diff --git a/src/FilenameList.cc b/src/FilenameList.cc
index 09f4232..6dce1c9 100644
--- a/src/FilenameList.cc
+++ b/src/FilenameList.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ FilenameList::FilenameList(Tokenizer& tokenizer, Type type) {
     force_build = (type == Type::BUILD);
 
     while (true) {
-        auto word = FilenameWord{tokenizer};
+        auto word = FilenameWord{tokenizer, force_build};
         if (!word.empty()) {
             words.emplace_back(word);
         }
diff --git a/src/FilenameWord.cc b/src/FilenameWord.cc
index e16e7c1..4330aff 100644
--- a/src/FilenameWord.cc
+++ b/src/FilenameWord.cc
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include "FilenameVariable.h"
 
-FilenameWord::FilenameWord(Tokenizer& tokenizer) {
+FilenameWord::FilenameWord(Tokenizer& tokenizer, bool force_build): force_build{force_build} {
     std::string string;
 
     auto first = true;
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ FilenameWord::FilenameWord(Tokenizer& tokenizer) {
 }
 
 void FilenameWord::resolve(const ResolveContext& context) {
+    auto contains_filename_variable = false;
     for (auto& element : elements) {
         if (std::holds_alternative<VariableReference>(element)) {
             auto& variable_reference = std::get<VariableReference>(element);
@@ -104,51 +105,67 @@ void FilenameWord::resolve(const ResolveContext& context) {
             if (variable_reference.is_text_variable()) {
                 element = variable_reference.variable->string();
             }
+            else {
+                contains_filename_variable = true;
+            }
         }
     }
+    if (!contains_filename_variable) {
+        auto name = std::string();
+        for (const auto& element: elements) {
+            name += std::get<std::string>(element);
+        }
+        filename = Filename{force_build ? Filename::Type::BUILD : Filename::Type::UNKNOWN, name};
+        filename->resolve(context);
+    }
 }
 
 void FilenameWord::collect_filenames(std::vector<Filename>& filenames) const {
-    std::string prefix;
-    std::string postfix;
-    auto current_string = &prefix;
-    const FilenameVariable* filename_variable{};
-
-    for (auto& element: elements) {
-        if (std::holds_alternative<std::string>(element)) {
-            *current_string += std::get<std::string>(element);
-        }
-        else {
-            auto variable = std::get<VariableReference>(element);
-            if (variable.is_filename_variable()) {
-                if (filename_variable) {
-                    throw Exception("multiple filename variables in filename not allowed");
+    if (filename) {
+        filenames.emplace_back(*filename);
+    }
+    else {
+        std::string prefix;
+        std::string postfix;
+        auto current_string = &prefix;
+        const FilenameVariable* filename_variable{};
+
+        for (auto& element : elements) {
+            if (std::holds_alternative<std::string>(element)) {
+                *current_string += std::get<std::string>(element);
+            }
+            else {
+                auto variable = std::get<VariableReference>(element);
+                if (variable.is_filename_variable()) {
+                    if (filename_variable) {
+                        throw Exception("multiple filename variables in filename not allowed");
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        filename_variable = variable.variable->as_filename();
+                        current_string = &postfix;
+                    }
                 }
                 else {
-                    filename_variable = variable.variable->as_filename();
-                    current_string = &postfix;
+                    *current_string += variable.variable->string();
                 }
             }
-            else {
-                *current_string += variable.variable->string();
-            }
         }
-    }
 
-    if (filename_variable) {
-        if (prefix.empty() && postfix.empty()) {
-            filename_variable->collect_filenames(filenames);
+        if (filename_variable) {
+            if (prefix.empty() && postfix.empty()) {
+                filename_variable->collect_filenames(filenames);
+            }
+            else {
+                std::vector<Filename> inner_filenames;
+                filename_variable->collect_filenames(inner_filenames);
+                for (auto& filename : inner_filenames) {
+                    filename.name = prefix + filename.name + postfix;
+                }
+                filenames.insert(filenames.end(), inner_filenames.begin(), inner_filenames.end());
+            }
         }
         else {
-            std::vector<Filename> inner_filenames;
-            filename_variable->collect_filenames(inner_filenames);
-            for (auto& filename : inner_filenames) {
-                filename.name = prefix + filename.name + postfix;
-            }
-            filenames.insert(filenames.end(), inner_filenames.begin(), inner_filenames.end());
+            filenames.emplace_back(prefix);
         }
     }
-    else {
-        filenames.emplace_back(prefix);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/FilenameWord.h b/src/FilenameWord.h
index 22c7d1d..4660a00 100644
--- a/src/FilenameWord.h
+++ b/src/FilenameWord.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class FilenameList;
 
 class FilenameWord {
   public:
-    explicit FilenameWord(Tokenizer& tokenizer);
+    explicit FilenameWord(Tokenizer& tokenizer, bool force_build = false);
     explicit FilenameWord(std::string word): elements{std::move(word)} {}
 
     [[nodiscard]] bool empty() const {return elements.empty();}
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class FilenameWord {
 
 private:
     std::vector<std::variant<std::string, VariableReference>> elements;
+    std::optional<Filename> filename;
+    bool force_build{false};
 };
 
 #endif // EXPLICITFILENAME_H
diff --git a/src/Text.cc b/src/Text.cc
index 9a51a9b..df5128b 100644
--- a/src/Text.cc
+++ b/src/Text.cc
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ void Text::resolve(const ResolveContext& context) {
 std::string Text::string() const {
     auto result = std::string{};
 
-    for (auto& element : words) {
-        result += element.string();
+    for (auto& word : words) {
+        result += word.string();
     }
 
     return result;
diff --git a/tests/explicit-filename.test b/tests/explicit-filename.test
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d5cd6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/explicit-filename.test
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+arguments ..
+file input <>
+input
+end-of-inline-data
+file build.fninja <>
+rule a
+    command = {{input}} $in $out
+    flags = --verbose
+
+build output: a input
+end-of-inline-data
+file build/build.ninja {} <>
+# This file is automatically created by fast-ninja from ../build.fninja
+# Do not edit.
+
+rule a
+    command = ../input $in $out
+    flags = --verbose
+
+rule fast-ninja
+    command = fast-ninja ..
+    generator = 1
+
+build output : a ../input
+
+build build.ninja : fast-ninja ../build.fninja
+end-of-inline-data