diff --git a/gio/tests/gdbus-object-manager-example/meson.build b/gio/tests/gdbus-object-manager-example/meson.build
index df0999233..83b4fc06c 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gdbus-object-manager-example/meson.build
+++ b/gio/tests/gdbus-object-manager-example/meson.build
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ gdbus_example_objectmanager_generated = custom_target('objectmanager-gen',
              '--generate-docbook', 'objectmanager-gen',
              '--symbol-decorator', 'GDBUS_OBJECT_MANAGER_EXAMPLE_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL',
              '--symbol-decorator-header', 'gdbus-example-objectmanager-visibility.h',
-             '@INPUT@'])
+             '@INPUT@'],
+  depend_files : gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+  depends : gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
+)
 
 gdbus_example_objectmanager_rst_gen = custom_target('objectmanager-rst-gen',
   input: gdbus_example_objectmanager_xml,
@@ -36,6 +39,8 @@ gdbus_example_objectmanager_rst_gen = custom_target('objectmanager-rst-gen',
     '--output-directory', '@OUTDIR@',
     '@INPUT@',
   ],
+  depend_files: gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+  depends: gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
 )
 
 extra_c_args = []
diff --git a/gio/tests/meson.build b/gio/tests/meson.build
index 75fd9b5a8..187a60343 100644
--- a/gio/tests/meson.build
+++ b/gio/tests/meson.build
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
         output :  ['gdbus-test-codegen-generated.h',
                    'gdbus-test-codegen-generated.c'],
         depend_files : gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+        depends : gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
         command : [python, gdbus_codegen,
                    '--interface-prefix', 'org.project.',
                    '--output-directory', '@OUTDIR@',
@@ -393,6 +394,7 @@ if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
         output :  ['gdbus-test-codegen-generated-min-required-2-64.h',
                    'gdbus-test-codegen-generated-min-required-2-64.c'],
         depend_files : gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+        depends : gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
         command : [python, gdbus_codegen,
                    '--glib-min-required', '2.64',
                    '--interface-prefix', 'org.project.',
@@ -409,6 +411,7 @@ if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
           input :   ['test-codegen.xml'],
           output :  ['gdbus-test-codegen-generated-interface-info.h'],
           depend_files : gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+          depends : gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
           command : [python, gdbus_codegen,
                      '--interface-info-header',
                      annotate_args,
@@ -418,6 +421,7 @@ if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
           input :   ['test-codegen.xml'],
           output :  ['gdbus-test-codegen-generated-interface-info.c'],
           depend_files : gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+          depends : gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
           command : [python, gdbus_codegen,
                      '--interface-info-body',
                      annotate_args,
@@ -532,6 +536,7 @@ if host_machine.system() != 'windows'
         output :  ['fake-document-portal-generated.h',
                    'fake-document-portal-generated.c'],
         depend_files : gdbus_codegen_built_files,
+        depends : gdbus_codegen_built_targets,
         command : [python, gdbus_codegen,
                    '--interface-prefix', 'org.freedesktop.portal.',
                    '--output-directory', '@OUTDIR@',