diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0f771a4e5d7..06df933f774 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6164,7 +6164,7 @@ declare -a static_detect_engines=("PLUMBERS" "AGI" "SCUMM" "SKY" "DREAMWEB" "DRA
 								  "SWORD1" "SWORD2" "SWORD25" "ADL" "QUEEN" "CGE" "CGE2" "ACCESS"
 								  "ZVISION" "AGOS" "GOB" "COMPOSER" "DM" "DRACI" "DRAGONS" "GNAP"
 								  "GRIFFON" "GROOVIE" "HDB" "HOPKINS" "HUGO" "ILLUSIONS" "KINGDOM"
-								  "KYRA" "LAB")
+								  "KYRA" "LAB" "LASTEXPRESS")
 detectId="_DETECTION"
 
 echo "Creating engines/plugins_table.h"
diff --git a/engines/lastexpress/detection.cpp b/engines/lastexpress/detection.cpp
index 99431ca007b..0dcc5ccc573 100644
--- a/engines/lastexpress/detection.cpp
+++ b/engines/lastexpress/detection.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-#include "lastexpress/lastexpress.h"
 #include "engines/advancedDetector.h"
 
 namespace LastExpress {
@@ -241,26 +240,8 @@ public:
 	const char *getOriginalCopyright() const override {
 		return "The Last Express (C) 1997 Smoking Car Productions";
 	}
-
-protected:
-	bool createInstance(OSystem *syst, Engine **engine, const ADGameDescription *gd) const override;
 };
 
-bool LastExpressMetaEngine::createInstance(OSystem *syst, Engine **engine, const ADGameDescription *gd) const {
-	if (gd) {
-		*engine = new LastExpressEngine(syst, (const ADGameDescription *)gd);
-	}
-	return gd != 0;
-}
-
-bool LastExpressEngine::isDemo() const {
-	return (bool)(_gameDescription->flags & ADGF_DEMO);
-}
-
 } // End of namespace LastExpress
 
-#if PLUGIN_ENABLED_DYNAMIC(LASTEXPRESS)
-	REGISTER_PLUGIN_DYNAMIC(LASTEXPRESS, PLUGIN_TYPE_ENGINE, LastExpress::LastExpressMetaEngine);
-#else
-	REGISTER_PLUGIN_STATIC(LASTEXPRESS, PLUGIN_TYPE_ENGINE, LastExpress::LastExpressMetaEngine);
-#endif
+REGISTER_PLUGIN_STATIC(LASTEXPRESS_DETECTION, PLUGIN_TYPE_METAENGINE, LastExpress::LastExpressMetaEngine);
diff --git a/engines/lastexpress/metaengine.cpp b/engines/lastexpress/metaengine.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b9ebb244fbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engines/lastexpress/metaengine.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/* ScummVM - Graphic Adventure Engine
+ *
+ * ScummVM is the legal property of its developers, whose names
+ * are too numerous to list here. Please refer to the COPYRIGHT
+ * file distributed with this source distribution.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "lastexpress/lastexpress.h"
+#include "engines/advancedDetector.h"
+
+namespace LastExpress {
+
+class LastExpressMetaEngineConnect : public AdvancedMetaEngineConnect {
+public:
+	const char *getName() const override {
+		return "lastexpress";
+	}
+
+protected:
+	bool createInstance(OSystem *syst, Engine **engine, const ADGameDescription *gd) const override;
+};
+
+bool LastExpressMetaEngineConnect::createInstance(OSystem *syst, Engine **engine, const ADGameDescription *gd) const {
+	if (gd) {
+		*engine = new LastExpressEngine(syst, (const ADGameDescription *)gd);
+	}
+	return gd != 0;
+}
+
+bool LastExpressEngine::isDemo() const {
+	return (bool)(_gameDescription->flags & ADGF_DEMO);
+}
+
+} // End of namespace LastExpress
+
+#if PLUGIN_ENABLED_DYNAMIC(LASTEXPRESS)
+	REGISTER_PLUGIN_DYNAMIC(LASTEXPRESS, PLUGIN_TYPE_ENGINE, LastExpress::LastExpressMetaEngineConnect);
+#else
+	REGISTER_PLUGIN_STATIC(LASTEXPRESS, PLUGIN_TYPE_ENGINE, LastExpress::LastExpressMetaEngineConnect);
+#endif
diff --git a/engines/lastexpress/module.mk b/engines/lastexpress/module.mk
index afce0b07490..d25a57c5814 100644
--- a/engines/lastexpress/module.mk
+++ b/engines/lastexpress/module.mk
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ MODULE_OBJS := \
 	sound/queue.o \
 	sound/sound.o \
 	debug.o \
-	detection.o \
 	graphics.o \
 	lastexpress.o \
+	metaengine.o \
 	resource.o
 
 # This module can be built as a plugin
@@ -81,3 +81,6 @@ endif
 
 # Include common rules
 include $(srcdir)/rules.mk
+
+# Detection objects
+DETECT_OBJS += $(MODULE)/detection.o