diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 05346f05..d880e59f 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,4 +41,4 @@ if (Thorin_HAS_LLVM_SUPPORT)
     llvm_config(artic ${AnyDSL_LLVM_LINK_SHARED} core support)
 endif ()
 
-target_link_libraries(artic PUBLIC dl)
+target_link_libraries(artic PUBLIC ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
diff --git a/src/emit.cpp b/src/emit.cpp
index a7e6a545..5559e43e 100644
--- a/src/emit.cpp
+++ b/src/emit.cpp
@@ -1676,6 +1676,10 @@ const thorin::Def* FnDecl::emit(Emitter& emitter) const {
         } else if (auto import_attr = attrs->find("import")) {
             if (auto name_attr = import_attr->find("name"))
                 cont->set_name(name_attr->as<LiteralAttr>()->lit.as_string());
+            if (auto depends_attr = import_attr->find("depends")) {
+                auto depends = depends_attr->as<PathAttr>();
+                cont->attributes().depends = depends->path.emit(emitter)->as<thorin::Continuation>();
+            }
             if (auto cc_attr = import_attr->find("cc")) {
                 auto cc = cc_attr->as<LiteralAttr>()->lit.as_string();
                 if (cc == "device") {
@@ -1687,14 +1691,11 @@ const thorin::Def* FnDecl::emit(Emitter& emitter) const {
                 } else if (cc == "thorin")
                     cont->set_intrinsic();
                 else if (cc == "plugin")
-                    cont->attributes().intrinsic = thorin::Intrinsic::Plugin;
+                    // any depends are guaranteed to be emitted earlier
+                    emitter.world.link_plugin_intrinsic(cont);
                 else if (cc == "builtin")
                     emitter.builtin(*this, cont);
             }
-            if (auto depends_attr = import_attr->find("depends")) {
-                auto depends = depends_attr->as<PathAttr>();
-                cont->attributes().depends = depends->path.emit(emitter)->as<thorin::Continuation>();
-            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index ff703ccf..dc9e3644 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     world.set(opts.log_level);
     world.set(std::make_shared<thorin::Stream>(std::cerr));
 
+    for (auto plugin_to_load : opts.plugin_files) {
+        world.load_plugin(plugin_to_load.c_str());
+    }
+
     ast::ModDecl program;
     bool success = compile(
         opts.files, file_data,
@@ -322,10 +326,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     if (!success)
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
 
-    for (auto plugin_to_load : opts.plugin_files) {
-        world.register_plugin(plugin_to_load.c_str());
-    }
-
     if (opts.opt_level == 1)
         world.cleanup();
     if (opts.emit_c_int) {