diff --git a/include/proxy-wasm/wasm.h b/include/proxy-wasm/wasm.h
index db3ff7404..5b82d1895 100644
--- a/include/proxy-wasm/wasm.h
+++ b/include/proxy-wasm/wasm.h
@@ -283,8 +283,8 @@ std::shared_ptr<WasmHandleBase> getThreadLocalWasm(std::string_view vm_id);
 class PluginHandleBase : public std::enable_shared_from_this<PluginHandleBase> {
 public:
   explicit PluginHandleBase(std::shared_ptr<WasmHandleBase> wasm_handle,
-                            std::string_view plugin_key)
-      : wasm_handle_(wasm_handle), plugin_key_(plugin_key) {}
+                            std::shared_ptr<PluginBase> plugin)
+      : wasm_handle_(wasm_handle), plugin_key_(plugin->key()) {}
   ~PluginHandleBase() { wasm_handle_->wasm()->startShutdown(plugin_key_); }
 
   std::shared_ptr<WasmBase> &wasm() { return wasm_handle_->wasm(); }
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ class PluginHandleBase : public std::enable_shared_from_this<PluginHandleBase> {
 };
 
 using PluginHandleFactory = std::function<std::shared_ptr<PluginHandleBase>(
-    std::shared_ptr<WasmHandleBase> base_wasm, std::string_view plugin_key)>;
+    std::shared_ptr<WasmHandleBase> base_wasm, std::shared_ptr<PluginBase> plugin)>;
 
 // Get an existing ThreadLocal VM matching 'vm_id' or create one using 'base_wavm' by cloning or by
 // using it it as a template.
diff --git a/src/wasm.cc b/src/wasm.cc
index 3829a89ef..320e282df 100644
--- a/src/wasm.cc
+++ b/src/wasm.cc
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<PluginHandleBase> getOrCreateThreadLocalPlugin(
                               "Failed to configure thread-local Wasm plugin");
     return nullptr;
   }
-  auto plugin_handle = plugin_factory(wasm_handle, plugin->key());
+  auto plugin_handle = plugin_factory(wasm_handle, plugin);
   local_plugins[key] = plugin_handle;
   return plugin_handle;
 }