diff --git a/kong/db/dao/plugins.lua b/kong/db/dao/plugins.lua
index 34199eaeaa46..0a851f0bb371 100644
--- a/kong/db/dao/plugins.lua
+++ b/kong/db/dao/plugins.lua
@@ -162,16 +162,16 @@ local load_plugin_handler do
     local plugin_handler = "kong.plugins." .. plugin .. ".handler"
     local ok, handler = load_module_if_exists(plugin_handler)
     if not ok then
-      ok, handler = plugin_servers.load_plugin(plugin)
+      ok, handler = wasm_plugins.load_plugin(plugin)
       if type(handler) == "table" then
-        handler._go = true
+        handler._wasm = true
       end
     end
 
     if not ok then
-      ok, handler = wasm_plugins.load_plugin(plugin)
+      ok, handler = plugin_servers.load_plugin(plugin)
       if type(handler) == "table" then
-        handler._wasm = true
+        handler._go = true
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/kong/db/schema/plugin_loader.lua b/kong/db/schema/plugin_loader.lua
index ec1964c09ddf..b1b73d950b17 100644
--- a/kong/db/schema/plugin_loader.lua
+++ b/kong/db/schema/plugin_loader.lua
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ function plugin_loader.load_subschema(parent_schema, plugin, errors)
   local plugin_schema = "kong.plugins." .. plugin .. ".schema"
   local ok, schema = load_module_if_exists(plugin_schema)
   if not ok then
-    ok, schema = plugin_servers.load_schema(plugin)
+    ok, schema = wasm_plugins.load_schema(plugin)
   end
   if not ok then
-    ok, schema = wasm_plugins.load_schema(plugin)
+    ok, schema = plugin_servers.load_schema(plugin)
   end
 
   if not ok then
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/10-external-plugins/03-wasm_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/10-external-plugins/03-wasm_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..494b487e8087
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/02-integration/10-external-plugins/03-wasm_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+local helpers = require "spec.helpers"
+
+for _, strategy in helpers.each_strategy() do
+
+describe("external plugins and wasm #" .. strategy, function()
+  describe("wasm enabled in conjunction with unused pluginservers", function()
+    it("does not prevent kong from starting", function()
+      require("kong.runloop.wasm").enable({
+        { name = "tests",
+          path = helpers.test_conf.wasm_filters_path .. "/tests.wasm",
+        },
+      })
+
+      local bp = assert(helpers.get_db_utils(strategy, {
+        "services",
+        "routes",
+        "plugins",
+        "filter_chains",
+      }, { "response-transformer", "tests" }))
+
+      local route = assert(bp.routes:insert({
+        protocols = { "http" },
+        paths = { "/" },
+        service = assert(bp.services:insert({})),
+      }))
+
+      -- configure a wasm filter plugin
+      assert(bp.plugins:insert({
+        name = "tests",
+        route = route,
+        config = "",
+      }))
+
+      -- configure a lua plugin
+      assert(bp.plugins:insert({
+        name = "response-transformer",
+        route = route,
+        config = {
+          add = {
+            headers = {
+              "X-Lua-Plugin:hello from response-transformer",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      }))
+
+      assert(helpers.start_kong({
+        nginx_conf = "spec/fixtures/custom_nginx.template",
+        database = strategy,
+
+        wasm = true,
+        wasm_filters = "tests",
+
+        plugins = "response-transformer",
+
+        -- this pluginserver does not exist, but we will validate that kong can
+        -- start so long as there are no configured/enabled plugins that will
+        -- require us to invoke it in any way
+        --
+        -- XXX: this configuration could be considered invalid, and future changes
+        -- to plugin resolution/pluginserver code MAY opt to change this behavior
+        pluginserver_names = "not-exists",
+        pluginserver_not_exists_start_cmd = "/i/do/not/exist",
+        pluginserver_not_exists_query_cmd = "/i/do/not/exist",
+      }))
+
+      local client
+
+      finally(function()
+        if client then
+          client:close()
+        end
+
+        helpers.stop_kong()
+      end)
+
+      client = helpers.proxy_client()
+      local res = client:get("/", {
+        headers = {
+          ["X-PW-Test"] = "local_response",
+          ["X-PW-Input"] = "hello from wasm",
+        },
+      })
+
+      -- verify that our wasm filter ran
+      local body = assert.res_status(200, res)
+      assert.equals("hello from wasm", body)
+
+      -- verify that our lua plugin (response-transformer) ran
+      local header = assert.response(res).has.header("X-Lua-Plugin")
+      assert.equals("hello from response-transformer", header)
+    end)
+  end)
+end)
+
+end -- each strategy