diff --git a/common/meson.build b/common/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca1f1752
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+sway_common = files(
+	'log.c',
+	'list.c',
+	'util.c',
+	'stringop.c',
+	'readline.c',
+	'ipc-client.c'
+)
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 06eed97f..a28e1097 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -30,37 +30,6 @@ add_project_arguments('-DSWAY_VERSION="5"', language: 'c')
 
 sway_inc = include_directories('include')
 
-sway_sources = [
-	'sway/main.c',
-	'sway/server.c',
-	'sway/commands.c',
-	'sway/commands/exit.c',
-	'sway/ipc-json.c',
-	'sway/ipc-server.c',
-	'sway/desktop/output.c',
-	'sway/desktop/xdg_shell_v6.c',
-	'sway/tree/container.c',
-	'sway/tree/layout.c',
-	'sway/tree/workspace.c',
-	'common/log.c',
-	'common/list.c',
-	'common/stringop.c',
-	'common/readline.c',
-	'common/ipc-client.c',
-]
+subdir('common')
+subdir('sway')
 
-sway_deps = [
-	pixman,
-	wayland_server,
-	jsonc,
-	wlroots,
-	libcap,
-	math,
-]
-
-executable(
-	'sway',
-	sway_sources,
-	include_directories: [sway_inc],
-	dependencies: sway_deps
-)
diff --git a/sway/meson.build b/sway/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f17ed31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sway/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+sway_sources = sway_common + files(
+	'main.c',
+	'server.c',
+	'commands.c',
+	'commands/exit.c',
+	'ipc-json.c',
+	'ipc-server.c',
+	'desktop/output.c',
+	'desktop/xdg_shell_v6.c',
+	'tree/container.c',
+	'tree/layout.c',
+	'tree/workspace.c',
+)
+
+sway_deps = [
+	pixman,
+	wayland_server,
+	jsonc,
+	wlroots,
+	libcap,
+	math,
+]
+
+executable(
+	'sway',
+	sway_sources,
+	include_directories: [sway_inc],
+	dependencies: sway_deps
+)