diff --git a/man/meson.build b/man/meson.build
index 3a7143a4b6..3c2c7023ed 100644
--- a/man/meson.build
+++ b/man/meson.build
@@ -202,11 +202,17 @@ if dbus_docs.length() > 0
         custom_target(
                 'update-dbus-docs',
                 output : 'update-dbus-docs',
-                command : ['python3',
-                           '@0@/tools/update-dbus-docs.py'.format(project_source_root),
+                command : [update_dbus_docs_py,
                            '--build-dir=@0@'.format(project_build_root),
                            '@INPUT@'],
                 input : dbus_docs)
+
+        if conf.get('DEVELOPER_MODE') == 1
+                test('dbus-docs-fresh',
+                     update_dbus_docs_py,
+                     args : ['--build-dir=@0@'.format(project_build_root),
+                             '--test'] + dbus_docs)
+        endif
 endif
 
 ############################################################
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 36ed7a47be..6837540313 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1637,6 +1637,7 @@ make_directive_index_py = find_program('tools/make-directive-index.py')
 make_man_index_py = find_program('tools/make-man-index.py')
 syscall_names_update_sh = find_program('tools/syscall-names-update.sh')
 xml_helper_py = find_program('tools/xml_helper.py')
+update_dbus_docs_py = find_program('tools/update-dbus-docs.py')
 
 ############################################################