diff --git a/source/dub/dub.d b/source/dub/dub.d
index fdd989f..59794b7 100644
--- a/source/dub/dub.d
+++ b/source/dub/dub.d
@@ -382,10 +382,12 @@
 			auto ddox_dub = new Dub(m_packageSuppliers);
 			ddox_dub.loadPackage(ddox_pack.path);
 
+			auto compiler_binary = "dmd";
+
 			GeneratorSettings settings;
 			settings.config = "application";
-			settings.compiler = getCompiler(settings.platform.compilerBinary);
-			settings.platform = settings.compiler.determinePlatform(settings.buildSettings, settings.platform.compilerBinary);
+			settings.compiler = getCompiler(compiler_binary);
+			settings.platform = settings.compiler.determinePlatform(settings.buildSettings, compiler_binary);
 			settings.buildType = "debug";
 			ddox_dub.generateProject("build", settings);
 
diff --git a/source/dub/generators/build.d b/source/dub/generators/build.d
index 1bddbcf..d92e0bf 100644
--- a/source/dub/generators/build.d
+++ b/source/dub/generators/build.d
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@
 		auto buildsettings = settings.buildSettings;
 		m_project.addBuildSettings(buildsettings, settings.platform, settings.config, null, settings.buildType == "ddox");
 		m_project.addBuildTypeSettings(buildsettings, settings.platform, settings.buildType);
+		bool generate_binary = !(buildsettings.options & BuildOptions.syntaxOnly);
+		// determine the absolute target path
+		if (!Path(buildsettings.targetPath).absolute)
+			buildsettings.targetPath = (m_project.mainPackage.path ~ Path(buildsettings.targetPath)).toNativeString();
 
 		// make all paths relative to shrink the command line
 		string makeRelative(string path) { auto p = Path(path); if (p.absolute) p = p.relativeTo(cwd); return p.toNativeString(); }
@@ -60,7 +64,7 @@
 
 		// perform the actual build
 		if (this.useRDMD) performRDMDBuild(settings, buildsettings);
-		else if (settings.direct) performDirectBuild(settings, buildsettings);
+		else if (settings.direct || !generate_binary) performDirectBuild(settings, buildsettings);
 		else performCachedBuild(settings, buildsettings);
 
 		// run post-build commands
@@ -70,7 +74,7 @@
 		}
 
 		// run the generated executable
-		if (!(buildsettings.options & BuildOptions.syntaxOnly) && settings.run) {
+		if (generate_binary && settings.run) {
 			auto exe_file_path = Path(buildsettings.targetPath) ~ getTargetFileName(buildsettings, settings.platform);
 			runTarget(exe_file_path, buildsettings, settings.runArgs);
 		}
@@ -195,10 +199,6 @@
 
 		prepareGeneration(buildsettings);
 
-		// determine the absolute target path
-		if (!Path(buildsettings.targetPath).absolute)
-			buildsettings.targetPath = (m_project.mainPackage.path ~ Path(buildsettings.targetPath)).toNativeString();
-
 		// make all target/import paths relative
 		string makeRelative(string path) { auto p = Path(path); if (p.absolute) p = p.relativeTo(cwd); return p.toNativeString(); }
 		buildsettings.targetPath = makeRelative(buildsettings.targetPath);