diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 4ca76f6448..6b3bc3ad9e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3343,27 +3343,27 @@ clients_common_libnmc_base_la_LIBADD = \
 $(clients_common_libnmc_base_la_OBJECTS): $(libnm_core_lib_h_pub_mkenums)
 $(clients_common_libnmc_base_la_OBJECTS): clients/common/.dirstamp
 
-clients_common_settings_doc_c = clients/common/settings-docs.c
+clients_common_settings_doc_h = clients/common/settings-docs.h
 if HAVE_INTROSPECTION
-$(clients_common_settings_doc_c): clients/common/settings-docs.xsl libnm/nm-property-docs.xml clients/common/.dirstamp
+$(clients_common_settings_doc_h): clients/common/settings-docs.xsl libnm/nm-property-docs.xml clients/common/.dirstamp
 	$(AM_V_GEN) $(XSLTPROC) --output $@ $< $(word 2,$^)
-DISTCLEANFILES += $(clients_common_settings_doc_c)
-check-local-settings-docs: $(clients_common_settings_doc_c)
+DISTCLEANFILES += $(clients_common_settings_doc_h)
+check-local-settings-docs: $(clients_common_settings_doc_h)
 	@if test -z "$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS" ; then  \
-		if ! cmp -s "$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_c).in" "$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_c)" ; then \
-			echo "The generated file \"$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_c)\" differs from the source file \"$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_c).in\". You probably should copy the generated file over to the source file. You can skip this test by setting \$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS=yes"; \
+		if ! cmp -s "$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in" "$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)" ; then \
+			echo "The generated file \"$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)\" differs from the source file \"$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in\". You probably should copy the generated file over to the source file. You can skip this test by setting \$$NMTST_NO_CHECK_SETTINGS_DOCS=yes"; \
 			false; \
 		fi;\
 	fi
 check_local += check-local-settings-docs
 else
-$(clients_common_settings_doc_c): $(clients_common_settings_doc_c).in clients/common/.dirstamp
-	$(AM_V_GEN) cp "$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_c).in" "$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_c)"
+$(clients_common_settings_doc_h): $(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in clients/common/.dirstamp
+	$(AM_V_GEN) cp "$(srcdir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in" "$(builddir)/$(clients_common_settings_doc_h)"
 check-local-settings-docs:
 endif
 EXTRA_DIST += \
-	$(clients_common_settings_doc_c) \
-	$(clients_common_settings_doc_c).in
+	$(clients_common_settings_doc_h) \
+	$(clients_common_settings_doc_h).in
 
 if HAVE_INTROSPECTION
 check_ltlibraries += clients/common/libnmc.la
@@ -3392,7 +3392,7 @@ clients_common_libnmc_la_LIBADD = \
 	$(GLIB_LIBS)
 
 $(clients_common_libnmc_la_OBJECTS): $(libnm_core_lib_h_pub_mkenums)
-$(clients_common_libnmc_la_OBJECTS): $(clients_common_settings_doc_c)
+$(clients_common_libnmc_la_OBJECTS): $(clients_common_settings_doc_h)
 $(clients_common_libnmc_la_OBJECTS): clients/common/.dirstamp
 
 if HAVE_INTROSPECTION
diff --git a/clients/common/meson.build b/clients/common/meson.build
index 46489f4140..ea26bccfb4 100644
--- a/clients/common/meson.build
+++ b/clients/common/meson.build
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ sources = shared_meta_setting + files(
   'nm-meta-setting-desc.c'
 )
 
-settings_docs = 'settings-docs.c'
+settings_docs = 'settings-docs.h'
 
 if enable_introspection
   settings_docs_source = custom_target(
diff --git a/clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.c b/clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.c
index 9943b35eff..a028c9a3fa 100644
--- a/clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.c
+++ b/clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.c
@@ -4889,7 +4889,7 @@ static const NMMetaPropertyType _pt_gobject_devices = {
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-#include "settings-docs.c"
+#include "settings-docs.h"
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
diff --git a/clients/common/settings-docs.c.in b/clients/common/settings-docs.h.in
similarity index 100%
rename from clients/common/settings-docs.c.in
rename to clients/common/settings-docs.h.in
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index cd904c5f57..f22eb28a4f 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -74,4 +74,4 @@ option('libpsl', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Link against libpsl
 option('json_validation', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Enable JSON validation in libnm')
 option('crypto', type: 'combo', choices: ['nss', 'gnutls'], value: 'nss', description: 'Cryptography library to use for certificate and key operations')
 option('qt', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'enable Qt examples')
-option('check_settings_docs', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'compare check settings-docs.c file')
+option('check_settings_docs', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'compare check settings-docs.h file')
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 7abff01146..d41376b5c7 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.c
 clients/common/nm-polkit-listener.c
 clients/common/nm-secret-agent-simple.c
 clients/common/nm-vpn-helpers.c
-clients/common/settings-docs.c.in
+clients/common/settings-docs.h.in
 clients/nm-online.c
 clients/tui/newt/nmt-newt-utils.c
 clients/tui/nm-editor-utils.c