diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index eacfda480..7da1f79c6 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -1367,8 +1367,16 @@ rule FORTRAN_DEP_HACK
             infilename = os.path.join(self.build_to_src, curfile)
             outfiles = genlist.get_outputs_for(curfile)
             outfiles = [os.path.join(self.get_target_private_dir(target), of) for of in outfiles]
+            if generator.depfile is None:
+                rulename = 'CUSTOM_COMMAND'
+                args = base_args
+            else:
+                rulename = 'CUSTOM_COMMAND_DEP'
+                depfilename = generator.get_dep_outname(infilename)
+                depfile = os.path.join(self.get_target_private_dir(target), depfilename)
+                args = [x.replace('@DEPFILE@', depfile)  for x in base_args]
             args = [x.replace("@INPUT@", infilename).replace('@OUTPUT@', sole_output)\
-                    for x in base_args]
+                    for x in args]
             args = self.replace_outputs(args, self.get_target_private_dir(target), outfilelist)
             # We have consumed output files, so drop them from the list of remaining outputs.
             if sole_output == '':
@@ -1377,7 +1385,9 @@ rule FORTRAN_DEP_HACK
             args = [x.replace("@SOURCE_DIR@", self.build_to_src).replace("@BUILD_DIR@", relout)
                     for x in args]
             cmdlist = exe_arr + self.replace_extra_args(args, genlist)
-            elem = NinjaBuildElement(self.all_outputs, outfiles, 'CUSTOM_COMMAND', infilename)
+            elem = NinjaBuildElement(self.all_outputs, outfiles, rulename, infilename)
+            if generator.depfile is not None:
+                elem.add_item('DEPFILE', depfile)
             if len(extra_dependencies) > 0:
                 elem.add_dep(extra_dependencies)
             elem.add_item('DESC', 'Generating $out')
diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index c92c99f59..2d6840afc 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -612,6 +612,7 @@ class Generator():
         if not isinstance(exe, Executable) and not isinstance(exe, dependencies.ExternalProgram):
             raise InvalidArguments('First generator argument must be an executable.')
         self.exe = exe
+        self.depfile = None
         self.process_kwargs(kwargs)
 
     def __repr__(self):
@@ -633,7 +634,6 @@ class Generator():
             if not isinstance(a, str):
                 raise InvalidArguments('A non-string object in "arguments" keyword argument.')
         self.arglist = args
-
         if 'output' not in kwargs:
             raise InvalidArguments('Generator must have "output" keyword argument.')
         outputs = kwargs['output']
@@ -651,12 +651,26 @@ class Generator():
                 if '@OUTPUT@' in o:
                     raise InvalidArguments('Tried to use @OUTPUT@ in a rule with more than one output.')
         self.outputs = outputs
+        if 'depfile' in kwargs:
+            depfile = kwargs['depfile']
+            if not isinstance(depfile, str):
+                raise InvalidArguments('Depfile must be a string.')
+            if os.path.split(depfile)[1] != depfile:
+                raise InvalidArguments('Depfile must be a plain filename without a subdirectory.')
+            self.depfile = depfile
 
     def get_base_outnames(self, inname):
         plainname = os.path.split(inname)[1]
         basename = plainname.split('.')[0]
         return [x.replace('@BASENAME@', basename).replace('@PLAINNAME@', plainname) for x in self.outputs]
 
+    def get_dep_outname(self, inname):
+        if self.depfile is None:
+            raise InvalidArguments('Tried to get dep name for rule that does not have dependency file defined.')
+        plainname = os.path.split(inname)[1]
+        basename = plainname.split('.')[0]
+        return self.depfile.replace('@BASENAME@', basename).replace('@PLAINNAME@', plainname)
+
     def get_arglist(self):
         return self.arglist
 
diff --git a/test cases/common/29 pipeline/meson.build b/test cases/common/29 pipeline/meson.build
index 8418381a4..200a6d8f2 100644
--- a/test cases/common/29 pipeline/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/29 pipeline/meson.build	
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ e1 = executable('srcgen', 'srcgen.c', native : true)
 
 # Generate a source file that needs to be included in the build.
 gen = generator(e1, \
- output  : '@BASENAME@.c', # Line continuation inside arguments should work without needing a "\".
- arguments : ['@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'])
+  depfile : '@BASENAME@.d',
+  output  : '@BASENAME@.c', # Line continuation inside arguments should work without needing a "\".
+  arguments : ['@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@', '@DEPFILE@'])
 
 generated = gen.process(['input_src.dat'])
 
diff --git a/test cases/common/29 pipeline/srcgen.c b/test cases/common/29 pipeline/srcgen.c
index 8095724ab..ceb9eccee 100644
--- a/test cases/common/29 pipeline/srcgen.c	
+++ b/test cases/common/29 pipeline/srcgen.c	
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include<stdio.h>
 #include<assert.h>
+#include<string.h>
 
 #define ARRSIZE 80
 
@@ -7,17 +8,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     char arr[ARRSIZE];
     char *ofilename;
     char *ifilename;
+    char *dfilename;
     FILE *ifile;
     FILE *ofile;
+    FILE *depfile;
     size_t bytes;
+    int i;
 
-    if(argc != 3) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "%s <input file> <output file>\n", argv[0]);
+    if(argc != 4) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s <input file> <output file> <dependency file>\n", argv[0]);
         return 1;
     }
     ifilename = argv[1];
     ofilename = argv[2];
-    printf("%s\n", ifilename);
+    dfilename = argv[3];
     ifile = fopen(argv[1], "r");
     if(!ifile) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Could not open source file %s.\n", argv[1]);
@@ -34,7 +38,32 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     assert(bytes > 0);
     fwrite(arr, 1, bytes, ofile);
 
+    depfile = fopen(dfilename, "w");
+    if(!depfile) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Could not open depfile %s\n", ofilename);
+        fclose(ifile);
+        fclose(ofile);
+        return 1;
+    }
+    for(i=0; i<strlen(ofilename); i++) {
+        if(ofilename[i] == ' ') {
+            fwrite("\\ ", 1, 2, depfile);
+        } else {
+            fwrite(&ofilename[i], 1, 1, depfile);
+        }
+    }
+    fwrite(": ", 1, 2, depfile);
+    for(i=0; i<strlen(ifilename); i++) {
+        if(ifilename[i] == ' ') {
+            fwrite("\\ ", 1, 2, depfile);
+        } else {
+            fwrite(&ifilename[i], 1, 1, depfile);
+        }
+    }
+    fwrite("\n", 1, 1, depfile);
+
     fclose(ifile);
     fclose(ofile);
+    fclose(depfile);
     return 0;
 }