diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
index 5cc2442e4..2861bb6c9 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
@@ -599,10 +599,7 @@ class Backend():
             elif '@DEPFILE@' in i:
                 if target.depfile is None:
                     raise MesonException('Custom target %s has @DEPFILE@ but no depfile keyword argument.' % target.name)
-                if absolute_paths:
-                    dfilename = os.path.join(self.get_target_private_dir_abs(target), target.depfile)
-                else:
-                    dfilename = os.path.join(self.get_target_private_dir(target), target.depfile)
+                dfilename = os.path.join(outdir, target.depfile)
                 i = i.replace('@DEPFILE@', dfilename)
             elif '@PRIVATE_OUTDIR_' in i:
                 match = re.search('@PRIVATE_OUTDIR_(ABS_)?([-a-zA-Z0-9.@:]*)@', i)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 63380bd52..89d6a6f74 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -494,8 +494,8 @@ int dummy;
             cmd_type = 'custom'
 
         if target.depfile is not None:
-            rel_dfile = os.path.join(self.get_target_private_dir(target), target.depfile)
-            abs_pdir = os.path.join(self.environment.get_build_dir(), self.get_target_private_dir(target))
+            rel_dfile = os.path.join(self.get_target_dir(target), target.depfile)
+            abs_pdir = os.path.join(self.environment.get_build_dir(), self.get_target_dir(target))
             os.makedirs(abs_pdir, exist_ok=True)
             elem.add_item('DEPFILE', rel_dfile)
         elem.add_item('COMMAND', cmd)