diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 6abc6f76c..239d129bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ jobs:
               libturbojpeg-dev \
               libuv1-dev \
               libvorbis-dev \
-              libsqlite3-dev
+              libsqlite3-dev \
+              ninja-build
             ;;
 
           darwin*)
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ jobs:
         set -eux
 
         haxelib setup ~/haxelib
-        haxelib install hashlink
+        haxelib dev hashlink other/haxelib
         haxelib list
 
 
@@ -233,9 +234,11 @@ jobs:
               popd
             fi
 
-            haxe -hl src/_main.c -cp other/tests -main HelloWorld
-            make hlc
-            ./hlc
+            haxe -hl out/helloworld/main.c -cp other/tests -main HelloWorld -D hlgen.makefile=ninja
+            out/helloworld/main
+
+            haxe -hl out/fmtsample/main.c -cp other/fmtsample -main FmtSample -D hlgen.makefile=ninja
+            out/fmtsample/main
             ;;
         esac
 
diff --git a/Brewfile b/Brewfile
index 9fa2ce060..631cfaab9 100644
--- a/Brewfile
+++ b/Brewfile
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ brew "mbedtls"
 brew "libuv"
 brew "openssl"
 brew "sqlite"
+brew "ninja"
diff --git a/other/fmtsample/FmtSample.hx b/other/fmtsample/FmtSample.hx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6939fbf74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/other/fmtsample/FmtSample.hx
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+function main() {
+	var out = haxe.io.Bytes.alloc(16);
+	var src = haxe.io.Bytes.ofString("Hello World!");
+	hl.Format.digest(out.getData(), src.getData(), src.length, 0 /* md5 */);
+	final expected = "ed076287532e86365e841e92bfc50d8c";
+	final got = out.toHex();
+	if (got != expected) {
+		throw 'expected $expected, got $got';
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/other/haxelib/Run.hx b/other/haxelib/Run.hx
index 6f0fe346f..03942eeb8 100644
--- a/other/haxelib/Run.hx
+++ b/other/haxelib/Run.hx
@@ -1,15 +1,161 @@
+import sys.io.File;
+import haxe.io.Path;
+using StringTools;
+
+class NinjaGenerator {
+	var buf:StringBuf;
+
+	public function new() {
+		buf = new StringBuf();
+	}
+
+	function comment(value:String, empty_line = false) {
+		buf.add('# $value \n');
+		if (empty_line) buf.add('\n');
+	}
+
+	function bind(name:String, value:String) {
+		buf.add('$name = $value\n\n');
+	}
+
+	function rule(name:String, args:Map<String, String>) {
+		buf.add('rule $name\n');
+		for (key => value in args) {
+			buf.add('  $key = $value\n');
+		}
+		buf.add('\n');
+	}
+
+	function build(out:Array<String>, rule:String, input:Array<String>, ?args:Map<String, String>) {
+		if(args == null) args = [];
+		buf.add('build ${out.join(' ')}: $rule ${input.join(' ')}\n');
+		for (key => value in args) {
+			buf.add('  $key = $value\n');
+		}
+		buf.add('\n');
+	}
+
+	function save(path:String) {
+		var str = this.buf.toString();
+		File.saveContent(path, str);
+	}
+
+	public static function gen(config: HlcConfig, output: String) {
+		var gen = new NinjaGenerator();
+		gen.comment('Automatically generated file, do not edit', true);
+		gen.bind('ninja_required_version', '1.2');
+
+		var compiler_flavor: CCFlavor = switch Sys.systemName() {
+			case "Windows": MSVC;
+			case _: GCC;
+		}
+
+		switch compiler_flavor {
+			case GCC:
+				var opt_flag = config.defines.exists("debug") ? "-g" : '-O2';
+				var rpath = switch Sys.systemName() {
+					case "Mac": "-rpath @executable_path -rpath /usr/local/lib";
+					case _: "-Wl,-rpath,$$ORIGIN:/usr/local/lib";
+				};
+				gen.bind('cflags', '$opt_flag -std=c11 -DHL_MAKE -Wall -I. -pthread');
+				final libflags = config.libs.map((lib) -> switch lib {
+					case "std": "-lhl";
+					case "uv": '/usr/local/lib/$lib.hdll -luv';
+					case var lib: '/usr/local/lib/$lib.hdll';
+				}).join(' ');
+				gen.bind('ldflags', '-pthread -lm -L/usr/local/lib $libflags $rpath');
+				gen.rule('cc', [
+					"command" => "cc -MD -MF $out.d $cflags -c $in -o $out",
+					"deps" => "gcc",
+					"depfile" => "$out.d",
+				]);
+				gen.rule('ld', [
+					"command" => "cc $in -o $out $ldflags"
+				]);
+			case MSVC:
+				gen.bind('hashlink', Sys.getEnv('HASHLINK'));
+				gen.bind('cflags', "/DHL_MAKE /std:c11 /I. /I$hashlink\\include");
+				gen.bind('ldflags', "/LIBPATH:$hashlink libhl.lib");
+				gen.rule('cc', [
+					"command" => "cl.exe /nologo /showIncludes $cflags /c $in /Fo$out",
+					"deps" => "msvc",
+				]);
+				gen.rule('ld', [
+					"command" => "link.exe /nologo /OUT:$out $ldflags @$out.rsp",
+					"rspfile" => "$out.rsp",
+					"rspfile_content" => "$in"
+				]);
+		}
+
+		final objects = [];
+
+		for (file in config.files) {
+			final out_path = haxe.io.Path.withExtension(file, 'o');
+			objects.push(out_path);
+			gen.build([out_path.toString()], "cc", [file], []);
+		}
+
+		final exe_path = Path.withExtension(Path.withoutDirectory(output), switch compiler_flavor {
+			case MSVC: "exe";
+			case GCC: null;
+		});
+		gen.build([exe_path], 'ld', objects, []);
+
+		gen.save(Path.join([Path.directory(output), 'build.ninja']));
+	}
+
+	public static function run(dir:String) {
+		switch Sys.systemName() {
+			case "Windows":
+				var devcmd = findVsDevCmdScript();
+				Sys.command("cmd.exe", ["/C", devcmd, "-arch=x64", '&&', 'ninja', '-C', dir]);
+			case _:
+				Sys.command("ninja", ["-C", dir]);
+		}
+	}
+
+	private static function findVsDevCmdScript(): Null<String> {
+		var proc = new sys.io.Process('C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\Installer\\vswhere.exe', [
+			"-latest",
+			"-products", "*",
+			"-requires",
+			"Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64",
+			"-property",
+			"installationPath"
+		]);
+		proc.stdin.close();
+		var stdout = proc.stdout.readAll();
+		if (proc.exitCode(true) == 0) {
+			var instPath = stdout.toString().trim();
+			return '$instPath\\Common7\\Tools\\vsdevcmd.bat';
+		} else {
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+enum abstract CCFlavor(String) {
+	var MSVC = "msvc";
+	/**
+	*	GCC, Clang, etc 
+	**/
+	var GCC = "gcc";
+}
+
+typedef HlcConfig = {
+	var version:Int;
+	var libs:Array<String>;
+	var defines:haxe.DynamicAccess<String>;
+	var files:Array<String>;
+};
+
 class Build {
 
 	var output : String;
 	var name : String;
 	var targetDir : String;
 	var dataPath : String;
-	var config : {
-		var version : Int;
-		var libs : Array<String>;
-		var defines : haxe.DynamicAccess<String>;
-		var files : Array<String>;
-	};
+	var config : HlcConfig;
 
 	public function new(dataPath,output,config) {
 		this.output = output;
@@ -21,11 +167,15 @@ class Build {
 	}
 
 	public function run() {
-		var tpl = config.defines.get("hlgen.makefile");
-		if( tpl != null )
-			generateTemplates(tpl);
-		if( config.defines.get("hlgen.silent") == null )
-			Sys.println("Code generated in "+output+" automatic native compilation not yet implemented");
+		switch config.defines.get("hlgen.makefile") {
+			case "ninja":
+				NinjaGenerator.gen(config, output);
+				NinjaGenerator.run(Path.directory(output));
+			case var tpl:
+				generateTemplates(tpl);
+				if( config.defines.get("hlgen.silent") == null )
+					Sys.println("Code generated in "+output+" automatic native compilation not yet implemented");
+		}
 	}
 	
 	function isAscii( bytes : haxe.io.Bytes ) {