diff --git a/source/dub/generators/build.d b/source/dub/generators/build.d
index 085d88c..15e284b 100644
--- a/source/dub/generators/build.d
+++ b/source/dub/generators/build.d
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@
 
 		Path exe_file_path;
 		bool is_temp_target = false;
-		if( generate_binary ){
-			if( settings.run ){
+		if (generate_binary) {
+			if (settings.run && !isWritableDir(Path(buildsettings.targetPath))) {
 				import std.random;
 				auto rnd = to!string(uniform(uint.min, uint.max));
 				buildsettings.targetPath = (tmp~"dub/"~rnd).toNativeString();
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
 
 			// invoke the compiler
 			logInfo("Running %s...", settings.platform.compilerBinary);
-			if (generate_binary && settings.run) cleanup_files ~= exe_file_path;
+			if (generate_binary && is_temp_target) cleanup_files ~= exe_file_path;
 			settings.compiler.invoke(buildsettings, settings.platform);
 		} else {
 			// determine path for the temporary object file
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
 			settings.compiler.invoke(buildsettings, settings.platform);
 
 			logInfo("Linking...");
-			if( settings.run ) cleanup_files ~= exe_file_path;
+			if (is_temp_target) cleanup_files ~= exe_file_path;
 			settings.compiler.invokeLinker(lbuildsettings, settings.platform, [tempobj.toNativeString()]);
 		}
 
diff --git a/source/dub/generators/rdmd.d b/source/dub/generators/rdmd.d
index 44f9fed..ac627ff 100644
--- a/source/dub/generators/rdmd.d
+++ b/source/dub/generators/rdmd.d
@@ -57,14 +57,16 @@
 		// build "rdmd --force %DFLAGS% -I%~dp0..\source -Jviews -Isource @deps.txt %LIBS% source\app.d" ~ application arguments
 		// or with "/" instead of "\"
 		Path run_exe_file;
-		if( generate_binary ){
-			if( settings.run ){
+		bool tmp_target = false;
+		if (generate_binary) {
+			if (settings.run && !isWritableDir(Path(buildsettings.targetPath))) {
 				import std.random;
 				auto rnd = to!string(uniform(uint.min, uint.max)) ~ "-";
 				buildsettings.targetPath = (getTempDir()~".rdmd/source/").toNativeString();
 				buildsettings.targetName = rnd ~ buildsettings.targetName;
-				run_exe_file = Path(buildsettings.targetPath) ~ getTargetFileName(buildsettings, settings.platform);
+				tmp_target = true;
 			}
+			run_exe_file = Path(buildsettings.targetPath) ~ getTargetFileName(buildsettings, settings.platform);
 			settings.compiler.setTarget(buildsettings, settings.platform);
 		}
 
@@ -107,9 +109,11 @@
 				logInfo("Running %s...", run_exe_file.toNativeString());
 				auto prg_pid = spawnProcess(run_exe_file.toNativeString() ~ settings.runArgs);
 				result = prg_pid.wait();
-				remove(run_exe_file.toNativeString());
-				foreach( f; buildsettings.copyFiles )
-					remove((run_exe_file.parentPath ~ Path(f).head).toNativeString());
+				if (tmp_target) {
+					remove(run_exe_file.toNativeString());
+					foreach( f; buildsettings.copyFiles )
+						remove((run_exe_file.parentPath ~ Path(f).head).toNativeString());
+				}
 				enforce(result == 0, "Program exited with code "~to!string(result));
 			} else logInfo("Target is a library. Skipping execution.");
 		}
diff --git a/source/dub/internal/utils.d b/source/dub/internal/utils.d
index 698a95c..47e2c59 100644
--- a/source/dub/internal/utils.d
+++ b/source/dub/internal/utils.d
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@
 	return true;
 }
 
+bool isWritableDir(Path p)
+{
+	import std.random;
+	auto fname = p ~ format("__dub_write_test_%08X", uniform(0, uint.max));
+	try openFile(fname, FileMode.CreateTrunc).close();
+	catch return false;
+	remove(fname.toNativeString());
+	return true;
+}
+
 Json jsonFromFile(Path file, bool silent_fail = false) {
 	if( silent_fail && !existsFile(file) ) return Json.EmptyObject;
 	auto f = openFile(file.toNativeString(), FileMode.Read);