diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index 5f42e22d7dea..8584a1987440 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -999,10 +999,28 @@ def add_include_dirs(self, args):
             ids.append(a)
         self.include_dirs += ids
 
-    def add_compiler_args(self, language, args):
+    def validate_target_dict(self, d):
+        known_build_targets = ['static_library', 'shared_library',
+                               'shared_module', 'executable', 'jar']
+        for k in d.keys():
+            if k not in known_build_targets:
+                raise MesonException('Dictionary keys must be in ' + str(known_build_targets))
+
+    def validate_compiler_args(self, args):
+        result = []
         for a in args:
-            if not isinstance(a, (str, File)):
+            if isinstance(a, dict):
+                self.validate_target_dict(a)
+                l = extract_as_list(a, self.target_type)
+                result += self.validate_compiler_args(l)
+            elif isinstance(a, (str, File)):
+                result.append(a)
+            else:
                 raise InvalidArguments('A non-string passed to compiler args.')
+        return result
+
+    def add_compiler_args(self, language, args):
+        args = self.validate_compiler_args(args)
         if language in self.extra_args:
             self.extra_args[language] += args
         else:
@@ -1262,6 +1280,7 @@ def get_extra_args(self):
 
 class Executable(BuildTarget):
     known_kwargs = known_exe_kwargs
+    target_type = 'executable'
 
     def __init__(self, name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs):
         super().__init__(name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs)
@@ -1344,6 +1363,7 @@ def is_linkable_target(self):
 
 class StaticLibrary(BuildTarget):
     known_kwargs = known_stlib_kwargs
+    target_type = 'static_library'
 
     def __init__(self, name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs):
         if 'pic' not in kwargs and 'b_staticpic' in environment.coredata.base_options:
@@ -1397,6 +1417,7 @@ def is_linkable_target(self):
 
 class SharedLibrary(BuildTarget):
     known_kwargs = known_shlib_kwargs
+    target_type = 'shared_library'
 
     def __init__(self, name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs):
         self.soversion = None
@@ -1689,6 +1710,7 @@ def is_linkable_target(self):
 # into something else.
 class SharedModule(SharedLibrary):
     known_kwargs = known_shmod_kwargs
+    target_type = 'shared_module'
 
     def __init__(self, name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs):
         if 'version' in kwargs:
@@ -1987,6 +2009,7 @@ def type_suffix(self):
 
 class Jar(BuildTarget):
     known_kwargs = known_jar_kwargs
+    target_type = 'jar'
 
     def __init__(self, name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs):
         super().__init__(name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index 0e6a041ce85c..a12413735552 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -3950,7 +3950,18 @@ def build_both_libraries(self, node, args, kwargs):
         elif 'b_staticpic' in self.environment.coredata.base_options:
             pic = self.environment.coredata.base_options['b_staticpic'].value
 
-        if pic:
+        # Check if compiler args are the same for both libraries
+        def has_different_args():
+            for lang in shared_holder.held_object.compilers.keys():
+                args = extract_as_list(kwargs, lang + '_args')
+                for a in args:
+                    if not isinstance(a, dict):
+                        continue
+                    if 'static_library' in a or 'shared_library' in a:
+                        return True
+            return False
+
+        if pic and not has_different_args():
             # Exclude sources from args and kwargs to avoid building them twice
             static_args = [args[0]]
             static_kwargs = kwargs.copy()
diff --git a/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/libfile.c b/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/libfile.c
index 085ef3b87b60..5d2c35467d69 100644
--- a/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/libfile.c	
+++ b/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/libfile.c	
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #include "mylib.h"
 
+#ifdef STATIC_COMPILATION
 DO_EXPORT int retval = 42;
+#else
+DO_EXPORT int retval = 43;
+#endif
 
 DO_EXPORT int func() {
     return retval;
diff --git a/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/main.c b/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/main.c
index 03a8e02b8f51..dc96da7ed082 100644
--- a/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/main.c	
+++ b/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/main.c	
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include "mylib.h"
 
 DO_IMPORT int func();
 DO_IMPORT int retval;
 
-int main(int argc, char **arg) {
-    return func() == retval ? 0 : 1;
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    if (func() != retval)
+        return 1;
+
+    if (argc > 1 && atoi(argv[1]) != retval)
+        return 1;
+
+    return 0;
 }
diff --git a/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/meson.build b/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/meson.build
index 3a13d6259491..178cb7393b56 100644
--- a/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/184 bothlibraries/meson.build	
@@ -10,3 +10,17 @@ exe_both = executable('prog-both', 'main.c', link_with : both_libs)
 test('runtest-shared', exe_shared)
 test('runtest-static', exe_static)
 test('runtest-both', exe_both)
+
+cargs = {
+  'static_library' : ['-DSTATIC_COMPILATION'],
+  'executable' : ['-DSTATIC_COMPILATION'],
+}
+both_libs = both_libraries('mylib-diffargs', 'libfile.c', c_args : cargs)
+exe_shared = executable('prog-shared-diffargs', 'main.c',
+                        link_with : both_libs.get_shared_lib())
+exe_static = executable('prog-static-diffargs', 'main.c',
+                        c_args : cargs,
+                        link_with : both_libs.get_static_lib())
+
+test('runtest-shared-diffargs', exe_shared, args : '43')
+test('runtest-static-diffargs', exe_static, args : '42')