diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig
index 0e31dfb8989e..1a556d087e63 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ config DRM_XE
 	select DRM_BUDDY
 	select DRM_EXEC
 	select DRM_KMS_HELPER
+	select DRM_KUNIT_TEST_HELPERS if DRM_XE_KUNIT_TEST != n
 	select DRM_PANEL
 	select DRM_SUBALLOC_HELPER
 	select DRM_DISPLAY_DP_HELPER
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig.debug b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig.debug
index 549065f57a78..df02e5d17d26 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig.debug
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Kconfig.debug
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ config DRM_XE_KUNIT_TEST
 	depends on DRM_XE && KUNIT && DEBUG_FS
 	default KUNIT_ALL_TESTS
 	select DRM_EXPORT_FOR_TESTS if m
-	select DRM_KUNIT_TEST_HELPERS
 	help
 	  Choose this option to allow the driver to perform selftests under
 	  the kunit framework
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Makefile b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Makefile
index c531210695db..1a59c15f4d66 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/xe/Makefile
@@ -158,8 +158,10 @@ xe-$(CONFIG_PCI_IOV) += \
 	xe_lmtt_2l.o \
 	xe_lmtt_ml.o
 
-xe-$(CONFIG_DRM_XE_KUNIT_TEST) += \
-	tests/xe_kunit_helpers.o
+# include helpers for tests even when XE is built-in
+ifdef CONFIG_DRM_XE_KUNIT_TEST
+xe-y += tests/xe_kunit_helpers.o
+endif
 
 # i915 Display compat #defines and #includes
 subdir-ccflags-$(CONFIG_DRM_XE_DISPLAY) += \