diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index a051bafa0..e861bf7a9 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -2163,9 +2163,7 @@ rule FORTRAN_DEP_HACK
     def get_build_on_all_targets(self):
         result = []
         for t in self.build.get_targets().values():
-            if t.build_on_all or \
-                (hasattr(t, 'install') and t.install) or\
-                (hasattr(t, 'build_always') and t.build_always):
+            if t.build_on_all or t.install or t.build_always:
                 result.append(t)
         return result
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index 555d0b990..b01c28051 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@ class Target:
         self.name = name
         self.subdir = subdir
         self.build_on_all = build_on_all
+        self.install = False
+        self.build_always = False
 
     def get_basename(self):
         return self.name