diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index a40e4f1aec..d7bfd5f3a3 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -772,11 +772,9 @@ if features['uchardet']
 endif
 
 vapoursynth = dependency('vapoursynth', version: '>= 56', required: get_option('vapoursynth'))
-vapoursynth_script = dependency('vapoursynth-script', version: '>= 56',
-                                required: get_option('vapoursynth'))
-features += {'vapoursynth': vapoursynth.found() and vapoursynth_script.found()}
+features += {'vapoursynth': vapoursynth.found()}
 if features['vapoursynth']
-    dependencies += [vapoursynth, vapoursynth_script]
+    dependencies += vapoursynth.partial_dependency(compile_args: true, includes: true)
     sources += files('video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c')
 endif
 
diff --git a/osdep/io.h b/osdep/io.h
index cc72e22473..bf672224e7 100644
--- a/osdep/io.h
+++ b/osdep/io.h
@@ -247,12 +247,13 @@ locale_t newlocale(int, const char *, locale_t);
 locale_t uselocale(locale_t);
 void freelocale(locale_t);
 
-#else /* __MINGW32__ */
+#else /* _WIN32 */
 
+#include <dlfcn.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 
 extern char **environ;
 
-#endif /* __MINGW32__ */
+#endif /* _WIN32 */
 
 #endif
diff --git a/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c b/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c
index d2ab916220..22bfa64658 100644
--- a/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c
+++ b/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
-#include <VapourSynth4.h>
 #include <VSScript4.h>
 
 #include <libavutil/rational.h>
@@ -37,11 +36,24 @@
 #include "filters/user_filters.h"
 #include "options/m_option.h"
 #include "options/path.h"
+#include "osdep/io.h"
 #include "osdep/threads.h"
 #include "video/img_format.h"
 #include "video/mp_image.h"
 #include "video/sws_utils.h"
 
+static const char *const vsscript_lib_names[] = {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    "VSScript.dll",
+#elif defined(__APPLE__)
+    "libvsscript.dylib",
+    "libvapoursynth-script.dylib",
+#else
+    "libvsscript.so",
+    "libvapoursynth-script.so",
+#endif
+};
+
 struct vapoursynth_opts {
     char *file;
     int maxbuffer;
@@ -804,11 +816,42 @@ static const m_option_t vf_opts_fields[] = {
 
 static int drv_vss_init(struct priv *p)
 {
-    p->vs_script_api = getVSScriptAPI(VSSCRIPT_API_VERSION);
-    if (!p->vs_script_api) {
-        MP_FATAL(p, "Could not initialize VapourSynth scripting.\n");
+    const char *vsscript_path = getenv("VSSCRIPT_PATH");
+    const int dl_mode = RTLD_NOW | RTLD_LOCAL;
+    void *vsscript_lib = NULL;
+
+    if (vsscript_path) {
+        vsscript_lib = dlopen(vsscript_path, dl_mode);
+    } else {
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < MP_ARRAY_SIZE(vsscript_lib_names) && !vsscript_lib; ++i) {
+            vsscript_lib = dlopen(vsscript_lib_names[i], dl_mode);
+        }
+    }
+
+    VS_CC const VSSCRIPTAPI *(*getVSScriptAPI_func)(int) = NULL;
+    VS_CC const char *(*getVSScriptAPILastError_func)(void) = NULL;
+    const char *unknown_error_msg = "Last error unknown";
+
+    if (vsscript_lib) {
+        getVSScriptAPI_func = (void *) dlsym(vsscript_lib, "getVSScriptAPI");
+        getVSScriptAPILastError_func = (void *) dlsym(vsscript_lib, "getVSScriptAPILastError");
+    }
+
+    if (!getVSScriptAPI_func) {
+        const char *dl_error_msg = dlerror();
+        const char *last_error_msg = dl_error_msg ? dl_error_msg : unknown_error_msg;
+        MP_FATAL(p, "Failed to load VapourSynth VSScript library: %s\n", last_error_msg);
         return -1;
     }
+
+    p->vs_script_api = getVSScriptAPI_func(VSSCRIPT_API_VERSION);
+    if (!p->vs_script_api) {
+        const char *vs_error_msg = getVSScriptAPILastError_func ? getVSScriptAPILastError_func() : NULL;
+        const char *last_error_msg = vs_error_msg ? vs_error_msg : unknown_error_msg;
+        MP_FATAL(p, "Failed to initialize VapourSynth VSScript library: %s\n", last_error_msg);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }