diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/allofme/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/allofme/meson.build
deleted file mode 100644
index f5c2027b5..000000000
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/allofme/meson.build	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-stlib = static_library('allofme', '../libfile.c')
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe/meson.build
index f47a24627..91d298dce 100644
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe/meson.build	
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-exe = executable('prog', '../prog.c',
-  link_with : dylib)
+exe = executable('prog', '../prog.c', link_with : sh_func2_linked_func1)
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe2/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe2/meson.build
index 5365f03b6..918486402 100644
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe2/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/exe2/meson.build	
@@ -1 +1 @@
-exe2 = executable('prog2', '../prog.c', link_with : dylib2)
+exe2 = executable('prog2', '../prog.c', link_with : sh_only_link_whole)
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/libfile.c b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/func1.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test cases/common/145 whole archive/libfile.c
rename to test cases/common/145 whole archive/func1.c
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/dylib.c b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/func2.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test cases/common/145 whole archive/dylib.c
rename to test cases/common/145 whole archive/func2.c
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/meson.build
index 617ae0340..56da157bb 100644
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/meson.build	
@@ -10,15 +10,23 @@ if cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
   endif
 endif
 
-subdir('allofme')
-subdir('shlib')
+# Test 1: link_whole keeps all symbols
+# Make static func1
+subdir('st_func1')
+# Make shared func2 linking whole func1 archive
+subdir('sh_func2_linked_func1')
+# Link exe with shared library only
 subdir('exe')
-
+# Test that both func1 and func2 are accessible from shared library
 test('prog', exe)
 
-# link_whole only
-subdir('stlib')
-subdir('wholeshlib')
+# Test 2: link_whole can be used instead of source list, see #2180
+# Make static func2
+subdir('st_func2')
+# Link both func1 and func2 into same shared library
+# which does not have any sources other than 2 static libraries
+subdir('sh_only_link_whole')
+# Link exe2 with shared library only
 subdir('exe2')
-
+# Test that both func1 and func2 are accessible from shared library
 test('prog2', exe2)
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/sh_func2_linked_func1/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/sh_func2_linked_func1/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2858f65ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/sh_func2_linked_func1/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Nothing in func2.c uses func1, so the linker would throw it
+# away and thus linking the exe would fail.
+sh_func2_linked_func1 = shared_library('sh_func2_linked_func1', '../func2.c', link_whole : st_func1)
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/sh_only_link_whole/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/sh_only_link_whole/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64baabd5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/sh_only_link_whole/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+sh_only_link_whole = shared_library('sh_only_link_whole', link_whole : [st_func1, st_func2])
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/shlib/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/shlib/meson.build
deleted file mode 100644
index 34a1b78a9..000000000
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/shlib/meson.build	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-# Nothing in dylib.c uses func1, so the linker would throw it
-# away and thus linking the exe would fail.
-dylib = shared_library('shlib', '../dylib.c',
-  link_whole : stlib)
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/st_func1/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/st_func1/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c84d78109
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/st_func1/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+st_func1 = static_library('st_func1', '../func1.c')
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/st_func2/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/st_func2/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2732f96ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/st_func2/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+st_func2 = static_library('st_func2', '../func2.c')
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/stlib/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/stlib/meson.build
deleted file mode 100644
index 07a434e06..000000000
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/stlib/meson.build	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-static = static_library('static', '../dylib.c')
diff --git a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/wholeshlib/meson.build b/test cases/common/145 whole archive/wholeshlib/meson.build
deleted file mode 100644
index 69a1995ce..000000000
--- a/test cases/common/145 whole archive/wholeshlib/meson.build	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-dylib2 = shared_library('link_whole', link_whole : [stlib, static])