diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b3955ca40..9dae29060 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -55,27 +55,21 @@ NINJA := $(shell which ninja)
 ifneq ($(findstring +, $(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 ifneq ($(NINJA),)
 
-$(MAKECMDGOALS): $(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja $(BUILDDIR)/rules.ninja
+$(MAKECMDGOALS): $(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja
 	@ninja -f $(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja $(MAKECMDGOALS)
 
-$(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja: Makefile
-	@mkdir -p $(BUILDDIR)
-	@echo "OBJDIR = $(OBJDIR)" > $@
-	@echo "BINDIR = $(BINDIR)" >> $@
-	@echo "LIBDIR = $(LIBDIR)" >> $@
-	@echo "INCDIR = $(INCDIR)" >> $@
-	@echo "INSDIR = $(INSDIR)" >> $@
-	@echo "PLATIND = $(PLATIND)" >> $@
-	@echo "PLATDEP = $(PLATDEP)" >> $@
-	@echo "AR = $(AR)" >> $@
-	@echo "CC = $(CC)" >> $@
-	@echo "subninja $(BUILDDIR)/rules.ninja" >> $@
-
 else
 
 $(MAKECMDGOALS): $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk
 	+@make -r -f $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk $@ \
-		$(MAKEFLAGS) \
+		$(MAKEFLAGS)
+
+endif
+endif
+
+$(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja: first/ackbuilder.lua Makefile $(BUILD_FILES)
+	@mkdir -p $(BUILDDIR)
+	@lua5.1 first/ackbuilder.lua first/build.lua build.lua --ninja \
 		OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR) \
 		BINDIR=$(BINDIR) \
 		LIBDIR=$(LIBDIR) \
@@ -84,18 +78,22 @@ $(MAKECMDGOALS): $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk
 		PLATIND=$(PLATIND) \
 		PLATDEP=$(PLATDEP) \
 		AR=$(AR) \
-		CC=$(CC)
+		CC=$(CC) \
+		> $(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja
 
-endif
-endif
-
-$(BUILDDIR)/rules.ninja: first/ackbuilder.lua $(BUILD_FILES)
+$(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk: first/ackbuilder.lua Makefile $(BUILD_FILES)
 	@mkdir -p $(BUILDDIR)
-	@lua5.1 first/ackbuilder.lua first/build.lua build.lua --ninja > $(BUILDDIR)/rules.ninja
-
-$(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk: first/ackbuilder.lua $(BUILD_FILES)
-	@mkdir -p $(BUILDDIR)
-	@lua5.2 first/ackbuilder.lua first/build.lua build.lua --make > $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk
+	@lua5.1 first/ackbuilder.lua first/build.lua build.lua --make \
+		OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR) \
+		BINDIR=$(BINDIR) \
+		LIBDIR=$(LIBDIR) \
+		INCDIR=$(INCDIR) \
+		INSDIR=$(INSDIR) \
+		PLATIND=$(PLATIND) \
+		PLATDEP=$(PLATDEP) \
+		AR=$(AR) \
+		CC=$(CC) \
+		> $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk
 
 clean:
 	@rm -rf $(BUILDDIR)
diff --git a/first/ackbuilder.lua b/first/ackbuilder.lua
index 2333461ee..c90d1d021 100644
--- a/first/ackbuilder.lua
+++ b/first/ackbuilder.lua
@@ -602,6 +602,12 @@ end
 
 local function install_make_emitter()
 	emit("hide = @\n")
+
+	function emitter:var(name, value)
+		-- Don't let emit insert spaces.
+		emit(name.."="..value.."\n")
+	end
+
 	function emitter:rule(name, ins, outs)
 		emit(".INTERMEDIATE:", name, "\n")
 		for i = 1, #ins do
@@ -656,6 +662,11 @@ local function install_ninja_emitter()
 		)
 	end
 
+	function emitter:var(name, value)
+		-- Don't let emit insert spaces.
+		emit(name.."="..unmake(value).."\n")
+	end
+
 	function emitter:rule(name, ins, outs)
 		if (#outs == 0) then
 			emit("build", name, ": phony", unmake(ins), "\n")
@@ -853,22 +864,33 @@ do
 		{
 			["make"] = function()
 				emitter_type = install_make_emitter
-				return 1
+				return 0
 			end,
 
 			["ninja"] = function()
 				emitter_type = install_ninja_emitter
-				return 1
+				return 0
 			end,
 
+
 			[" unrecognised"] = function(arg)
 				error(string.format("unrecognised argument '%s'", arg))
 			end,
 
 			[" files"] = function(files)
 				emitter_type()
+
 				for _, f in ipairs(files) do
-					loadbuildfile(f)
+					local _, _, name, value = f:find("^([%w_]+)=(.*)$")
+					if name then
+						emitter:var(name, value)
+					end
+				end
+						
+				for _, f in ipairs(files) do
+					if not f:find("=") then
+						loadbuildfile(f)
+					end
 				end
 			end
 		},