaded import library"; \
+	  exit 1; \
+	fi; \
+	$(GENDEF) - "$$DLL" > fontconfig_delay_load.def; \
+	$(DLLTOOL) --def fontconfig_delay_load.def --kill-at --output-delaylib libfontconfig-delay-loaded.dll.a
+
+libfreetype-delay-loaded.dll.a:
+	DLL=$(bindir)/libfreetype-6.dll; \
+	if test ! -f "$$DLL" ; then \
+	  echo "*** File $$DLL could not be found, unable to create delay-loaded import library"; \
+	  exit 1; \
+	fi; \
+        $(GENDEF) - "$$DLL" > freetype_delay_load.def; \
+        $(DLLTOOL) --def freetype_delay_load.def --kill-at --output-delaylib libfreetype-delay-loaded.dll.a
+
+libpangocairo_1_0_la_LDFLAGS += -Wl,libpangoft2-delay-loaded-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).dll.a -Wl,libfontconfig-delay-loaded.dll.a -Wl,libfreetype-delay-loaded.dll.a
+libpangocairo_1_0_la_DEPENDENCIES += libpangoft2-delay-loaded-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).dll.a libfontconfig-delay-loaded.dll.a libfreetype-delay-loaded.dll.a libpangoft2-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).la
+else
 libpangocairo_1_0_la_LIBADD +=  libpangoft2-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).la $(FREETYPE_LIBS)
 libpangocairo_1_0_la_DEPENDENCIES += libpangoft2-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).la 
+endif
 PANGOCAIRO_FONT_BACKEND_GI_MODULE = PangoFT2-1.0.gir
 
 libpangocairo_1_0_la_SOURCES += \
@@ -444,6 +472,9 @@ CLEANFILES =			\
 	s-enum-types-h		\
 	pango-enum-types.c	\
 	s-enum-types-c      \
+	libpangoft2-delay-loaded-$(PANGO_API_VERSION).dll.a pangoft2.def \
+	libfontconfig-delay-loaded.dll.a fontconfig_delay_load.def \
+	libfreetype-delay-loaded.dll.a freetype_delay_load.def \
     $(INTROSPECTION_GIRS) \
     $(INTROSPECTION_GIRS:.gir=.typelib)