diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c13a83d505..dbdeb47586 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -290,8 +290,11 @@ $(qapi-modules) $(SRC_PATH)/scripts/qapi-commands.py $(qapi-py)
 QGALIB_GEN=$(addprefix qga/qapi-generated/, qga-qapi-types.h qga-qapi-visit.h qga-qmp-commands.h)
 $(qga-obj-y) qemu-ga.o: $(QGALIB_GEN)
 
-qemu-ga$(EXESUF): $(qga-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
-	$(call LINK, $^)
+# we require QGA_VSS_PROVIDER files to be built alongside qemu-ga
+# executable since they are shipped together, but we don't want to actually
+# link against them
+qemu-ga$(EXESUF): $(qga-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a $(QGA_VSS_PROVIDER)
+	$(call LINK, $(filter-out $(QGA_VSS_PROVIDER), $^))
 
 ifdef QEMU_GA_MSI_ENABLED
 QEMU_GA_MSI=qemu-ga-$(ARCH).msi
@@ -300,10 +303,6 @@ msi: $(QEMU_GA_MSI)
 
 $(QEMU_GA_MSI): qemu-ga.exe
 
-ifdef QEMU_GA_MSI_WITH_VSS
-$(QEMU_GA_MSI): qga/vss-win32/qga-vss.dll
-endif
-
 $(QEMU_GA_MSI): config-host.mak
 
 $(QEMU_GA_MSI):  $(SRC_PATH)/qga/installer/qemu-ga.wxs
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a52ef50c32..21c4089c5c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3851,6 +3851,7 @@ EOF
     guest_agent_with_vss="yes"
     QEMU_CFLAGS="$QEMU_CFLAGS $vss_win32_include"
     libs_qga="-lole32 -loleaut32 -lshlwapi -luuid -lstdc++ -Wl,--enable-stdcall-fixup $libs_qga"
+    qga_vss_provider="qga/vss-win32/qga-vss.dll qga/vss-win32/qga-vss.tlb"
   else
     if test "$vss_win32_sdk" != "" ; then
       echo "ERROR: Please download and install Microsoft VSS SDK:"
@@ -4350,9 +4351,6 @@ fi
 if [ "$guest_agent" != "no" ]; then
   if [ "$linux" = "yes" -o "$bsd" = "yes" -o "$solaris" = "yes" -o "$mingw32" = "yes" ] ; then
       tools="qemu-ga\$(EXESUF) $tools"
-      if [ "$mingw32" = "yes" -a "$guest_agent_with_vss" = "yes" ]; then
-        tools="qga/vss-win32/qga-vss.dll qga/vss-win32/qga-vss.tlb $tools"
-      fi
       guest_agent=yes
   elif [ "$guest_agent" != yes ]; then
       guest_agent=no
@@ -4660,6 +4658,7 @@ if test "$mingw32" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_PRODUCTVERSION=$version_major,$version_minor,$version_subminor,$version_micro" >> $config_host_mak
   if test "$guest_agent_with_vss" = "yes" ; then
     echo "CONFIG_QGA_VSS=y" >> $config_host_mak
+    echo "QGA_VSS_PROVIDER=$qga_vss_provider" >> $config_host_mak
     echo "WIN_SDK=\"$win_sdk\"" >> $config_host_mak
   fi
   if test "$guest_agent_ntddscsi" = "yes" ; then