diff --git a/Dist/CleanupBuildOutputDirs.sh b/Dist/CleanupBuildOutputDirs.sh
index 9c3a4fda42..5bfa283452 100755
--- a/Dist/CleanupBuildOutputDirs.sh
+++ b/Dist/CleanupBuildOutputDirs.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && (rm -r src/*/bin src/*/obj test_output output; mkdir output)
+cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && (rm -r src/*/bin src/*/obj src/BizHawk.Common/VersionInfo.gen.cs test_output output; mkdir output)
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Common/BizHawk.Common.csproj b/src/BizHawk.Common/BizHawk.Common.csproj
index 551993da1d..ffed885921 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Common/BizHawk.Common.csproj
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Common/BizHawk.Common.csproj
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@
 		<PackageReference Include="DotNetAnalyzers.DocumentationAnalyzers" Version="1.0.0-beta.59" />
 		<PackageReference Include="Menees.Analyzers" Version="2.0.4" Condition=" '$(MachineRunAnalyzersDuringBuild)' != '' " />
 		<PackageReference Include="StyleCop.Analyzers" Version="1.2.0-beta.333" Condition=" '$(MachineRunAnalyzersDuringBuild)' != '' " />
-		<ProjectReference Include="$(ProjectDir)../BizHawk.Version/BizHawk.Version.csproj" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" /><!-- generates VersionInfo.gen.cs -->
 		<None Include="$(ProjectDir)../../Assets/**/*.*" CopyToOutputDirectory="PreserveNewest" />
 	</ItemGroup>
 	<ItemGroup>
+		<!-- target in Version project generates VersionInfo.gen.cs; note that the Version project MUST BE FIRST in solution file -->
+		<ProjectReference Include="$(ProjectDir)../BizHawk.Version/BizHawk.Version.csproj" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
 		<Compile Update="VersionInfo.gen.cs" DependentUpon="VersionInfo.cs" />
 	</ItemGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Version/BizHawk.Version.csproj b/src/BizHawk.Version/BizHawk.Version.csproj
index 2a0259a1e6..15cf20255f 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Version/BizHawk.Version.csproj
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Version/BizHawk.Version.csproj
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 	</PropertyGroup>
 	<Import Project="../../Common.props" />
 	<PropertyGroup>
-		<EnableDefaultCompileItems>false</EnableDefaultCompileItems><!-- no source files; VersionInfo.gen.cs is generated in BizHawk.Common -->
+		<EnableDefaultCompileItems>false</EnableDefaultCompileItems><!-- no source files; only runs below target to write ../BizHawk.Common/VersionInfo.gen.cs -->
 		<NoWarn>$(NoWarn);CS2008</NoWarn>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 	<Target Name="PreBuild" AfterTargets="PreBuildEvent">
 		<Exec Condition=" '$(OS)' == 'Windows_NT' " Command='"$(ProjectDir)..\..\Build\BizHawk.Build.Tool.exe" GIT_REV --wc "$(ProjectDir).." --template "$(ProjectDir)VersionInfo.gen_template.cs" --out "$(ProjectDir)..\BizHawk.Common\VersionInfo.gen.cs"' />
-		<Exec Condition=" '$(OS)' != 'Windows_NT' " Command='"$(ProjectDir)../../Build/standin.sh" "$(ProjectDir)VersionInfo.gen_template.cs" "$(ProjectDir)..\BizHawk.Common\VersionInfo.gen.cs"' />
+		<Exec Condition=" '$(OS)' != 'Windows_NT' " Command='"$(ProjectDir)../../Build/standin.sh" "$(ProjectDir)VersionInfo.gen_template.cs" "$(ProjectDir)../BizHawk.Common/VersionInfo.gen.cs"' />
 	</Target>
 </Project>