diff --git a/tests/tcg/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/Makefile.target
index a12b15637e..18afd5be19 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/Makefile.target
@@ -173,14 +173,25 @@ PLUGINS=$(filter-out $(DISABLE_PLUGINS), \
 # We need to ensure expand the run-plugin-TEST-with-PLUGIN
 # pre-requistes manually here as we can't use stems to handle it. We
 # only expand MULTIARCH_TESTS which are common on most of our targets
-# to avoid an exponential explosion as new tests are added. We also
-# add some special helpers the run-plugin- rules can use below.
+# and rotate the plugins so we don't grow too out of control as new
+# tests are added. Plugins that need to run with a specific test
+# should ensure they add their combination to EXTRA_RUNS.
 
 ifneq ($(MULTIARCH_TESTS),)
-$(foreach p,$(PLUGINS), \
-	$(foreach t,$(MULTIARCH_TESTS),\
-		$(eval run-plugin-$(t)-with-$(p): $t $p) \
-		$(eval RUN_TESTS+=run-plugin-$(t)-with-$(p))))
+
+NUM_PLUGINS := $(words $(PLUGINS))
+NUM_TESTS := $(words $(MULTIARCH_TESTS))
+
+define mod_plus_one
+  $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "print( ($(1) % $(2)) + 1 )")
+endef
+
+$(foreach _idx, $(shell seq 1 $(NUM_TESTS)), \
+	$(eval _test := $(word $(_idx), $(MULTIARCH_TESTS))) \
+	$(eval _plugin := $(word $(call mod_plus_one, $(_idx), $(NUM_PLUGINS)), $(PLUGINS))) \
+	$(eval run-plugin-$(_test)-with-$(_plugin): $(_test) $(_plugin)) \
+	$(eval RUN_TESTS+=run-plugin-$(_test)-with-$(_plugin)))
+
 endif # MULTIARCH_TESTS
 endif # CONFIG_PLUGIN
 
diff --git a/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target
index bfdf7197a7..38345ff880 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target
@@ -189,6 +189,10 @@ run-plugin-semiconsole-with-%:
 TESTS += semihosting semiconsole
 endif
 
+test-plugin-mem-access: CFLAGS+=-pthread -O0
+test-plugin-mem-access: LDFLAGS+=-pthread -O0
+
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_PLUGIN),y)
 # Test plugin memory access instrumentation
 run-plugin-test-plugin-mem-access-with-libmem.so: \
 	PLUGIN_ARGS=$(COMMA)print-accesses=true
@@ -197,8 +201,8 @@ run-plugin-test-plugin-mem-access-with-libmem.so: \
 	$(SRC_PATH)/tests/tcg/multiarch/check-plugin-output.sh \
 	$(QEMU) $<
 
-test-plugin-mem-access: CFLAGS+=-pthread -O0
-test-plugin-mem-access: LDFLAGS+=-pthread -O0
+EXTRA_RUNS += run-plugin-test-plugin-mem-access-with-libmem.so
+endif
 
 # Update TESTS
 TESTS += $(MULTIARCH_TESTS)
diff --git a/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target b/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target
index 5acf270081..4171b4e6aa 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target
+++ b/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ endif
 MULTIARCH_RUNS += run-gdbstub-memory run-gdbstub-interrupt \
 	run-gdbstub-untimely-packet run-gdbstub-registers
 
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_PLUGIN),y)
 # Test plugin memory access instrumentation
-run-plugin-memory-with-libmem.so: 		\
-	PLUGIN_ARGS=$(COMMA)region-summary=true
-run-plugin-memory-with-libmem.so: 		\
-	CHECK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_COMMAND=$(MULTIARCH_SYSTEM_SRC)/validate-memory-counts.py $@.out
+run-plugin-memory-with-libmem.so: memory libmem.so
+run-plugin-memory-with-libmem.so: PLUGIN_ARGS=$(COMMA)region-summary=true
+run-plugin-memory-with-libmem.so: CHECK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_COMMAND=$(MULTIARCH_SYSTEM_SRC)/validate-memory-counts.py $@.out
+
+EXTRA_RUNS += run-plugin-memory-with-libmem.so
+endif