diff --git a/tests/include/meson.build b/tests/include/meson.build
index fea3a6342f..9abba308fa 100644
--- a/tests/include/meson.build
+++ b/tests/include/meson.build
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ test_qapi_outputs_extra = [
   'test-qapi-visit-sub-module.h',
 ]
 
-test_qapi_outputs_extra = custom_target('QAPI test (include)',
-                                        output: test_qapi_outputs_extra,
-                                        input: test_qapi_files,
-                                        command: 'true')
+test_qapi_files_extra = custom_target('QAPI test (include)',
+                                      output: test_qapi_outputs_extra,
+                                      input: test_qapi_files,
+                                      command: 'true')
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index bf47a38c74..afeb6be689 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -56,8 +56,18 @@ test_qapi_files = custom_target('Test QAPI files',
 # perhaps change qapi_gen to replace / with _, like Meson itself does?
 subdir('include')
 
-libtestqapi = static_library('testqapi', sources: [test_qapi_files, genh, test_qapi_outputs_extra])
-testqapi = declare_dependency(link_with: libtestqapi)
+test_qapi_sources = []
+test_qapi_headers = []
+i = 0
+foreach o: test_qapi_files.to_list() + test_qapi_files_extra.to_list()
+  if o.full_path().endswith('.h')
+    test_qapi_headers += o
+  endif
+  test_qapi_sources += o
+endforeach
+
+libtestqapi = static_library('testqapi', sources: [genh, test_qapi_sources])
+testqapi = declare_dependency(link_with: libtestqapi, sources: [genh, test_qapi_headers])
 
 testblock = declare_dependency(dependencies: [block], sources: 'iothread.c')