diff --git a/fud2/fud-core/src/cli.rs b/fud2/fud-core/src/cli.rs
index d281fb89c4..10edd350d8 100644
--- a/fud2/fud-core/src/cli.rs
+++ b/fud2/fud-core/src/cli.rs
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ pub fn cli(driver: &Driver) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         Mode::ShowPlan => run.show(),
         Mode::ShowDot => run.show_dot(),
         Mode::EmitNinja => run.emit_to_stdout()?,
-        Mode::Generate => run.emit_to_dir(&workdir)?,
+        Mode::Generate => run.emit_to_dir(&workdir)?.keep(),
         Mode::Run => run.emit_and_run(&workdir)?,
     }
 
diff --git a/fud2/fud-core/src/run.rs b/fud2/fud-core/src/run.rs
index f15937ac4e..d20c9d567e 100644
--- a/fud2/fud-core/src/run.rs
+++ b/fud2/fud-core/src/run.rs
@@ -191,19 +191,20 @@ impl<'a> Run<'a> {
     }
 
     /// Ensure that a directory exists and write `build.ninja` inside it.
-    pub fn emit_to_dir(&self, dir: &Utf8Path) -> EmitResult {
-        std::fs::create_dir_all(dir)?;
-        let ninja_path = dir.join("build.ninja");
+    pub fn emit_to_dir(&self, path: &Utf8Path) -> Result<TempDir, RunError> {
+        let dir = TempDir::new(path, self.global_config.keep_build_dir)?;
+
+        let ninja_path = path.join("build.ninja");
         let ninja_file = std::fs::File::create(ninja_path)?;
+        self.emit(ninja_file)?;
 
-        self.emit(ninja_file)
+        Ok(dir)
     }
 
     /// Emit `build.ninja` to a temporary directory and then actually execute ninja.
     pub fn emit_and_run(&self, dir: &Utf8Path) -> EmitResult {
         // Emit the Ninja file.
-        let stale_dir = dir.exists();
-        self.emit_to_dir(dir)?;
+        let dir = self.emit_to_dir(dir)?;
 
         // Capture stdin.
         if self.plan.stdin {
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ impl<'a> Run<'a> {
 
         // Run `ninja` in the working directory.
         let mut cmd = Command::new(&self.global_config.ninja);
-        cmd.current_dir(dir);
+        cmd.current_dir(&dir.path);
         cmd.stdout(std::io::stderr()); // Send Ninja's stdout to our stderr.
         let status = cmd.status()?;
 
@@ -232,11 +233,6 @@ impl<'a> Run<'a> {
             )?;
         }
 
-        // Remove the temporary directory unless it already existed at the start *or* the user specified `--keep`.
-        if !self.global_config.keep_build_dir && !stale_dir {
-            std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir)?;
-        }
-
         if status.success() {
             Ok(())
         } else {
@@ -418,3 +414,39 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
         self.build_cmd(&[filename], "get-rsrc", &[], &[])
     }
 }
+
+/// A directory that can optionally delete itself when we're done with it.
+pub struct TempDir {
+    path: Utf8PathBuf,
+    delete: bool,
+}
+
+impl TempDir {
+    /// Create a directory *or* use an existing directory.
+    ///
+    /// If the directory already exists, we will not delete it (regardless of `keep`). Otherwise,
+    /// we will create a new one, and we will delete it when this object is dropped, unless
+    /// `keep` is true.
+    pub fn new(path: &Utf8Path, keep: bool) -> std::io::Result<Self> {
+        let delete = !path.exists() && !keep;
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(path)?;
+        Ok(Self {
+            path: path.into(),
+            delete,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// If this directory would otherwise be deleted, don't.
+    pub fn keep(&mut self) {
+        self.delete = false;
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for TempDir {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if self.delete {
+            // We must ignore errors when attempting to delete.
+            let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&self.path);
+        }
+    }
+}