diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 65d453c14649..e4d946e8db35 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1125,6 +1125,9 @@ if get_option('unit-tests-backends')
 endif
 
 if python.found()
+  find_rst_files = run_command(['find', docs_dir, '-name', '*.rst'])
+  rst_files = find_rst_files.stdout().strip().split('\n')
+
   html_docs = custom_target(
     'html-docs',
     command: [
@@ -1139,6 +1142,7 @@ if python.found()
     ],
     output: 'html-docs',
     console: true,
+    depend_files: rst_files,
   )
 
   docs_tarball = custom_target(
@@ -1161,6 +1165,7 @@ if python.found()
     ],
     output: 'PowerDNS-Authoritative.pdf',
     console: true,
+    depend_files: rst_files,
   )
 
   run_target(
diff --git a/pdns/dnsdistdist/meson.build b/pdns/dnsdistdist/meson.build
index 414fafded0ef..c13ef069d051 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdistdist/meson.build
+++ b/pdns/dnsdistdist/meson.build
@@ -691,6 +691,9 @@ install_data(
 )
 
 if python.found()
+  find_rst_files = run_command(['find', docs_dir, '-name', '*.rst'])
+  rst_files = find_rst_files.stdout().strip().split('\n')
+
   html_docs = custom_target(
     'html-docs',
     command: [
@@ -705,6 +708,7 @@ if python.found()
     ],
     output: 'html-docs',
     console: true,
+    depend_files: rst_files,
   )
 
   docs_tarball = custom_target(
@@ -727,6 +731,7 @@ if python.found()
     ],
     output: 'dnsdist.pdf',
     console: true,
+    depend_files: rst_files,
   )
 
   run_target(
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/meson.build b/pdns/recursordist/meson.build
index 43f583e3fe96..c6c4e7a6b5cf 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/meson.build
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/meson.build
@@ -735,6 +735,9 @@ dep_conf_distfile = custom_target(
 )
 
 if python.found()
+  find_rst_files = run_command(['find', docs_dir, '-name', '*.rst'])
+  rst_files = find_rst_files.stdout().strip().split('\n')
+
   html_docs = custom_target(
     'html-docs',
     command: [
@@ -749,6 +752,7 @@ if python.found()
     ],
     output: 'html-docs',
     console: true,
+    depend_files: rst_files,
   )
 
   docs_tarball = custom_target(
@@ -771,6 +775,7 @@ if python.found()
     ],
     output: 'PowerDNS-Recursor.pdf',
     console: true,
+    depend_files: rst_files,
   )
 
   run_target(