diff --git a/contrib/plugins/meson.build b/contrib/plugins/meson.build
index 6f72b2ce0c..6915ffa5fb 100644
--- a/contrib/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/contrib/plugins/meson.build
@@ -9,17 +9,8 @@ endif
 t = []
 if get_option('plugins')
   foreach i : contrib_plugins
-    if host_os == 'windows'
-      t += shared_module(i, files(i + '.c') + '../../plugins/win32_linker.c',
-                        include_directories: '../../include/qemu',
-                        link_depends: [win32_qemu_plugin_api_lib],
-                        link_args: win32_qemu_plugin_api_link_flags,
-                        dependencies: glib)
-    else
-      t += shared_module(i, files(i + '.c'),
-                        include_directories: '../../include/qemu',
-                        dependencies: glib)
-    endif
+    t += shared_module(i, files(i + '.c'),
+                       dependencies: plugins_deps)
   endforeach
 endif
 if t.length() > 0
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index cc0dfed066..82e0188b0b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -4450,7 +4450,7 @@ if get_option('plugins')
   if host_os == 'windows'
     # On windows, we want to deliver the qemu_plugin_api.lib file in the qemu installer,
     # so that plugin authors can compile against it.
-    install_data(win32_qemu_plugin_api_lib, install_dir: 'lib')
+    install_data(win32_qemu_plugin_api, install_dir: 'lib')
   endif
 endif
 
diff --git a/plugins/meson.build b/plugins/meson.build
index 62c991d87f..4318e3a167 100644
--- a/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/plugins/meson.build
@@ -51,11 +51,24 @@ if host_os == 'windows'
     dlltool_cmd = [dlltool, '--input-def', '@INPUT@',
                    '--output-delaylib', '@OUTPUT@', '--dllname', 'qemu.exe']
   endif
-  win32_qemu_plugin_api_lib = configure_file(
+  win32_qemu_plugin_api = configure_file(
     input: win32_plugin_def,
     output: 'libqemu_plugin_api.a',
     command: dlltool_cmd
   )
+  win32_qemu_plugin_api_lib = static_library('win32_qemu_plugin_api',
+                                             link_depends: win32_qemu_plugin_api)
+endif
+
+if host_os == 'windows'
+  plugins_deps = declare_dependency(sources: [files('win32_linker.c')],
+                                    include_directories: '../include/qemu',
+                                    link_with: win32_qemu_plugin_api_lib,
+                                    link_args: win32_qemu_plugin_api_link_flags,
+                                    dependencies: glib)
+else
+  plugins_deps = declare_dependency(include_directories: '../include/qemu',
+                                    dependencies: glib)
 endif
 
 user_ss.add(files('user.c', 'api-user.c'))
diff --git a/tests/tcg/plugins/meson.build b/tests/tcg/plugins/meson.build
index a6e7843851..d782370461 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/tests/tcg/plugins/meson.build
@@ -1,17 +1,8 @@
 t = []
 if get_option('plugins')
   foreach i : ['bb', 'discons', 'empty', 'inline', 'insn', 'mem', 'reset', 'syscall', 'patch']
-    if host_os == 'windows'
-      t += shared_module(i, files(i + '.c') + '../../../plugins/win32_linker.c',
-                        include_directories: '../../../include/qemu',
-                        link_depends: [win32_qemu_plugin_api_lib],
-                        link_args: win32_qemu_plugin_api_link_flags,
-                        dependencies: glib)
-    else
-      t += shared_module(i, files(i + '.c'),
-                        include_directories: '../../../include/qemu',
-                        dependencies: glib)
-    endif
+    t += shared_module(i, files(i + '.c'),
+                       dependencies: plugins_deps)
   endforeach
 endif
 if t.length() > 0