diff --git a/src/actions/make/_make.lua b/src/actions/make/_make.lua
index 0f1a4b60..e1710c8b 100644
--- a/src/actions/make/_make.lua
+++ b/src/actions/make/_make.lua
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@
 			if premake.isdotnetproject(prj) then
 				premake.generate(prj, makefile, premake.make_csharp)
 			elseif premake.iscppproject(prj) then
+				local dummyfile = _MAKE.getdummysourcefilename(prj)
+				if dummyfile then premake.generate(prj, dummyfile, premake.make_cpp_dummy) end
 				premake.generate(prj, makefile, premake.make_cpp)
 			elseif premake.isswiftproject(prj) then
 				premake.generate(prj, makefile, premake.make_swift)
diff --git a/src/actions/make/make_cpp.lua b/src/actions/make/make_cpp.lua
index a4e92521..c8cf571e 100644
--- a/src/actions/make/make_cpp.lua
+++ b/src/actions/make/make_cpp.lua
@@ -382,6 +382,63 @@
 		_p('')
 	end
 
+--
+-- Generate dummy build unit
+--
+
+	function _MAKE.getdummysourcefilename(prj)
+		-- create a shortcut to the compiler interface
+		local cc = premake.gettool(prj)
+
+		-- build a list of supported target platforms that also includes a generic build
+		local platforms = premake.filterplatforms(prj.solution, cc.platforms, "Native")
+
+		-- check whether dummy should be generated
+		--> no flag 'NoDummySource'
+		--> no actual source file
+		local shouldGenerate = false
+		for _, platform in ipairs(platforms) do
+			for cfg in premake.eachconfig(prj, platform) do
+				if not table.icontains(cfg.flags, "NoDummySource") then
+					if (prj.language == 'C++' and not table.icontains(table.translate(cfg.files, path.iscppfile), true))
+					or (prj.language == 'C' and not table.icontains(table.translate(cfg.files, path.iscfile), true)) then
+						shouldGenerate = true
+						break
+					end
+				end
+			end
+		end
+
+		if not shouldGenerate then
+			return nil
+		end
+
+		local extension = ("_dummy%s"):format(prj.language == 'C++' and '.cpp' or '.c')
+		return prj.name .. extension
+	end
+
+	function premake.make_cpp_dummy(prj)
+		local dummyfile = _MAKE.getdummysourcefilename(prj)
+
+		-- generate dummy
+		premake.ninja.cpp.generate_dummysourcefile(prj)
+
+		-- add dummy back to configuration that need it
+		--> same conditions as above
+		local cc = premake.gettool(prj)
+		local platforms = premake.filterplatforms(prj.solution, cc.platforms, "Native")
+		for _, platform in ipairs(platforms) do
+			for cfg in premake.eachconfig(prj, platform) do
+				if not table.icontains(cfg.flags, "NoDummySource") then
+					if (prj.language == 'C++' and not table.icontains(table.translate(cfg.files, path.iscppfile), true))
+					or (prj.language == 'C' and not table.icontains(table.translate(cfg.files, path.iscfile), true)) then
+						table.insert(cfg.files, dummyfile)
+					end
+				end
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
 
 --
 -- Platform support
diff --git a/src/actions/ninja/ninja_base.lua b/src/actions/ninja/ninja_base.lua
index 499089d6..dba4f0f0 100644
--- a/src/actions/ninja/ninja_base.lua
+++ b/src/actions/ninja/ninja_base.lua
@@ -142,6 +142,16 @@ function cfg_proxy:getoutputfilename()
 	return path.join(self.buildtarget.directory, self.buildtarget.name)
 end
 
+function cfg_proxy:getdummysourcefilename(extension, fullpath)
+	local name = self.project.name .. "_dummy" .. extension
+	
+	if fullpath ~= nil then
+		return path.join(self.location, name)
+	end
+	
+	return name
+end
+
 local proxy_cache = { 
 	prj = { new = new_prj_proxy }, 
 	cfg = { new = new_cfg_proxy },
diff --git a/src/actions/ninja/ninja_cpp.lua b/src/actions/ninja/ninja_cpp.lua
index ded2fa2c..e8422017 100644
--- a/src/actions/ninja/ninja_cpp.lua
+++ b/src/actions/ninja/ninja_cpp.lua
@@ -26,6 +26,20 @@ end
 
 		for _, platform in ipairs(platforms) do
 			for cfg in p.eachconfig(pxy, platform) do
+
+				if not table.icontains(cfg.flags, "NoDummySource") then
+					local dummyfile
+					if prj.language == 'C++' and not table.icontains(table.translate(cfg.files, path.iscppfile), true) then
+						dummyfile = cfg:getdummysourcefilename('.cpp')
+					elseif prj.language == 'C' and not table.icontains(table.translate(cfg.files, path.iscfile), true) then
+						dummyfile = cfg:getdummysourcefilename('.c')
+					end
+					if dummyfile then
+						p.generate(cfg, dummyfile, function() cpp.generate_dummysourcefile(prj) end)
+						table.insert(cfg.files, dummyfile)
+					end
+				end
+
 				p.generate(cfg, cfg:getprojectfilename(), function() cpp.generate_config(prj, cfg) end)
 			end
 		end
@@ -390,5 +404,10 @@ end
 
 	end
 
-
-
+	function cpp.generate_dummysourcefile(prj)
+		_p("/* dummy source generated by GENie */")
+		_p("static void %s_dummy()", prj.name:gsub('[^%w]', '_'))
+		_p('{')
+		_p(1, '/* nothing here */')
+		_p('}')
+	end
diff --git a/src/base/api.lua b/src/base/api.lua
index a5aa0472..b9fcd8ae 100644
--- a/src/base/api.lua
+++ b/src/base/api.lua
@@ -847,6 +847,7 @@ end
 				NativeWChar = 1,
 				No64BitChecks = 1,
 				NoBufferSecurityCheck = 1,
+				NoDummySource = 1,
 				NoEditAndContinue = 1,
 				NoExceptions = 1,
 				NoFramePointer = 1,