diff --git a/build.bat b/build.bat
index 19c07e29..07991d37 100644
--- a/build.bat
+++ b/build.bat
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ popd
 
 :: --- Build & Run Metaprogram ------------------------------------------------
 pushd build
+if not exist metagen.exe set meta=1
 if "%meta%"=="1" (
   echo [building metagen]
   %compile_debug% ..\src\metagen\metagen_main.c %compile_link% %out%metagen.exe || exit /b 1
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index e40fd48f..dec9001c 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -60,14 +60,17 @@ compile() {
 mkdir -p build local
 
 # --- Build & Run Metaprogram -------------------------------------------------
+cd build
+if [[ ! -f metagen ]]; then meta='1'; fi
 if [[ "${meta:-0}" == "1" ]]
 then
   echo "[building metagen]"
-  cd build
   $compiler $cc_debug ../src/metagen/metagen_main.c $cc_link -o metagen
-  ./metagen
-  cd ..
 fi
+if [[ ! -v no_meta ]] then
+  ./metagen
+fi
+cd ..
 
 # --- Assemble BLAKE3 ---------------------------------------------------------
 if [[ ! -f "build/blake3.a" ]]
@@ -134,6 +137,7 @@ then
 fi
 
 # --- Warn On Debug Builds (if debug not explicitly specified) ----------------
-if [[ ! -v debug && ! -v release ]] then
+if [[ ! -v debug && ! -v release ]]
+then
   echo "[INFO] Debug build complete. For a faster build, call this script with the \`release\` argument (this will take significantly longer than a debug build)."
 fi