diff --git a/docs/refman/loaderyaml.py b/docs/refman/loaderyaml.py
index 1f8018517..9f96fa459 100644
--- a/docs/refman/loaderyaml.py
+++ b/docs/refman/loaderyaml.py
@@ -28,71 +28,130 @@ from .model import (
 from mesonbuild import mlog
 from mesonbuild import mesonlib
 
-from strictyaml import Map, MapPattern, Optional, Str, Seq, Int, Bool, load, EmptyList, OrValidator
 from pathlib import Path
 import typing as T
 
-d_named_object = {
-    'name': Str(),
-    'description': Str(),
-}
-
-d_feture_check = {
-    Optional('since', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('deprecated', default=''): Str(),
-}
-
-s_posarg = Map({
-    **d_feture_check,
-    'description': Str(),
-    'type': Str(),
-    Optional('default', default=''): Str(),
-})
-
-s_varargs = Map({
-    **d_named_object, **d_feture_check,
-    'type': Str(),
-    Optional('min_varargs', default=-1): Int(),
-    Optional('max_varargs', default=-1): Int(),
-})
-
-s_kwarg = Map({
-    **d_feture_check,
-    'type': Str(),
-    'description': Str(),
-    Optional('required', default=False): Bool(),
-    Optional('default', default=''): Str(),
-})
-
-s_function = Map({
-    **d_named_object, **d_feture_check,
-    'returns': Str(),
-    Optional('notes', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
-    Optional('warnings', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
-    Optional('example', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('posargs'): MapPattern(Str(), s_posarg),
-    Optional('optargs'): MapPattern(Str(), s_posarg),
-    Optional('varargs'): s_varargs,
-    Optional('posargs_inherit', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('optargs_inherit', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('varargs_inherit', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('kwargs'): MapPattern(Str(), s_kwarg),
-    Optional('kwargs_inherit', default=[]): OrValidator(OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()), Str()),
-})
-
-s_object = Map({
-    **d_named_object, **d_feture_check,
-    'long_name': Str(),
-    Optional('extends', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('notes', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
-    Optional('warnings', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
-    Optional('example', default=''): Str(),
-    Optional('methods'): Seq(s_function),
-    Optional('is_container', default=False): Bool()
-})
+class Template:
+    d_feature_check: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {}
+    s_posarg: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {}
+    s_varargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {}
+    s_kwarg: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {}
+    s_function: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {}
+    s_object: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {}
+
+class StrictTemplate(Template):
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        from strictyaml import Map, MapPattern, Optional, Str, Seq, Int, Bool, EmptyList, OrValidator
+
+        d_named_object = {
+            'name': Str(),
+            'description': Str(),
+        }
+
+        d_feture_check = {
+            Optional('since', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('deprecated', default=''): Str(),
+        }
+
+        self.s_posarg = Map({
+            **d_feture_check,
+            'description': Str(),
+            'type': Str(),
+            Optional('default', default=''): Str(),
+        })
+
+        self.s_varargs = Map({
+            **d_named_object, **d_feture_check,
+            'type': Str(),
+            Optional('min_varargs', default=-1): Int(),
+            Optional('max_varargs', default=-1): Int(),
+        })
+
+        self.s_kwarg = Map({
+            **d_feture_check,
+            'type': Str(),
+            'description': Str(),
+            Optional('required', default=False): Bool(),
+            Optional('default', default=''): Str(),
+        })
+
+        self.s_function = Map({
+            **d_named_object, **d_feture_check,
+            'returns': Str(),
+            Optional('notes', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
+            Optional('warnings', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
+            Optional('example', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('posargs'): MapPattern(Str(), self.s_posarg),
+            Optional('optargs'): MapPattern(Str(), self.s_posarg),
+            Optional('varargs'): self.s_varargs,
+            Optional('posargs_inherit', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('optargs_inherit', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('varargs_inherit', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('kwargs'): MapPattern(Str(), self.s_kwarg),
+            Optional('kwargs_inherit', default=[]): OrValidator(OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()), Str()),
+        })
+
+        self.s_object = Map({
+            **d_named_object, **d_feture_check,
+            'long_name': Str(),
+            Optional('extends', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('notes', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
+            Optional('warnings', default=[]): OrValidator(Seq(Str()), EmptyList()),
+            Optional('example', default=''): Str(),
+            Optional('methods'): Seq(self.s_function),
+            Optional('is_container', default=False): Bool()
+        })
+
+class FastTemplate(Template):
+    d_feature_check: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {
+        'since': '',
+        'deprecated': '',
+    }
+
+    s_posarg = {
+        **d_feature_check,
+        'default': '',
+    }
+
+    s_varargs: T.Dict[str, T.Any] = {
+        **d_feature_check,
+        'min_varargs': -1,
+        'max_varargs': -1,
+    }
+
+    s_kwarg = {
+        **d_feature_check,
+        'required': False,
+        'default': '',
+    }
+
+    s_function = {
+        **d_feature_check,
+        'notes': [],
+        'warnings': [],
+        'example': '',
+        'posargs': {},
+        'optargs': {},
+        'varargs': None,
+        'posargs_inherit': '',
+        'optargs_inherit': '',
+        'varargs_inherit': '',
+        'kwargs': {},
+        'kwargs_inherit': [],
+    }
+
+    s_object = {
+        **d_feature_check,
+        'extends': '',
+        'notes': [],
+        'warnings': [],
+        'example': '',
+        'methods': [],
+        'is_container': False,
+    }
 
 class LoaderYAML(LoaderBase):
-    def __init__(self, yaml_dir: Path) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, yaml_dir: Path, strict: bool=True) -> None:
         super().__init__()
         self.yaml_dir = yaml_dir
         self.func_dir = self.yaml_dir / 'functions'
@@ -100,8 +159,37 @@ class LoaderYAML(LoaderBase):
         self.objs_dir = self.yaml_dir / 'objects'
         self.builtin_dir = self.yaml_dir / 'builtins'
         self.modules_dir = self.yaml_dir / 'modules'
+        self.strict = strict
+
+        template: Template
+        if self.strict:
+            import strictyaml
+            def loader(file: str, template: T.Any, label: str) -> T.Dict:
+                r: T.Dict = strictyaml.load(file, template, label=label).data
+                return r
 
-    def _process_function_base(self, raw: T.OrderedDict, obj: T.Optional[Object] = None) -> Function:
+            self._load = loader
+            template = StrictTemplate()
+        else:
+            import yaml
+            from yaml import CLoader
+            def loader(file: str, template: T.Any, label: str) -> T.Dict:
+                return {**template, **yaml.load(file, Loader=CLoader)}
+
+            self._load = loader
+            template = FastTemplate()
+
+        self.template = template
+
+    def _fix_default(self, v: T.Dict) -> None:
+        if v["default"] is False:
+            v["default"] = "false"
+        elif v["default"] is True:
+            v["default"] = "true"
+        else:
+            v["default"] = str(v["default"])
+
+    def _process_function_base(self, raw: T.Dict, obj: T.Optional[Object] = None) -> Function:
         # Handle arguments
         posargs = raw.pop('posargs', {})
         optargs = raw.pop('optargs', {})
@@ -119,18 +207,29 @@ class LoaderYAML(LoaderBase):
         kwargs_mapped: T.Dict[str, Kwarg] = {}
 
         for k, v in posargs.items():
+            if not self.strict:
+                v = {**self.template.s_posarg, **v}
+                self._fix_default(v)
             v['type'] = Type(v['type'])
             posargs_mapped += [PosArg(name=k, **v)]
 
         for k, v in optargs.items():
+            if not self.strict:
+                v = {**self.template.s_posarg, **v}
+                self._fix_default(v)
             v['type'] = Type(v['type'])
             optargs_mapped += [PosArg(name=k, **v)]
 
         for k, v in kwargs.items():
+            if not self.strict:
+                v = {**self.template.s_kwarg, **v}
+                self._fix_default(v)
             v['type'] = Type(v['type'])
             kwargs_mapped[k] = Kwarg(name=k, **v)
 
         if varargs is not None:
+            if not self.strict:
+                varargs = {**self.template.s_varargs, **varargs}
             varargs['type'] = Type(varargs['type'])
             varargs_mapped = VarArgs(**varargs)
 
@@ -157,13 +256,13 @@ class LoaderYAML(LoaderBase):
     def _load_function(self, path: Path, obj: T.Optional[Object] = None) -> Function:
         path_label = path.relative_to(self.yaml_dir).as_posix()
         mlog.log('Loading', mlog.bold(path_label))
-        raw = load(self.read_file(path), s_function, label=path_label).data
+        raw = self._load(self.read_file(path), self.template.s_function, label=path_label)
         return self._process_function_base(raw)
 
     def _load_object(self, obj_type: ObjectType, path: Path) -> Object:
         path_label = path.relative_to(self.yaml_dir).as_posix()
         mlog.log(f'Loading', mlog.bold(path_label))
-        raw = load(self.read_file(path), s_object, label=path_label).data
+        raw = self._load(self.read_file(path), self.template.s_object, label=path_label)
 
         def as_methods(mlist: T.List[Function]) -> T.List[Method]:
             res: T.List[Method] = []
@@ -174,7 +273,13 @@ class LoaderYAML(LoaderBase):
 
         methods = raw.pop('methods', [])
         obj = Object(methods=[], obj_type=obj_type, **raw)
-        obj.methods = as_methods([self._process_function_base(x, obj) for x in methods])
+
+        methods = []
+        for x in methods:
+            if not self.strict:
+                x = {**self.template.s_function, **x}
+            methods += [self._process_function_base(x, obj)]
+        obj.methods = as_methods(methods)
         return obj
 
     def _load_module(self, path: Path) -> T.List[Object]:
diff --git a/docs/refman/main.py b/docs/refman/main.py
index e2654c9f7..bf674d446 100644
--- a/docs/refman/main.py
+++ b/docs/refman/main.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ meson_root = Path(__file__).absolute().parents[2]
 
 def main() -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Meson reference manual generator')
-    parser.add_argument('-l', '--loader', type=str, default='yaml', choices=['yaml', 'pickle'], help='Information loader backend')
+    parser.add_argument('-l', '--loader', type=str, default='yaml', choices=['yaml', 'fastyaml', 'pickle'], help='Information loader backend')
     parser.add_argument('-g', '--generator', type=str, choices=['print', 'pickle', 'md', 'json', 'man'], required=True, help='Generator backend')
     parser.add_argument('-s', '--sitemap', type=Path, default=meson_root / 'docs' / 'sitemap.txt', help='Path to the input sitemap.txt')
     parser.add_argument('-o', '--out', type=Path, required=True, help='Output directory for generated files')
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ def main() -> int:
 
     loaders: T.Dict[str, T.Callable[[], LoaderBase]] = {
         'yaml': lambda: LoaderYAML(args.input),
+        'fastyaml': lambda: LoaderYAML(args.input, strict=False),
         'pickle': lambda: LoaderPickle(args.input),
     }