diff --git a/docs/yaml/functions/_build_target_base.yaml b/docs/yaml/functions/_build_target_base.yaml
index 3f0e88158..1db49a531 100644
--- a/docs/yaml/functions/_build_target_base.yaml
+++ b/docs/yaml/functions/_build_target_base.yaml
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ kwargs:
       compiler flags to use for the given language;
       eg: `cpp_args` for C++
 
+  vala_args:
+    type: list[str | file]
+    description: |
+      Compiler flags for Vala. Unlike other languages this may contain Files
+
   sources:
     type: str | file | custom_tgt | custom_idx | generated_list | structured_src
     description: Additional source files. Same as the source varargs.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
index a8bf387f9..dd9e6ee6c 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
@@ -1475,7 +1475,7 @@ class Backend:
             srcs += fname
         return srcs
 
-    def get_custom_target_depend_files(self, target: build.CustomTarget, absolute_paths: bool = False) -> T.List[str]:
+    def get_target_depend_files(self, target: T.Union[build.CustomTarget, build.BuildTarget], absolute_paths: bool = False) -> T.List[str]:
         deps: T.List[str] = []
         for i in target.depend_files:
             if isinstance(i, mesonlib.File):
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 29883bac7..d4d4e2ff6 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ class NinjaBackend(backends.Backend):
         self.custom_target_generator_inputs(target)
         (srcs, ofilenames, cmd) = self.eval_custom_target_command(target)
         deps = self.unwrap_dep_list(target)
-        deps += self.get_custom_target_depend_files(target)
+        deps += self.get_target_depend_files(target)
         if target.build_always_stale:
             deps.append('PHONY')
         if target.depfile is None:
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ class NinjaBackend(backends.Backend):
             elem.add_item('description', f'Running external command {target.name}{cmd_type}')
             elem.add_item('pool', 'console')
         deps = self.unwrap_dep_list(target)
-        deps += self.get_custom_target_depend_files(target)
+        deps += self.get_target_depend_files(target)
         elem.add_dep(deps)
         self.add_build(elem)
         self.processed_targets.add(target.get_id())
@@ -1712,18 +1712,10 @@ class NinjaBackend(backends.Backend):
             if isinstance(gensrc, modules.GResourceTarget):
                 gres_xml, = self.get_custom_target_sources(gensrc)
                 args += ['--gresources=' + gres_xml]
-        extra_args = []
-
-        for a in target.extra_args.get('vala', []):
-            if isinstance(a, File):
-                relname = a.rel_to_builddir(self.build_to_src)
-                extra_dep_files.append(relname)
-                extra_args.append(relname)
-            else:
-                extra_args.append(a)
         dependency_vapis = self.determine_dep_vapis(target)
         extra_dep_files += dependency_vapis
-        args += extra_args
+        extra_dep_files.extend(self.get_target_depend_files(target))
+        args += target.get_extra_args('vala')
         element = NinjaBuildElement(self.all_outputs, valac_outputs,
                                     self.compiler_to_rule_name(valac),
                                     all_files + dependency_vapis)
@@ -2622,7 +2614,7 @@ https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=47485'''))
         exe = generator.get_exe()
         infilelist = genlist.get_inputs()
         outfilelist = genlist.get_outputs()
-        extra_dependencies = self.get_custom_target_depend_files(genlist)
+        extra_dependencies = self.get_target_depend_files(genlist)
         for i, curfile in enumerate(infilelist):
             if len(generator.outputs) == 1:
                 sole_output = os.path.join(self.get_target_private_dir(target), outfilelist[i])
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py
index c9c21a135..b9ada532b 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/vs2010backend.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class Vs2010Backend(backends.Backend):
                 else:
                     sole_output = ''
                 infilename = os.path.join(down, curfile.rel_to_builddir(self.build_to_src, target_private_dir))
-                deps = self.get_custom_target_depend_files(genlist, True)
+                deps = self.get_target_depend_files(genlist, True)
                 base_args = generator.get_arglist(infilename)
                 outfiles_rel = genlist.get_outputs_for(curfile)
                 outfiles = [os.path.join(target_private_dir, of) for of in outfiles_rel]
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@ class Vs2010Backend(backends.Backend):
         (root, type_config) = self.create_basic_project(target.name,
                                                         temp_dir=target.get_id(),
                                                         guid=guid)
-        depend_files = self.get_custom_target_depend_files(target)
+        depend_files = self.get_target_depend_files(target)
 
         if not target.command:
             # This is an alias target and thus doesn't run any command. It's
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ class Vs2010Backend(backends.Backend):
         # from the target dir, not the build root.
         target.absolute_paths = True
         (srcs, ofilenames, cmd) = self.eval_custom_target_command(target, True)
-        depend_files = self.get_custom_target_depend_files(target, True)
+        depend_files = self.get_target_depend_files(target, True)
         # Always use a wrapper because MSBuild eats random characters when
         # there are many arguments.
         tdir_abs = os.path.join(self.environment.get_build_dir(), self.get_target_dir(target))
diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index 8208fa0d9..9f0abf539 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -735,6 +735,7 @@ class BuildTarget(Target):
         self.link_language = kwargs.get('link_language')
         self.link_targets: T.List[LibTypes] = []
         self.link_whole_targets: T.List[T.Union[StaticLibrary, CustomTarget, CustomTargetIndex]] = []
+        self.depend_files: T.List[File] = []
         self.link_depends = []
         self.added_deps = set()
         self.name_prefix_set = False
@@ -746,7 +747,7 @@ class BuildTarget(Target):
         # as Vala which generates .vapi and .h besides the compiled output.
         self.outputs = [self.filename]
         self.pch: T.Dict[str, T.List[str]] = {}
-        self.extra_args: T.Dict[str, T.List['FileOrString']] = {}
+        self.extra_args: T.Dict[str, T.List[str]] = {}
         self.sources: T.List[File] = []
         self.generated: T.List['GeneratedTypes'] = []
         self.extra_files: T.List[File] = []
@@ -1278,7 +1279,7 @@ class BuildTarget(Target):
     def get_outputs(self) -> T.List[str]:
         return self.outputs
 
-    def get_extra_args(self, language):
+    def get_extra_args(self, language) -> T.List[str]:
         return self.extra_args.get(language, [])
 
     @lru_cache(maxsize=None)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
index 0b6ccef22..29eaed202 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
@@ -3230,6 +3230,46 @@ class Interpreter(InterpreterBase, HoldableObject):
         else:
             raise InterpreterException(f'Unknown default_library value: {default_library}.')
 
+    def __convert_file_args(self, raw: T.List[mesonlib.FileOrString], allow_file: bool) -> T.Tuple[T.List[mesonlib.File], T.List[str]]:
+        """Convert raw target arguments from File | str to File.
+
+        This removes files from the command line and replaces them with string
+        values, but adds the files to depends list
+
+        :param raw: the raw arguments
+        :return: A tuple of file dependencies and raw arguments
+        """
+        depend_files: T.List[mesonlib.File] = []
+        args: T.List[str] = []
+        build_to_source = mesonlib.relpath(self.environment.get_source_dir(),
+                                           self.environment.get_build_dir())
+
+        for a in raw:
+            if isinstance(a, mesonlib.File):
+                if not allow_file:
+                    raise InvalidArguments('File type arguments are only allowed for vala')
+                depend_files.append(a)
+                args.append(a.rel_to_builddir(build_to_source))
+            else:
+                args.append(a)
+
+        return depend_files, args
+
+    def __process_language_args(self, kwargs: T.Dict[str, T.List[mesonlib.FileOrString]]) -> None:
+        """Convert split language args into a combined dictionary.
+
+        The Meson DSL takes arguments in the form `<lang>_args : args`, but in the
+        build layer we store these in a single dictionary as `{<lang>: args}`.
+        This function extracts the arguments from the DSL format and prepares
+        them for the IR.
+        """
+        d = kwargs.setdefault('depend_files', [])
+
+        for l in compilers.all_languages:
+            deps, args = self.__convert_file_args(kwargs[f'{l}_args'], l == 'vala')
+            kwargs[f'{l}_args'] = args
+            d.extend(deps)
+
     @T.overload
     def build_target(self, node: mparser.BaseNode, args: T.Tuple[str, SourcesVarargsType],
                      kwargs: kwtypes.Executable, targetclass: T.Type[build.Executable]) -> build.Executable: ...
@@ -3295,6 +3335,7 @@ class Interpreter(InterpreterBase, HoldableObject):
             mlog.debug('Unknown target type:', str(targetclass))
             raise RuntimeError('Unreachable code')
         self.kwarg_strings_to_includedirs(kwargs)
+        self.__process_language_args(kwargs)
 
         # Filter out kwargs from other target types. For example 'soversion'
         # passed to library() when default_library == 'static'.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/kwargs.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/kwargs.py
index 241a08b76..26ecb4ef9 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/kwargs.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/kwargs.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import typing as T
 
-from typing_extensions import TypedDict, Literal, Protocol
+from typing_extensions import TypedDict, Literal, Protocol, NotRequired
 
 from .. import build
 from .. import coredata
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ class _BaseBuildTarget(TypedDict):
     """
 
     override_options: T.Dict[OptionKey, T.Union[str, int, bool, T.List[str]]]
+    depend_files: NotRequired[T.List[File]]
 
 
 class _BuildTarget(_BaseBuildTarget):
diff --git a/manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/meson.build b/test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/meson.build
similarity index 100%
rename from manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/meson.build
rename to test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/meson.build
diff --git a/manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/my-resources.xml b/test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/my-resources.xml
similarity index 100%
rename from manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/my-resources.xml
rename to test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/my-resources.xml
diff --git a/manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/mywidget.ui b/test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/mywidget.ui
similarity index 100%
rename from manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/mywidget.ui
rename to test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/mywidget.ui
diff --git a/manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/mywidget.vala b/test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/mywidget.vala
similarity index 100%
rename from manual tests/7 vala composite widgets/mywidget.vala
rename to test cases/vala/27 file as command line argument/mywidget.vala