diff --git a/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.21_p20250217-r3.ebuild b/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.21_p20250217-r4.ebuild
similarity index 99%
rename from media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.21_p20250217-r3.ebuild
rename to media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.21_p20250217-r4.ebuild
index 7e8b18a15ffc9..7054383b34691 100644
--- a/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.21_p20250217-r3.ebuild
+++ b/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.21_p20250217-r4.ebuild
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ BDEPEND="
 	x86? ( dev-lang/yasm )
 "
 # <media-plugins/live-2024.11.28: https://github.com/gentoo/gentoo/pull/40610#issuecomment-2664870395
+# depends on abseil-cpp via protobuf targets
 RDEPEND="
 	media-libs/libvorbis
 	net-dns/libidn:=
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ RDEPEND="
 	cddb? ( media-libs/libcddb )
 	chromaprint? ( media-libs/chromaprint:= )
 	chromecast? (
+		dev-cpp/abseil-cpp:=
 		>=dev-libs/protobuf-2.5.0:=
 		>=net-libs/libmicrodns-0.1.2:=
 	)
diff --git a/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.9999.ebuild b/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.9999.ebuild
index 2ff9f31ba1ea1..1fcf322b0ae7d 100644
--- a/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.9999.ebuild
+++ b/media-video/vlc/vlc-3.0.9999.ebuild
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ BDEPEND="
 	wayland? ( dev-util/wayland-scanner )
 	x86? ( dev-lang/yasm )
 "
+# <media-plugins/live-2024.11.28: https://github.com/gentoo/gentoo/pull/40610#issuecomment-2664870395
+# depends on abseil-cpp via protobuf targets
 RDEPEND="
 	media-libs/libvorbis
 	net-dns/libidn:=
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ RDEPEND="
 	cddb? ( media-libs/libcddb )
 	chromaprint? ( media-libs/chromaprint:= )
 	chromecast? (
+		dev-cpp/abseil-cpp:=
 		>=dev-libs/protobuf-2.5.0:=
 		>=net-libs/libmicrodns-0.1.2:=
 	)
diff --git a/media-video/vlc/vlc-9999.ebuild b/media-video/vlc/vlc-9999.ebuild
index a0be3860d8667..94b118942f03f 100644
--- a/media-video/vlc/vlc-9999.ebuild
+++ b/media-video/vlc/vlc-9999.ebuild
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ BDEPEND="
 	wayland? ( dev-util/wayland-scanner )
 	x86? ( dev-lang/yasm )
 "
+# depends on abseil-cpp via protobuf targets
 RDEPEND="
 	media-libs/libvorbis
 	net-dns/libidn:=
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ RDEPEND="
 	cddb? ( media-libs/libcddb )
 	chromaprint? ( media-libs/chromaprint:= )
 	chromecast? (
+		dev-cpp/abseil-cpp:=
 		>=dev-libs/protobuf-2.5.0:=
 		>=net-libs/libmicrodns-0.1.2:=
 	)