diff --git a/src/gen-hb-version.py b/src/gen-hb-version.py
index 70e69d8b6..e29642425 100755
--- a/src/gen-hb-version.py
+++ b/src/gen-hb-version.py
@@ -10,10 +10,18 @@ major, minor, micro = version.split (".")
 input = sys.argv[2]
 output = sys.argv[3]
 
-with open (output, "wb") as output_file, open (input, "r", encoding='utf-8') as input_file:
-	output_file.write (input_file.read ()
+with open (input, "r", encoding='utf-8') as input_file:
+	generated = (input_file.read ()
 		.replace ("@HB_VERSION_MAJOR@", major)
 		.replace ("@HB_VERSION_MINOR@", minor)
 		.replace ("@HB_VERSION_MICRO@", micro)
 		.replace ("@HB_VERSION@", version)
 		.encode ())
+
+	with open (output, "rb") as current_file:
+		current = current_file.read()
+
+	# write only if is changed
+	if generated != current:
+		with open (output, "wb") as output_file:
+			output_file.write ()
diff --git a/src/gen-ragel-artifacts.py b/src/gen-ragel-artifacts.py
index 2f176bbaf..53a303849 100755
--- a/src/gen-ragel-artifacts.py
+++ b/src/gen-ragel-artifacts.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
-import io, os, re, sys, subprocess, shutil
+import io, os, re, sys, subprocess, shutil, tempfile
 
-if len (sys.argv) < 3:
+os.chdir(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+
+if len (sys.argv) < 2:
 	ragel_sources = [x for x in os.listdir ('.') if x.endswith ('.rl')]
 else:
-	os.chdir(sys.argv[1])
 	ragel_sources = sys.argv[2:]
 
 ragel = shutil.which ('ragel')
@@ -17,6 +18,23 @@ if not ragel:
 if not len (ragel_sources):
 	exit (77)
 
+tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp ()
+
 for rl in ragel_sources:
 	hh = rl.replace ('.rl', '.hh')
-	subprocess.Popen ([ragel, '-e', '-F1', '-o', hh, rl]).wait ()
+	shutil.copy (rl, tempdir)
+	# writing to stdout has some complication on Windows
+	subprocess.Popen ([ragel, '-e', '-F1', '-o', hh, rl], cwd=tempdir).wait ()
+
+	generated_path = os.path.join (tempdir, hh)
+	with open (generated_path, "rb") as temp_file:
+		generated = temp_file.read()
+
+	with open (hh, "rb") as current_file:
+		current = current_file.read()
+
+	# overwrite only if is changed
+	if generated != current:
+		shutil.copyfile (generated_path, hh)
+
+shutil.rmtree(tempdir)
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index c17513beb..698f00647 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -289,16 +289,13 @@ custom_target('hb-version.h',
 
 ragel = find_program('ragel', required: false)
 if not ragel.found()
-  message('You have to install ragel if you are going to develop HarfBuzz itself')
+  warning('You have to install ragel if you are going to develop HarfBuzz itself')
 else
-  foreach rl : hb_base_ragel_sources
-    hh = rl.split('.rl')[0] + '.hh'
-    custom_target(hh,
-      build_by_default: true,
-      depfile: rl,
-      output: hh,
-      command: [find_program('gen-ragel-artifacts.py'), meson.current_source_dir(), rl])
-  endforeach
+  custom_target('ragel header files',
+    build_by_default: true,
+    input: hb_base_ragel_sources,
+    output: '.ragel-artifacts',
+    command: [find_program('gen-ragel-artifacts.py')] + hb_base_ragel_sources)
 endif
 
 custom_target('harfbuzz.cc',