diff --git a/version.cmake b/version.cmake
index 4dd6db6d..80f1c40b 100644
--- a/version.cmake
+++ b/version.cmake
@@ -11,12 +11,22 @@ if ("$Format:$" STREQUAL "")
   write_static_version_header("release")
 elseif (GIT_FOUND OR Git_FOUND)
   message(STATUS "Found Git: ${GIT_EXECUTABLE}")
-  add_custom_target(version ALL
+  set(extra_output)
+  if (CMAKE_GENERATOR MATCHES "Ninja")
+    # Ninja will not rerun the command every time if the file doesn't change,
+    # so inject this bogus output so that it always runs.
+    set(extra_output "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/.force-git-version-check")
+  endif ()
+  add_custom_command(
+    OUTPUT            "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/version/version.h"
+                      ${extra_output}
     COMMAND           "${CMAKE_COMMAND}"
                       "-D" "GIT=${GIT_EXECUTABLE}"
                       "-D" "TO=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/version/version.h"
                       "-P" "src/version.cmake"
     WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}")
+  add_custom_target(version ALL
+    DEPENDS "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/version/version.h")
 else()
   message(STATUS "WARNING: Git was not found!")
   write_static_version_header("unknown")