diff --git a/plugins/meson.build b/plugins/meson.build
index 51b4350c2a..18a0303bff 100644
--- a/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/plugins/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-plugin_ldflags = []
 # Modules need more symbols than just those in plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols
 if not enable_modules
   if host_os == 'darwin'
@@ -7,9 +6,9 @@ if not enable_modules
       output: 'qemu-plugins-ld64.symbols',
       capture: true,
       command: ['sed', '-ne', 's/^[[:space:]]*\\(qemu_.*\\);/_\\1/p', '@INPUT@'])
-    plugin_ldflags = ['-Wl,-exported_symbols_list,plugins/qemu-plugins-ld64.symbols']
+    emulator_link_args += ['-Wl,-exported_symbols_list,plugins/qemu-plugins-ld64.symbols']
   else
-    plugin_ldflags = ['-Xlinker', '--dynamic-list=' + (meson.project_source_root() / 'plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols')]
+    emulator_link_args += ['-Xlinker', '--dynamic-list=' + (meson.project_source_root() / 'plugins/qemu-plugins.symbols')]
   endif
 endif
 
@@ -37,5 +36,5 @@ if get_option('plugins')
     'loader.c',
     'core.c',
     'api.c',
-  ), declare_dependency(link_args: plugin_ldflags))
+  ))
 endif