diff --git a/man/meson.build b/man/meson.build
index c2496739d5..d81155b2dd 100644
--- a/man/meson.build
+++ b/man/meson.build
@@ -62,35 +62,36 @@ foreach man: mans
 endforeach
 
 if enable_introspection
+  merge_cmd = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-merge.py')
 
   name = 'dbus'
   nm_settings_docs_xml_dbus = custom_target(
     'nm-settings-docs-' + name + '.xml',
-    input: [nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name], nm_property_infos_xml[name]],
+    input: [merge_cmd, nm_property_infos_xml[name], nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name]],
     output: 'nm-settings-docs-' + name + '.xml',
     command: [
       python.path(),
-      join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-merge.py'),
+      merge_cmd,
       '@OUTPUT@',
       nm_property_infos_xml[name],
-      nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name],
+      nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name]
     ],
   )
 
   name = 'nmcli'
   nm_settings_docs_xml_nmcli = custom_target(
     'nm-settings-docs-' + name + '.xml',
-    input: [nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name], nm_property_infos_xml[name]],
+    input: [merge_cmd, nm_property_infos_xml[name], gen_metadata_nm_settings_nmcli_xml, nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name]],
     output: 'nm-settings-docs-' + name + '.xml',
     command: [
       python.path(),
-      join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-merge.py'),
+      merge_cmd,
       '@OUTPUT@',
       '--only-properties-from',
       gen_metadata_nm_settings_nmcli_xml,
       nm_property_infos_xml[name],
       gen_metadata_nm_settings_nmcli_xml,
-      nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name],
+      nm_settings_docs_xml_gir[name]
     ],
   )
 
@@ -111,12 +112,13 @@ if enable_introspection
 
   foreach man: mans
     output = man[0] + '.xml'
+    template = join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), man[0] + '.xsl')
 
     input = custom_target(
       output,
-      input: man[2],
+      input: [template, man[2]],
       output: output,
-      command: xsltproc_options + [join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), man[0] + '.xsl'), '@INPUT@'],
+      command: xsltproc_options + '@INPUT@',
     )
     content_files += input.full_path()
 
diff --git a/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build b/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build
index e1650b2e34..0765944808 100644
--- a/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build
+++ b/src/libnm-client-impl/meson.build
@@ -175,6 +175,9 @@ if enable_introspection
   endif
   ld_library_path = meson.current_build_dir() + ld_library_path
 
+  gen_infos_cmd = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-property-infos.py')
+  gen_gir_cmd = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-gir.py')
+
   names = [ 'dbus', 'nmcli', 'keyfile' ]
   if enable_ifcfg_rh
     names += [ 'ifcfg-rh' ]
@@ -182,29 +185,29 @@ if enable_introspection
   foreach name: names
     t_infos = custom_target(
       'nm-property-infos-' + name + '.xml',
-      input: [libnm_gir[0]] + libnm_core_settings_sources,
+      input: [gen_infos_cmd, libnm_gir[0]] + libnm_core_settings_sources,
       output: 'nm-property-infos-' + name + '.xml',
       command: [
         python.path(),
-        join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-property-infos.py'),
+        gen_infos_cmd,
         name,
         '@OUTPUT@',
-        '@INPUT@'
-      ],
+        libnm_gir[0]
+      ] + libnm_core_settings_sources,
     )
 
     t_gir = custom_target(
       'nm-settings-docs-gir-' + name + '.xml',
-      input: libnm_gir[0],
+      input: [gen_gir_cmd, libnm_gir[0]],
       output: 'nm-settings-docs-gir-' + name + '.xml',
       command: [
         'env',
         'GI_TYPELIB_PATH=' + gi_typelib_path,
         'LD_LIBRARY_PATH=' + ld_library_path,
         python.path(),
-        join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-gir.py'),
+        gen_gir_cmd,
         '--lib-path', meson.current_build_dir(),
-        '--gir', '@INPUT@',
+        '--gir', libnm_gir[0],
         '--output', '@OUTPUT@',
         '--target', name
       ],
diff --git a/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build b/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build
index 7380479dc5..7fb460dc33 100644
--- a/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build
+++ b/src/libnmc-setting/meson.build
@@ -2,28 +2,31 @@
 
 if enable_docs
   assert(enable_introspection, '-Ddocs=true requires -Dintrospection=true')
+
+  merge_cmd = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-merge.py')
   settings_docs_input_xml = custom_target(
     'settings-docs-input.xml',
-    input: [nm_settings_docs_xml_gir['nmcli'], nm_property_infos_xml['nmcli']],
+    input: [merge_cmd, nm_settings_docs_xml_gir['nmcli'], nm_property_infos_xml['nmcli']],
     output: 'settings-docs-input.xml',
     command: [
       python.path(),
-      join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-nm-settings-docs-merge.py'),
+      merge_cmd,
       '@OUTPUT@',
       nm_property_infos_xml['nmcli'],
       nm_settings_docs_xml_gir['nmcli'],
     ],
   )
 
+  gen_cmd = join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-settings-docs.py')
   settings_docs_source = custom_target(
     'settings-docs.h',
-    input: settings_docs_input_xml,
+    input: [gen_cmd, settings_docs_input_xml],
     output: 'settings-docs.h',
     command: [
       python.path(),
-      join_paths(meson.source_root(), 'tools', 'generate-docs-settings-docs.py'),
+      gen_cmd,
       '--output', '@OUTPUT@',
-      '--xml', '@INPUT@'
+      '--xml', settings_docs_input_xml
     ],
   )