diff --git a/misc/pre-commit.nix b/misc/pre-commit.nix
index ed2b152a3..4f54141b3 100644
--- a/misc/pre-commit.nix
+++ b/misc/pre-commit.nix
@@ -87,11 +87,12 @@ pre-commit-run {
         "file"
         "header"
       ];
-      # generated files; these will never actually be seen by this
-      # check, and are left here as documentation
       excludes = [
-        "(parser|lexer)-tab\\.hh$"
-        "\\.gen\\.hh$"
+        ''^src/pch/.*$''
+        # generated files; these will never actually be seen by this
+        # check, and are left here as documentation
+        ''(parser|lexer)-tab\.hh$''
+        ''\.gen\.hh$''
       ];
       entry = lib.getExe pkgs.check-headers;
     };
diff --git a/package.nix b/package.nix
index 283a590c1..43b709023 100644
--- a/package.nix
+++ b/package.nix
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
           ./boehmgc-coroutine-sp-fallback.diff
           ./doc
           ./misc
-          ./precompiled-headers.h
           ./src
           ./COPYING
         ]
diff --git a/src/libcmd/meson.build b/src/libcmd/meson.build
index 4da1b496b..4dc0714c8 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/meson.build
+++ b/src/libcmd/meson.build
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ libcmd = library(
     nlohmann_json,
     lix_doc
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   install : true,
   # FIXME(Qyriad): is this right?
   install_rpath : libdir,
diff --git a/src/libexpr/meson.build b/src/libexpr/meson.build
index fda6fde2c..9a18c7ab3 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/meson.build
+++ b/src/libexpr/meson.build
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ libexpr = library(
   include_directories : [
     '../libmain',
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   install : true,
   # FIXME(Qyriad): is this right?
   install_rpath : libdir,
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/meson.build b/src/libfetchers/meson.build
index dbb85b84c..365bcd4a7 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/meson.build
+++ b/src/libfetchers/meson.build
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ libfetchers = library(
     liblixutil,
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   install : true,
   # FIXME(Qyriad): is this right?
   install_rpath : libdir,
diff --git a/src/libmain/meson.build b/src/libmain/meson.build
index b17247a9d..075aa83b2 100644
--- a/src/libmain/meson.build
+++ b/src/libmain/meson.build
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ libmain = library(
     liblixutil,
     liblixstore,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   install : true,
   # FIXME(Qyriad): is this right?
   install_rpath : libdir,
diff --git a/src/libstore/meson.build b/src/libstore/meson.build
index f776e9621..65ecacc20 100644
--- a/src/libstore/meson.build
+++ b/src/libstore/meson.build
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ libstore = library(
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
   cpp_args : cpp_args,
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   install : true,
   # FIXME(Qyriad): is this right?
   install_rpath : libdir,
diff --git a/src/libutil/meson.build b/src/libutil/meson.build
index 96450fbe2..cfdd0e52c 100644
--- a/src/libutil/meson.build
+++ b/src/libutil/meson.build
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ libutil = library(
     openssl,
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   implicit_include_directories : true,
   install : true,
 )
diff --git a/src/nix/meson.build b/src/nix/meson.build
index e41399b5d..45303641f 100644
--- a/src/nix/meson.build
+++ b/src/nix/meson.build
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ nix = executable(
     boehm,
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
   install : true,
   # FIXME(Qyriad): is this right?
   install_rpath : libdir,
diff --git a/precompiled-headers.h b/src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh
similarity index 100%
rename from precompiled-headers.h
rename to src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh
diff --git a/tests/unit/meson.build b/tests/unit/meson.build
index 35a11a5d3..d8d4a00d1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/meson.build
+++ b/tests/unit/meson.build
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ libutil_tester = executable(
     liblixutil_test_support,
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../../src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
 )
 
 test(
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ libstore_test_support = library(
   include_directories : include_directories(
     'libstore-support',
   ),
+  cpp_pch : ['../../src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
 )
 liblixstore_test_support = declare_dependency(
   include_directories : include_directories('libstore-support'),
@@ -135,6 +137,7 @@ libstore_tester = executable(
     gtest,
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../../src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
 )
 
 test(
@@ -166,6 +169,7 @@ libexpr_test_support = library(
   include_directories : include_directories(
     'libexpr-support',
   ),
+  cpp_pch : ['../../src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
 )
 liblixexpr_test_support = declare_dependency(
   include_directories : include_directories('libexpr-support'),
@@ -199,6 +203,7 @@ libexpr_tester = executable(
     gtest,
     nlohmann_json,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../../src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
 )
 
 test(
@@ -225,6 +230,7 @@ libcmd_tester = executable(
     gtest,
     boost,
   ],
+  cpp_pch : ['../../src/pch/precompiled-headers.hh'],
 )
 
 test(