diff --git a/mesonbuild/compilers/compilers.py b/mesonbuild/compilers/compilers.py
index 5c1d9d431..fa9e4f83d 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/compilers/compilers.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/compilers/compilers.py
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ class Compiler(HoldableObject, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
                           dependencies: T.Optional[T.List['Dependency']] = None) -> T.Tuple[bool, bool]:
         raise EnvironmentException('Language %s does not support header symbol checks.' % self.get_display_language())
 
-    def run(self, code: str, env: 'Environment', *,
+    def run(self, code: 'mesonlib.FileOrString', env: 'Environment', *,
             extra_args: T.Optional[T.List[str]] = None,
             dependencies: T.Optional[T.List['Dependency']] = None) -> RunResult:
         raise EnvironmentException('Language %s does not support run checks.' % self.get_display_language())
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ class Compiler(HoldableObject, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
             yield result
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager
-    def cached_compile(self, code: str, cdata: coredata.CoreData, *,
+    def cached_compile(self, code: 'mesonlib.FileOrString', cdata: coredata.CoreData, *,
                        extra_args: T.Union[None, T.List[str], CompilerArgs] = None,
                        mode: str = 'link',
                        temp_dir: T.Optional[str] = None) -> T.Iterator[T.Optional[CompileResult]]:
@@ -1200,7 +1200,7 @@ class Compiler(HoldableObject, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
         return args
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager
-    def _build_wrapper(self, code: str, env: 'Environment',
+    def _build_wrapper(self, code: 'mesonlib.FileOrString', env: 'Environment',
                        extra_args: T.Union[None, CompilerArgs, T.List[str]] = None,
                        dependencies: T.Optional[T.List['Dependency']] = None,
                        mode: str = 'compile', want_output: bool = False,
@@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@ class Compiler(HoldableObject, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
             with self.cached_compile(code, env.coredata, extra_args=args, mode=mode, temp_dir=env.scratch_dir) as r:
                 yield r
 
-    def compiles(self, code: str, env: 'Environment', *,
+    def compiles(self, code: 'mesonlib.FileOrString', env: 'Environment', *,
                  extra_args: T.Union[None, T.List[str], CompilerArgs] = None,
                  dependencies: T.Optional[T.List['Dependency']] = None,
                  mode: str = 'compile',
@@ -1228,7 +1228,7 @@ class Compiler(HoldableObject, metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
             return p.returncode == 0, p.cached
 
 
-    def links(self, code: str, env: 'Environment', *,
+    def links(self, code: 'mesonlib.FileOrString', env: 'Environment', *,
               extra_args: T.Union[None, T.List[str], CompilerArgs] = None,
               dependencies: T.Optional[T.List['Dependency']] = None,
               mode: str = 'compile',
diff --git a/mesonbuild/compilers/mixins/clike.py b/mesonbuild/compilers/mixins/clike.py
index 09ad837b1..623a17a71 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/compilers/mixins/clike.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/compilers/mixins/clike.py
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ class CLikeCompiler(Compiler):
         args = cargs + extra_args + largs
         return args
 
-    def run(self, code: str, env: 'Environment', *,
+    def run(self, code: 'mesonlib.FileOrString', env: 'Environment', *,
             extra_args: T.Optional[T.List[str]] = None,
             dependencies: T.Optional[T.List['Dependency']] = None) -> compilers.RunResult:
         need_exe_wrapper = env.need_exe_wrapper(self.for_machine)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/coredata.py b/mesonbuild/coredata.py
index ea74e7c12..343651534 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/coredata.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/coredata.py
@@ -34,14 +34,14 @@ import typing as T
 
 if T.TYPE_CHECKING:
     from . import dependencies
-    from .compilers.compilers import Compiler, CompileResult  # noqa: F401
+    from .compilers.compilers import Compiler
     from .environment import Environment
-    from .mesonlib import OptionOverrideProxy
+    from .mesonlib import OptionOverrideProxy, FileOrString
     from .cmake.traceparser import CMakeCacheEntry
 
     OptionDictType = T.Union[T.Dict[str, 'UserOption[T.Any]'], OptionOverrideProxy]
     KeyedOptionDictType = T.Union[T.Dict['OptionKey', 'UserOption[T.Any]'], OptionOverrideProxy]
-    CompilerCheckCacheKey = T.Tuple[T.Tuple[str, ...], str, str, T.Tuple[str, ...], str]
+    CompilerCheckCacheKey = T.Tuple[T.Tuple[str, ...], str, 'FileOrString', T.Tuple[str, ...], str]
 
 version = '0.59.99'
 backendlist = ['ninja', 'vs', 'vs2010', 'vs2012', 'vs2013', 'vs2015', 'vs2017', 'vs2019', 'xcode']