diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index cf2ee34a1f..c830919df7 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3885,6 +3885,25 @@ EXTRA_DIST += \
 # dispatcher
 ###############################################################################
 
+dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources = \
+	dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.h \
+	dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.c \
+	$(NULL)
+
+dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.h: dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.xml
+	@$(MKDIR_P) dispatcher/
+	$(AM_V_GEN) gdbus-codegen \
+		--generate-c-code $(basename $@) \
+		--c-namespace NMDBus \
+		--interface-prefix org.freedesktop \
+		$<
+
+dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.c: dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.h
+
+CLEANFILES += $(dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources)
+
+###############################################################################
+
 libexec_PROGRAMS += dispatcher/nm-dispatcher
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES += \
@@ -3905,25 +3924,6 @@ dispatcher_cppflags = \
 	-DNETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION=NM_NETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION_CLIENT \
 	$(NULL)
 
-
-dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources = \
-	dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.h \
-	dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.c
-
-dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.h: dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.xml
-	@$(MKDIR_P) dispatcher/
-	$(AM_V_GEN) gdbus-codegen \
-		--generate-c-code $(basename $@) \
-		--c-namespace NMDBus \
-		--interface-prefix org.freedesktop \
-		$<
-
-dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.c: dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.h
-
-$(dispatcher_nm_dispatcher_OBJECTS): $(dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources)
-
-CLEANFILES += $(dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources)
-
 dispatcher_libnm_dispatcher_core_la_SOURCES = \
 	dispatcher/nm-dispatcher-utils.c \
 	dispatcher/nm-dispatcher-utils.h \
@@ -3939,8 +3939,6 @@ dispatcher_nm_dispatcher_SOURCES = \
 	dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.c \
 	$(NULL)
 
-nodist_dispatcher_nm_dispatcher_SOURCES = $(dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources)
-
 dispatcher_nm_dispatcher_CPPFLAGS = $(dispatcher_cppflags)
 
 dispatcher_nm_dispatcher_LDFLAGS = \
@@ -3998,12 +3996,21 @@ dispatcher_tests_test_dispatcher_envp_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-I$(srcdir)/libnm \
 	-I$(builddir)/libnm \
 	-I$(srcdir)/dispatcher \
+	-I$(builddir)/dispatcher \
 	-DNETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION_TEST \
 	-DNETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION=NM_NETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION_CLIENT \
 	$(GLIB_CFLAGS) \
 	$(SANITIZER_EXEC_CFLAGS) \
 	$(NULL)
 
+dispatcher_tests_test_dispatcher_envp_SOURCES = \
+	dispatcher/tests/test-dispatcher-envp.c \
+	$(NULL)
+
+nodist_dispatcher_tests_test_dispatcher_envp_SOURCES = $(dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources)
+
+$(dispatcher_tests_test_dispatcher_envp_OBJECTS): $(dispatcher_nmdbus_dispatcher_sources)
+
 dispatcher_tests_test_dispatcher_envp_LDFLAGS = \
 	$(SANITIZER_EXEC_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(NULL)
diff --git a/dispatcher/meson.build b/dispatcher/meson.build
index 7bd41935c5..da9ac7f292 100644
--- a/dispatcher/meson.build
+++ b/dispatcher/meson.build
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ libnm_dispatcher_core = static_library(
 
 sources = files('nm-dispatcher.c')
 
-sources += gnome.gdbus_codegen(
+nmdbus_dispatcher_sources = gnome.gdbus_codegen(
   'nmdbus-dispatcher',
   name + '.xml',
   interface_prefix: 'org.freedesktop',
diff --git a/dispatcher/tests/meson.build b/dispatcher/tests/meson.build
index 3da3c3e912..10d1c6a93f 100644
--- a/dispatcher/tests/meson.build
+++ b/dispatcher/tests/meson.build
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ incs = [
 
 exe = executable(
   test_unit,
-  test_unit + '.c',
+  [ test_unit + '.c' ] + [ nmdbus_dispatcher_sources ],
   include_directories: incs,
   dependencies: libnm_core_dep,
   c_args: [
diff --git a/dispatcher/tests/test-dispatcher-envp.c b/dispatcher/tests/test-dispatcher-envp.c
index cdc3e6b25b..b1205c3235 100644
--- a/dispatcher/tests/test-dispatcher-envp.c
+++ b/dispatcher/tests/test-dispatcher-envp.c
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 
 #include "nm-utils/nm-test-utils.h"
 
+#include "nmdbus-dispatcher.h"
+
 #define TEST_DIR      NM_BUILD_SRCDIR"/dispatcher/tests"
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
@@ -637,6 +639,17 @@ test_up_empty_vpn_iface (void)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+static void
+test_gdbus_codegen (void)
+{
+	gs_unref_object NMDBusDispatcher *dbus_dispatcher = NULL;
+
+	dbus_dispatcher = nmdbus_dispatcher_skeleton_new ();
+	g_assert (NMDBUS_IS_DISPATCHER_SKELETON (dbus_dispatcher));
+}
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 NMTST_DEFINE ();
 
 int
@@ -653,6 +666,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
 	g_test_add_func ("/dispatcher/up_empty_vpn_iface", test_up_empty_vpn_iface);
 
+	g_test_add_func ("/dispatcher/gdbus-codegen", test_gdbus_codegen);
+
 	return g_test_run ();
 }