diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 030faa68b..35ae00613 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ project('enlightenment', 'c',
 	default_options: [ 'c_std=gnu99', 'warning_level=2' ],
 	meson_version: '>= 0.40.0')
 
+clean_check = run_command('meson/clean_check.sh')
+if clean_check.returncode() == 0
+	error('Meson build requires a clean source tree')
+endif
+
 e_version = meson.project_version().split('.')
 git_version = '0'
 git = find_program('git')
diff --git a/meson/clean_check.sh b/meson/clean_check.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c424fcc96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson/clean_check.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test -f ${MESON_SOURCE_ROOT}/src/bin/e_fm_shared_types.h