diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index efa902d14b..ecb8eb9260 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,16 +29,12 @@ endif()
 # Needed for FFmpeg w/ VAAPI and DRM
 if (PLATFORM_OPENBSD)
     # OpenBSD 7.8 broke libcxx when upgrading, so we must define the PSTL backend manually
-    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -I${CMAKE_SYSROOT}/usr/X11R6/include -D_LIBCPP_PSTL_BACKEND_SERIAL=1")
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -I${CMAKE_SYSROOT}/usr/X11R6/include -D_LIBCPP_PSTL_BACKEND_SERIAL=1")
-    set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -L${CMAKE_SYSROOT}/usr/X11R6/lib")
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -D_LIBCPP_PSTL_BACKEND_SERIAL=1")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -D_LIBCPP_PSTL_BACKEND_SERIAL=1")
 elseif (PLATFORM_NETBSD)
-    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -I${CMAKE_SYSROOT}/usr/X11R7/include")
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -I${CMAKE_SYSROOT}/usr/X11R7/include")
     if (NOT CXX_GCC OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS "14.0")
         message(FATAL_ERROR "You must use gcc14 (or newer) from pkgin; feel free to fix clang yourself otherwise.")
     endif()
-    set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -L${CMAKE_SYSROOT}/usr/X11R7/lib")
 endif()
 
 # NetBSD: Fun for the whole family!
diff --git a/externals/CMakeLists.txt b/externals/CMakeLists.txt
index d4ac807322..b93eda161d 100644
--- a/externals/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/externals/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -412,3 +412,11 @@ if (APPLE)
         set(MOLTENVK_LIBRARY "${moltenvk_SOURCE_DIR}/MoltenVK/dylib/macOS/libMoltenVK.dylib" CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
     endif()
 endif()
+
+# must match src/video_core/vulkan_common/vulkan.h logic
+# No we can't "bundle" this... never... NEVER
+if (WIN32 OR APPLE OR ANDROID OR PLATFORM_HAIKU OR PLATFORM_PS4)
+    # ...
+else()
+    find_package(X11 REQUIRED)
+endif()
diff --git a/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt
index 53b0d1638b..23d49d8dcc 100644
--- a/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/video_core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -344,6 +344,16 @@ target_include_directories(video_core PRIVATE ${HOST_SHADERS_INCLUDE})
 
 target_link_libraries(video_core PRIVATE sirit::sirit)
 
+# Since this is also used by header-only whom is public:
+# a) you must also make it public
+# b) should precede the headers themselves
+# must match src/video_core/vulkan_common/vulkan.h logic
+if (WIN32 OR APPLE OR ANDROID OR PLATFORM_HAIKU OR PLATFORM_PS4)
+    # ...
+else()
+    target_link_libraries(video_core PUBLIC X11::X11)
+endif()
+
 # Header-only stuff needed by all dependent targets
 target_link_libraries(video_core PUBLIC Vulkan::Headers Vulkan::UtilityHeaders GPUOpen::VulkanMemoryAllocator)