diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index de8fc2d567..3024609515 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -104,7 +104,5 @@ m4_if(m4_version_compare([2.61a.100],
         [GNUmakefile=$GNUmakefile])])
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([\
-        Makefile \
-        .color_coded \
-        .ycm_extra_conf.py])
+        Makefile])
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index e93016dfe3..78abeb4dc2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2326,6 +2326,25 @@ configure_file(
 run_command('chmod', 'a+x', meson.current_build_dir() / 'run')
 
 
+# generate developer tooling files
+tooling_files = [
+  '.color_coded.in',
+  '.ycm_extra_conf.py.in',
+]
+
+tooling_conf = configuration_data()
+tooling_conf.set('abs_top_builddir', meson.build_root())
+tooling_conf.set('abs_top_srcdir', meson.source_root())
+
+foreach file : tooling_files
+  configure_file(
+    input: file,
+    output: '@BASENAME@',
+    configuration: tooling_conf,
+  )
+endforeach
+
+
 # print configuration summary
 
 driver_summary = {