diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Template.gmsvc.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Template.gmsvc.pp
index 64708a2361..e84974b03e 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Template.gmsvc.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Template.gmsvc.pp
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@
 // And $[libs] is the set of libraries we will link with.
 #defer libs $[unique $[actual_local_libs:%=%$[dllext]] $[patsubst %:c,,%:m %,%$[dllext],$[OTHER_LIBS]] $[get_libs]]
 
+// This is the set of files we might copy into *.prebuilt, if we have
+// bison and flex (or copy from *.prebuilt if we don't have them).
+#define bison_prebuilt $[patsubst %.yxx,%.h,$[yxx_so_sources] $[yxx_st_sources]] $[patsubst %.yxx,%.cxx,$[yxx_so_sources] $[yxx_st_sources]] $[patsubst %.lxx,%.cxx,$[lxx_so_sources] $[lxx_st_sources]]
+
 // for single-processor builds, write out *_composite.cxx files that include all composite
 // files into 1 in order to speed the build of our heavily templated source
 #forscopes lib_target bin_target static_lib_target ss_lib_target
@@ -303,6 +307,11 @@ uninstall-igate :
 $[TAB] rm -f $[sort $[installed_igate_files]]
 #endif
 
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
+prebuild-bison : $[patsubst %,%.prebuilt,$[bison_prebuilt]]
+clean-prebuild-bison : 
+$[TAB] rm -f $[sort $[patsubst %,%.prebuilt,$[bison_prebuilt]]]
+#endif
 
 // We need a rule for each directory we might need to make.  This
 // loops through the full set of directories and creates a rule to
@@ -734,17 +743,31 @@ $[TAB] $[LINK_BIN_C]
 // Rules to generate a C++ file from a Bison input file.
 #foreach file $[sort $[yxx_so_sources] $[yxx_st_sources]]
 #define target $[patsubst %.yxx,%.cxx,$[file]]
+#define target_header $[patsubst %.yxx,%.h,$[file]]
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
 #define source $[file]
 $[target] : $[source]
 $[TAB] $[BISON] $[YFLAGS] -y $[if $[YACC_PREFIX],-d --name-prefix=$[YACC_PREFIX]] $[source]
 $[TAB] mv y.tab.c $[target]
 $[TAB] mv y.tab.h $[patsubst %.yxx,%.h,$[source]]
+$[target].prebuilt : $[target]
+$[TAB] cp $[target] $[target].prebuilt
+$[target_header].prebuilt : $[target_header]
+$[TAB] cp $[target_header] $[target_header].prebuilt
+#else // HAVE_BISON
+#define source $[target].prebuilt
+$[target] : $[source]
+$[TAB] cp $[source] $[target]
+$[target_header] : $[source]
+$[TAB] cp $[source] $[target_header]
+#endif // HAVE_BISON
 
 #end file
 
 // Rules to generate a C++ file from a Flex input file.
 #foreach file $[sort $[lxx_so_sources] $[lxx_st_sources]]
 #define target $[patsubst %.lxx,%.cxx,$[file]]
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
 #define source $[file]
 $[target] : $[source]
 $[TAB] $[FLEX] $[LFLAGS] $[if $[YACC_PREFIX],-P$[YACC_PREFIX]] -olex.yy.c $[source]
@@ -752,6 +775,13 @@ $[TAB] $[FLEX] $[LFLAGS] $[if $[YACC_PREFIX],-P$[YACC_PREFIX]] -olex.yy.c $[sour
 #define script /#include <unistd.h>/d
 $[TAB] $[SED]
 $[TAB] rm $[source]
+$[target].prebuilt : $[target]
+$[TAB] cp $[target] $[target].prebuilt
+#else // HAVE_BISON
+#define source $[target].prebuilt
+$[target] : $[source]
+$[TAB] cp $[source] $[target]
+#endif // HAVE_BISON
 
 #end file
 
@@ -981,6 +1011,11 @@ $[TAB] rm -f $[install_headers_dir]/$[CONFIG_HEADER]
 #endif
 uninstall-igate : $[subdirs:%=uninstall-igate-%]
 
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
+prebuild-bison : $[subdirs:%=prebuild-bison-%]
+clean-prebuild-bison : $[subdirs:%=clean-prebuild-bison-%]
+#endif
+
 #formap dirname subdirs
 #define depends 
 $[dirname] : $[dirnames $[if $[build_directory],$[DIRNAME]],$[DEPEND_DIRS]]
@@ -1032,6 +1067,15 @@ uninstall-igate-$[dirname] :
 $[TAB] cd ./$[PATH] && $(MAKE) uninstall-igate
 #end dirname
 
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
+#formap dirname subdirs
+prebuild-bison-$[dirname] :
+$[TAB]cd ./$[PATH] && $(MAKE) prebuild-bison
+clean-prebuild-bison-$[dirname] :
+$[TAB]cd ./$[PATH] && $(MAKE) clean-prebuild-bison
+#end dirname
+#endif
+
 #if $[ne $[CONFIG_HEADER],]
 $[install_headers_dir] :
 $[TAB] @test -d $[install_headers_dir] || echo mkdir -p $[install_headers_dir]
diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Template.msvc.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Template.msvc.pp
index dfd4dbd80c..91b441310d 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Template.msvc.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Template.msvc.pp
@@ -181,6 +181,10 @@
 // And $[libs] is the set of libraries we will link with.
 #defer libs $[unique $[actual_local_libs:%=%$[dllext]] $[patsubst %:c,,%:m %,%$[dllext],$[OTHER_LIBS]] $[get_libs]]
 
+// This is the set of files we might copy into *.prebuilt, if we have
+// bison and flex (or copy from *.prebuilt if we don't have them).
+#define bison_prebuilt $[patsubst %.yxx,%.h,$[yxx_so_sources] $[yxx_st_sources]] $[patsubst %.yxx,%.cxx,$[yxx_so_sources] $[yxx_st_sources]] $[patsubst %.lxx,%.cxx,$[lxx_so_sources] $[lxx_st_sources]]
+
 // for single-processor builds (all nmake msvc-type builds can use only a single-proc), 
 // write out *_composite.cxx files that include all composite
 // files into 1 in order to speed the build of our heavily templated source
@@ -303,6 +307,14 @@ uninstall-igate :
 $[TAB] -del /f $[file]
 #end file
 
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
+prebuild-bison : $[patsubst %,%.prebuilt,$[bison_prebuilt]]
+clean-prebuild-bison : 
+#foreach file $[sort $[patsubst %,%.prebuilt,$[bison_prebuilt]]]
+$[TAB] -del /f $[file]
+#end file
+#endif
+
 
 // We need a rule for each directory we might need to make.  This
 // loops through the full set of directories and creates a rule to
@@ -705,17 +717,31 @@ $[TAB] $[LINK_BIN_C]
 // Rules to generate a C++ file from a Bison input file.
 #foreach file $[sort $[yxx_so_sources] $[yxx_st_sources]]
 #define target $[patsubst %.yxx,%.cxx,$[file]]
+#define target_header $[patsubst %.yxx,%.h,$[file]]
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
 #define source $[file]
 $[target] : $[source]
 $[TAB] $[BISON] $[YFLAGS] -y $[if $[YACC_PREFIX],-d --name-prefix=$[YACC_PREFIX]] $[source]
 $[TAB] move y.tab.c $[target]
 $[TAB] move y.tab.h $[patsubst %.yxx,%.h,$[source]]
+$[target].prebuilt : $[target]
+$[TAB] copy $[target] $[target].prebuilt
+$[target_header].prebuilt : $[target_header]
+$[TAB] copy $[target_header] $[target_header].prebuilt
+#else // HAVE_BISON
+#define source $[target].prebuilt
+$[target] : $[source]
+$[TAB] copy $[source] $[target]
+$[target_header] : $[source]
+$[TAB] copy $[source] $[target_header]
+#endif // HAVE_BISON
 
 #end file
 
 // Rules to generate a C++ file from a Flex input file.
 #foreach file $[sort $[lxx_so_sources] $[lxx_st_sources]]
 #define target $[patsubst %.lxx,%.cxx,$[file]]
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
 #define source $[file]
 $[target] : $[source]
 $[TAB] $[FLEX] $[LFLAGS] $[if $[YACC_PREFIX],-P$[YACC_PREFIX]] -olex.yy.c $[source]
@@ -723,6 +749,13 @@ $[TAB] $[FLEX] $[LFLAGS] $[if $[YACC_PREFIX],-P$[YACC_PREFIX]] -olex.yy.c $[sour
 #define script /#include <unistd.h>/d
 $[TAB] $[SED]
 $[TAB] -del $[source]
+$[target].prebuilt : $[target]
+$[TAB] copy $[target] $[target].prebuilt
+#else // HAVE_BISON
+#define source $[target].prebuilt
+$[target] : $[source]
+$[TAB] copy $[source] $[target]
+#endif // HAVE_BISON
 
 #end file
 
@@ -972,6 +1005,11 @@ $[TAB] -del /f $[install_headers_dir]\$[CONFIG_HEADER]
 #endif
 uninstall-igate : $[subdirs:%=uninstall-igate-%]
 
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
+prebuild-bison : $[subdirs:%=prebuild-bison-%]
+clean-prebuild-bison : $[subdirs:%=clean-prebuild-bison-%]
+#endif
+
 #formap dirname subdirs
 #define depends 
 $[dirname] : $[dirnames $[if $[build_directory],$[DIRNAME]],$[DEPEND_DIRS]]
@@ -1023,6 +1061,15 @@ uninstall-igate-$[dirname] :
 $[TAB] cd $[osfilename $[PATH]] && $(MAKE) /nologo uninstall-igate
 #end dirname
 
+#if $[HAVE_BISON]
+#formap dirname subdirs
+prebuild-bison-$[dirname] :
+$[TAB]cd $[osfilename $[PATH]] && $(MAKE) /nologo prebuild-bison
+clean-prebuild-bison-$[dirname] :
+$[TAB]cd $[osfilename $[PATH]] && $(MAKE) /nologo clean-prebuild-bison
+#end dirname
+#endif
+
 #if $[ne $[CONFIG_HEADER],]
 $[install_headers_dir] :
 $[TAB] mkdir $[install_headers_dir]
diff --git a/dtool/pptempl/Template.unix.pp b/dtool/pptempl/Template.unix.pp
index 367c027af5..a5651fa8ab 100644
--- a/dtool/pptempl/Template.unix.pp
+++ b/dtool/pptempl/Template.unix.pp
@@ -244,6 +244,8 @@ $[TAB]rm -f $[sort $[installed_igate_files]]
 
 #if $[HAVE_BISON]
 prebuild-bison : $[patsubst %,%.prebuilt,$[bison_prebuilt]]
+clean-prebuild-bison : 
+$[TAB]rm -f $[sort $[patsubst %,%.prebuilt,$[bison_prebuilt]]]
 #endif
 
 // We need a rule for each directory we might need to make.  This
@@ -608,6 +610,7 @@ $[TAB]cp $[source] $[target]
 $[target_header] : $[source]
 $[TAB]cp $[source] $[target_header]
 #endif // HAVE_BISON
+
 #end file
 
 // Rules to generate a C++ file from a Flex input file.
@@ -628,6 +631,7 @@ $[TAB]cp $[target] $[target].prebuilt
 $[target] : $[source]
 $[TAB]cp $[source] $[target]
 #endif // HAVE_BISON
+
 #end file
 
 
@@ -816,6 +820,7 @@ uninstall-igate : $[subdirs:%=uninstall-igate-%]
 
 #if $[HAVE_BISON]
 prebuild-bison : $[subdirs:%=prebuild-bison-%]
+clean-prebuild-bison : $[subdirs:%=clean-prebuild-bison-%]
 #endif
 
 // Somehow, something in the cttools confuses some shells, so that
@@ -878,6 +883,8 @@ $[TAB]cd ./$[PATH] && $(MAKE) uninstall-igate
 #formap dirname subdirs
 prebuild-bison-$[dirname] :
 $[TAB]cd ./$[PATH] && $(MAKE) prebuild-bison
+clean-prebuild-bison-$[dirname] :
+$[TAB]cd ./$[PATH] && $(MAKE) clean-prebuild-bison
 #end dirname
 #endif