diff --git a/docs/meson.build b/docs/meson.build
index 73693353d..9bd80ba7c 100644
--- a/docs/meson.build
+++ b/docs/meson.build
@@ -15,10 +15,25 @@ docs_gen = custom_target(
     build_by_default: true,
     install: false)
 
+refman_gen = custom_target(
+    'gen_refman',
+    input: files('sitemap.txt'),
+    output: 'configured_sitemap.txt',
+    depfile: 'reman_dep.d',
+    command: [
+        find_program('./genrefman.py'),
+        '-g', 'md',
+        '-s', '@INPUT@',
+        '-o', '@OUTPUT@',
+        '--depfile', '@DEPFILE@',
+        '--force-color',
+    ],
+)
+
 hotdoc = import('hotdoc')
 documentation = hotdoc.generate_doc(meson.project_name(),
     project_version: meson.project_version(),
-    sitemap: 'sitemap.txt',
+    sitemap: refman_gen,
     build_by_default: true,
     depends: docs_gen,
     index: 'markdown/index.md',
@@ -30,6 +45,7 @@ documentation = hotdoc.generate_doc(meson.project_name(),
     git_upload_repository: 'git@github.com:mesonbuild/mesonbuild.github.io.git',
     edit_on_github_repository: 'https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson',
     syntax_highlighting_activate: true,
+    keep_markup_in_code_blocks: true,
 )
 
 run_target('upload',
diff --git a/docs/sitemap.txt b/docs/sitemap.txt
index b659a1a8a..a2790eb0a 100644
--- a/docs/sitemap.txt
+++ b/docs/sitemap.txt
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ index.md
 		Creating-OSX-packages.md
 		Creating-Linux-binaries.md
 		Project-templates.md
+	@REFMAN_PLACEHOLDER@
 	Reference-manual.md
 	Reference-tables.md
 	Style-guide.md
diff --git a/mesonbuild/modules/hotdoc.py b/mesonbuild/modules/hotdoc.py
index 19a1728c7..609b8da3b 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/modules/hotdoc.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/modules/hotdoc.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class HotdocTargetBuilder:
                 self.check_extra_arg_type(arg, v)
             return
 
-        valid_types = (str, bool, mesonlib.File, build.IncludeDirs, build.CustomTarget, build.BuildTarget)
+        valid_types = (str, bool, mesonlib.File, build.IncludeDirs, build.CustomTarget, build.CustomTargetIndex, build.BuildTarget)
         if not isinstance(value, valid_types):
             raise InvalidArguments('Argument "{}={}" should be of type: {}.'.format(
                 arg, value, [t.__name__ for t in valid_types]))
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ class HotdocTargetBuilder:
                 self.add_extension_paths(dep.extra_extension_paths)
             elif isinstance(dep, build.CustomTarget) or isinstance(dep, build.BuildTarget):
                 self._dependencies.append(dep)
+            elif isinstance(dep, build.CustomTargetIndex):
+                self._dependencies.append(dep.target)
 
         return [f.strip('-I') for f in cflags]
 
@@ -239,9 +241,12 @@ class HotdocTargetBuilder:
                     cmd.append(os.path.join(self.builddir, arg.get_curdir(), inc_dir))
 
                 continue
-            elif isinstance(arg, build.CustomTarget) or isinstance(arg, build.BuildTarget):
+            elif isinstance(arg, (build.BuildTarget, build.CustomTarget)):
                 self._dependencies.append(arg)
                 arg = self.interpreter.backend.get_target_filename_abs(arg)
+            elif isinstance(arg, build.CustomTargetIndex):
+                self._dependencies.append(arg.target)
+                arg = self.interpreter.backend.get_target_filename_abs(arg)
 
             cmd.append(arg)
 
@@ -262,7 +267,7 @@ class HotdocTargetBuilder:
                 res.append(self.ensure_file(val))
             return res
 
-        if not isinstance(value, mesonlib.File):
+        if isinstance(value, str):
             return mesonlib.File.from_source_file(self.sourcedir, self.subdir, value)
 
         return value
@@ -288,7 +293,7 @@ class HotdocTargetBuilder:
 
     def make_targets(self):
         self.check_forbidden_args()
-        file_types = (str, mesonlib.File)
+        file_types = (str, mesonlib.File, build.CustomTarget, build.CustomTargetIndex)
         self.process_known_arg("--index", file_types, mandatory=True, value_processor=self.ensure_file)
         self.process_known_arg("--project-version", str, mandatory=True)
         self.process_known_arg("--sitemap", file_types, mandatory=True, value_processor=self.ensure_file)