diff --git a/plugins/mysqlx/Makefile b/plugins/mysqlx/Makefile
index 15cd12898..5c29d7e49 100644
--- a/plugins/mysqlx/Makefile
+++ b/plugins/mysqlx/Makefile
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ CXXFLAGS := $(STDCPP) -fPIC $(OPTZ) $(WGCOV) $(WASAN)
 
 SRCS := $(PLUGIN_DIR)/src/mysqlx_plugin.cpp \
 	$(PLUGIN_DIR)/src/mysqlx_admin_schema.cpp
+HEADERS := $(wildcard $(PLUGIN_DIR)/include/*.h)
 OBJS := $(patsubst $(PLUGIN_DIR)/src/%.cpp,$(ODIR)/%.o,$(SRCS))
 
 $(ODIR):
 	mkdir -p $(ODIR)
 
-$(ODIR)/%.o: $(PLUGIN_DIR)/src/%.cpp | $(ODIR)
+$(ODIR)/%.o: $(PLUGIN_DIR)/src/%.cpp $(HEADERS) | $(ODIR)
 	$(CXX) -c -o $@ $< $(CXXFLAGS) $(IDIRS)
 
 $(PLUGIN_SO): $(OBJS)
diff --git a/test/tap/tests/unit/Makefile b/test/tap/tests/unit/Makefile
index 89bc0b990..caee897b2 100644
--- a/test/tap/tests/unit/Makefile
+++ b/test/tap/tests/unit/Makefile
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ endif
 TEST_HELPERS_DIR := $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/test/tap/test_helpers
 FAKE_PLUGIN_SO := $(TEST_HELPERS_DIR)/libproxysql_fake_plugin.so
 MYSQLX_PLUGIN_SO := $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/plugins/mysqlx/ProxySQL_MySQLX_Plugin.so
+MYSQLX_PLUGIN_OPTZ := -O0 -ggdb $(filter -DDEBUG,$(OPT))
 ODIR := obj
 PROXYSQL_TEST_HEADERS := $(wildcard $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/include/*.h) $(wildcard $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/include/*.hpp)
 
@@ -247,8 +248,11 @@ $(ODIR)/test_init.o: $(TEST_HELPERS_DIR)/test_init.cpp $(PROXYSQL_TEST_HEADERS)
 $(FAKE_PLUGIN_SO): $(TEST_HELPERS_DIR)/fake_plugin.cpp $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/include/ProxySQL_Plugin.h | $(TEST_HELPERS_DIR)
 	$(CXX) -shared -fPIC -o $@ $< $(STDCPP) $(IDIRS) -ldl
 
-$(MYSQLX_PLUGIN_SO):
-	$(MAKE) -C $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/plugins/mysqlx all CC=$(CC) CXX=$(CXX)
+.PHONY: mysqlx_plugin_build
+mysqlx_plugin_build:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(PROXYSQL_PATH)/plugins/mysqlx all \
+		CC=$(CC) CXX=$(CXX) OPTZ="$(MYSQLX_PLUGIN_OPTZ)" \
+		WGCOV="$(WGCOV)" WASAN="$(WASAN)"
 
 # Keep on-demand unit-test library rebuilds aligned with the default top-level
 # feature set so incremental rebuilds do not mix incompatible objects.
@@ -350,7 +354,7 @@ plugin_config_unit-t: plugin_config_unit-t.cpp $(FAKE_PLUGIN_SO) $(ODIR)/tap.o $
 		$(IDIRS) $(LDIRS) $(OPT) $(LIBPROXYSQLAR_FULL) $(STATIC_LIBS) \
 		$(MYLIBS) -ldl $(ALLOW_MULTI_DEF) -o $@
 
-test_mysqlx_plugin_load-t: ../test_mysqlx_plugin_load-t.cpp $(ODIR)/tap.o $(ODIR)/test_globals.o $(ODIR)/test_init.o $(LIBPROXYSQLAR) $(MYSQLX_PLUGIN_SO)
+test_mysqlx_plugin_load-t: ../test_mysqlx_plugin_load-t.cpp $(ODIR)/tap.o $(ODIR)/test_globals.o $(ODIR)/test_init.o $(LIBPROXYSQLAR) mysqlx_plugin_build
 	$(CXX) ../test_mysqlx_plugin_load-t.cpp $(ODIR)/tap.o $(ODIR)/test_globals.o $(ODIR)/test_init.o \
 		-DPROXYSQL_MYSQLX_PLUGIN_PATH=\"$(MYSQLX_PLUGIN_SO)\" \
 		$(IDIRS) $(LDIRS) $(OPT) $(LIBPROXYSQLAR_FULL) $(STATIC_LIBS) \