diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f0a62971d91..8a26a240042 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ endef
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 .PHONY: source-dist clean-source-dist
+.PHONY: build-dist clean-build-dist
 
 SOURCE_DIST_BASE ?= rabbitmq-server
 SOURCE_DIST_SUFFIXES ?= tar.xz
@@ -149,6 +150,13 @@ SOURCE_DIST_FILES = $(addprefix $(SOURCE_DIST).,$(SOURCE_DIST_SUFFIXES))
 
 .PHONY: $(SOURCE_DIST_FILES)
 
+# Override rsync flags as a pre-requisite
+build-dist: RSYNC_FLAGS = $(BUILD_DIST_RSYNC_FLAGS)
+build-dist: $(SOURCE_DIST_FILES)
+	@:
+
+# Override rsync flags as a pre-requisite
+source-dist: RSYNC_FLAGS = $(SOURCE_DIST_RSYNC_FLAGS)
 source-dist: $(SOURCE_DIST_FILES)
 	@:
 
@@ -157,7 +165,9 @@ RSYNC_V_0 =
 RSYNC_V_1 = -v
 RSYNC_V_2 = -v
 RSYNC_V = $(RSYNC_V_$(V))
-RSYNC_FLAGS += -a $(RSYNC_V)		\
+BASE_RSYNC_FLAGS += -a $(RSYNC_V) \
+	       --delete					\
+	       --delete-excluded                        \
 	       --exclude '.sw?' --exclude '.*.sw?'	\
 	       --exclude '*.beam'			\
 	       --exclude '*.d'				\
@@ -188,12 +198,10 @@ RSYNC_FLAGS += -a $(RSYNC_V)		\
 	       --exclude '$(notdir $(DEPS_DIR))/'	\
 	       --exclude 'hexer*'			\
 	       --exclude 'logs/'			\
-	       --exclude 'packaging'			\
 	       --exclude 'PKG_*.md'			\
 	       --exclude '/plugins/'			\
 	       --include 'cli/plugins'			\
 	       --exclude '$(notdir $(DIST_DIR))/'	\
-	       --exclude 'test'				\
 	       --exclude '/$(notdir $(PACKAGES_DIR))/'	\
 	       --exclude '/PACKAGES/'			\
 	       --exclude '/amqp_client/doc/'		\
@@ -208,9 +216,21 @@ RSYNC_FLAGS += -a $(RSYNC_V)		\
 	       --exclude '/ranch/doc/'			\
 	       --exclude '/ranch/examples/'		\
 	       --exclude '/sockjs/examples/'		\
-	       --exclude '/workflow_sources/'		\
-	       --delete					\
-	       --delete-excluded
+	       --exclude '/workflow_sources/'
+
+SOURCE_DIST_RSYNC_FLAGS += $(BASE_RSYNC_FLAGS)          \
+	       --exclude 'packaging'			\
+	       --exclude 'test'
+
+# For build-dist, explicitly include folders that are needed
+# for tests to execute. These are added before excludes from
+# the base flags so rsync honors the first match.
+BUILD_DIST_RSYNC_FLAGS += \
+	       --include 'rabbit_shovel_test/ebin'      \
+	       --include 'rabbit_shovel_test/ebin/*'    \
+	       --include 'rabbitmq_ct_helpers/tools'    \
+	       --include 'rabbitmq_ct_helpers/tools/*'  \
+               $(BASE_RSYNC_FLAGS)
 
 TAR ?= tar
 TAR_V_0 =
@@ -375,6 +395,8 @@ $(SOURCE_DIST).zip: $(SOURCE_DIST).manifest
 
 clean:: clean-source-dist
 
+clean-build-dist:: clean-source-dist
+
 clean-source-dist:
 	$(gen_verbose) rm -rf -- $(SOURCE_DIST_BASE)-*