diff --git a/locale/meson.build b/locale/meson.build
index eea7f1f..ab63b2b 100644
--- a/locale/meson.build
+++ b/locale/meson.build
@@ -3,25 +3,16 @@ wayfire_locale_dir = join_paths(share_dir, 'locale')
 
 fs = import('fs')
 
-mo_targets = []
-
 po_files_raw = run_command('find', '.', '-name', '*.po', check : true).stdout().strip().split('\n')
 po_files = files(po_files_raw)
 
 foreach po_file : po_files
     language = fs.name(fs.parent(fs.parent(po_file)))
+    install_path = join_paths(wayfire_locale_dir, language, 'LC_MESSAGES')
+    mo_dir = join_paths(meson.project_build_root(), 'locale', language, 'LC_MESSAGES')
     mo_file = fs.stem(po_file) + '.mo'
-    t = custom_target('mo-' + language,
-        input : po_file,
-        output : mo_file,
-        command : ['msgfmt', '@INPUT@', '-o', '@OUTPUT@'],
-        install : true,
-        install_dir : join_paths(
-            wayfire_locale_dir,
-            language,
-            'LC_MESSAGES'
-        )
-    )
-
-    mo_targets += t
+    mo_path = join_paths(mo_dir, mo_file)
+    run_command('mkdir', '-p', mo_dir, check : true)
+    run_command('msgfmt', po_file, '-o', mo_path, check : true)
+    install_data(mo_path, install_dir : install_path)
 endforeach