diff --git a/depends/packages/freetype.mk b/depends/packages/freetype.mk
index fef0beaa7b4..a97f82e7fea 100644
--- a/depends/packages/freetype.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/freetype.mk
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ $(package)_download_path=https://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/$(package)
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.xz
 $(package)_sha256_hash=8bee39bd3968c4804b70614a0a3ad597299ad0e824bc8aad5ce8aaf48067bde7
 $(package)_build_subdir=build
+$(package)_patches += cmake_minimum.patch
 
 define $(package)_set_vars
   $(package)_config_opts := -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=None -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=TRUE
@@ -12,6 +13,10 @@ define $(package)_set_vars
   $(package)_config_opts += -DCMAKE_DISABLE_FIND_PACKAGE_BrotliDec=TRUE
 endef
 
+define $(package)_preprocess_cmds
+  patch -p1 < $($(package)_patch_dir)/cmake_minimum.patch
+endef
+
 define $(package)_config_cmds
   $($(package)_cmake) -S .. -B .
 endef
diff --git a/depends/patches/freetype/cmake_minimum.patch b/depends/patches/freetype/cmake_minimum.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a976f8ab8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/depends/patches/freetype/cmake_minimum.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+build: set minimum required CMake to 3.12
+
+--- a/CMakeLists.txt
++++ b/CMakeLists.txt
+@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
+ # FreeType explicitly marks the API to be exported and relies on the compiler
+ # to hide all other symbols. CMake supports a C_VISBILITY_PRESET property
+ # starting with 2.8.12.
+-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.12)
++cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.12)
+
+ if (NOT CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.3)
+   # Allow symbol visibility settings also on static libraries. CMake < 3.3