diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index e2ef1de82..393274422 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@ project('nixl', 'CPP', version: '0.6.1',
     meson_version: '>= 0.64.0'
 )
 
+build_plugins_opt = get_option('build_plugins')
+enabled_plugins = build_plugins_opt == '' ? [] : build_plugins_opt.split(',')
+
+should_build_plugin = {}
+foreach plugin : ['UCX', 'UCX_MO', 'LIBFABRIC', 'POSIX', 'OBJ', 'GDS', 'GDS_MT', 'MOONCAKE', 'Mooncake', 'HF3FS', 'GUSLI', 'GPUNETIO']
+    should_build_plugin += {plugin: enabled_plugins.length() == 0 or plugin in enabled_plugins}
+endforeach
+
+if enabled_plugins.length() == 0
+    message('Building all available plugins')
+else
+    message('Building only selected plugins: ' + build_plugins_opt)
+endif
+
 # set up some global vars for compiler, platform, configuration, etc.
 cpp = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
 fs = import('fs')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index fc28c08f2..a0b04c9ef 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ option('cudapath_inc', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Include path for
 option('cudapath_lib', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Library path for CUDA')
 option('cudapath_stub', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Extra Stub path for CUDA')
 option('static_plugins', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Plugins to be built-in, comma-separated')
+option('build_plugins', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'List of plugins to build, comma-separated. Default (empty) builds all available plugins')
 option('build_docs', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'Build Doxygen documentation')
 option('log_level', type: 'combo', choices: ['trace', 'debug', 'info', 'warning', 'error', 'fatal', 'auto'], value: 'auto', description: 'Log Level (auto: auto-detect based on build type: trace for debug builds, info for release builds)')
 option('rust', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'Build Rust bindings')
diff --git a/src/plugins/meson.build b/src/plugins/meson.build
index 2a97127b4..b99be6708 100644
--- a/src/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/src/plugins/meson.build
@@ -13,48 +13,55 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-ucx_backend_inc_dirs = include_directories('./ucx')
-
-if ucx_dep.found()
+if ucx_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('UCX')
     subdir('ucx')
+endif
+
+if ucx_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('UCX_MO')
+    ucx_backend_inc_dirs = include_directories('./ucx')
     subdir('ucx_mo')
 endif
 
-subdir('posix')  # Always try to build POSIX backend, it will handle its own dependencies
-subdir('obj')  # Always try to build Obj backend, it will handle its own dependencies
+if should_build_plugin.get('POSIX')
+    subdir('posix')
+endif
+
+if should_build_plugin.get('OBJ')
+    subdir('obj')
+endif
 
-if libfabric_dep.found()
+if libfabric_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('LIBFABRIC')
     subdir('libfabric')
 endif
 
 disable_gds_backend = get_option('disable_gds_backend')
-if not disable_gds_backend and cuda_dep.found()
+if not disable_gds_backend and cuda_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('GDS')
       subdir('cuda_gds')
 endif
 
-if taskflow_proj.found() and cuda_dep.found() and not disable_gds_backend
+if taskflow_proj.found() and cuda_dep.found() and not disable_gds_backend and should_build_plugin.get('GDS_MT')
       subdir('gds_mt')
 endif
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
 libtransfer_engine = cc.find_library('transfer_engine', required: false)
-if libtransfer_engine.found() and not get_option('disable_mooncake_backend')
+if libtransfer_engine.found() and not get_option('disable_mooncake_backend') and (should_build_plugin.get('MOONCAKE') or should_build_plugin.get('Mooncake'))
     subdir('mooncake')
 endif
 
 hf3fs_lib_path = '/usr/lib/'
 hf3fs_lib_file = 'hf3fs_api_shared'
 hf3fs_lib_found = cc.find_library(hf3fs_lib_file, dirs: [hf3fs_lib_path], required: false)
-if hf3fs_lib_found.found()
+if hf3fs_lib_found.found() and should_build_plugin.get('HF3FS')
     subdir('hf3fs')
 endif
 
 gusli_lib_file = 'gusli_clnt'
 gusli_lib_found = cc.find_library(gusli_lib_file, required: false)
-if gusli_lib_found.found()
+if gusli_lib_found.found() and should_build_plugin.get('GUSLI')
     subdir('gusli')
 endif
 
-if cuda_dep.found() and doca_gpunetio_dep.found()
+if cuda_dep.found() and doca_gpunetio_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('GPUNETIO')
     subdir('gpunetio')
 endif
diff --git a/test/gtest/plugins/meson.build b/test/gtest/plugins/meson.build
index e9e11b4c4..61e2e8357 100644
--- a/test/gtest/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/test/gtest/plugins/meson.build
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+if not should_build_plugin.get('OBJ')
+    message('OBJ plugin not enabled, skipping plugins_gtest build')
+    subdir_done()
+endif
+
 aws_s3 = dependency('aws-cpp-sdk-s3', static: false, required: false)
 if not aws_s3.found()
     message('aws-cpp-sdk-s3 not found, skipping plugins_gtest build')
diff --git a/test/unit/plugins/meson.build b/test/unit/plugins/meson.build
index d1e554616..0a52d86ea 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugins/meson.build
+++ b/test/unit/plugins/meson.build
@@ -13,44 +13,48 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-if ucx_dep.found()
+if ucx_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('UCX')
     subdir('ucx')
+endif
+
+if ucx_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('UCX_MO')
     subdir('ucx_mo')
 endif
-subdir('posix')
 
+if should_build_plugin.get('POSIX')
+    subdir('posix')
+endif
 
-if cuda_dep.found() and doca_gpunetio_dep.found()
+if cuda_dep.found() and doca_gpunetio_dep.found() and should_build_plugin.get('GPUNETIO')
     subdir('gpunetio')
 endif
 
-
 disable_gds_backend = get_option('disable_gds_backend')
-if not disable_gds_backend
+if not disable_gds_backend and should_build_plugin.get('GDS')
     subdir('cuda_gds')
 endif
 
-if taskflow_proj.found()
+if taskflow_proj.found() and should_build_plugin.get('GDS_MT')
     subdir('gds_mt')
 endif
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
 libtransfer_engine = cc.find_library('transfer_engine', required: false)
 disable_mooncake_backend = get_option('disable_mooncake_backend')
-if libtransfer_engine.found() and not disable_mooncake_backend
+if libtransfer_engine.found() and not disable_mooncake_backend and (should_build_plugin.get('MOONCAKE') or should_build_plugin.get('Mooncake'))
     subdir('mooncake')
 endif
 
 hf3fs_lib_path = '/usr/lib/'
 hf3fs_lib_file = 'hf3fs_api_shared'
 hf3fs_lib_found = cc.find_library(hf3fs_lib_file, dirs: [hf3fs_lib_path], required: false)
-if hf3fs_lib_found.found()
+if hf3fs_lib_found.found() and should_build_plugin.get('HF3FS')
     subdir('hf3fs')
 endif
 
 gusli_lib_path = '/usr/lib/'
 gusli_lib_file = 'gusli_clnt'
 gusli_lib_found = cc.find_library(gusli_lib_file, dirs: [gusli_lib_path], required: false)
-if gusli_lib_found.found()
+if gusli_lib_found.found() and should_build_plugin.get('GUSLI')
     subdir('gusli')
 endif
\ No newline at end of file