diff --git a/src/libcamera/meson.build b/src/libcamera/meson.build
index 79b8cbaf1311..e5e959d9c7bd 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/meson.build
+++ b/src/libcamera/meson.build
@@ -129,21 +129,25 @@ endif
 control_sources = []
 
 controls_mode_files = {
-    'controls' : controls_files,
-    'properties' : properties_files,
+    'controls': [
+        controls_files,
+        'control_ids.cpp',
+    ],
+    'properties': [
+        properties_files,
+        'property_ids.cpp',
+    ],
 }
 
-foreach mode, input_files : controls_mode_files
-    if mode == 'controls'
-        template_file = files('control_ids.cpp.in')
-    else
-        template_file = files('property_ids.cpp.in')
-    endif
+foreach mode, inout_files : controls_mode_files
+    input_files = inout_files[0]
+    output_file = inout_files[1]
 
+    template_file = files(output_file + '.in')
     ranges_file = files('control_ranges.yaml')
     control_sources += custom_target(mode + '_cpp',
                                      input : input_files,
-                                     output : mode + '_ids.cpp',
+                                     output : output_file,
                                      command : [gen_controls, '-o', '@OUTPUT@',
                                                 '--mode', mode, '-t', template_file,
                                                 '-r', ranges_file, '@INPUT@'])