diff --git a/build.py b/build.py
index 3349b31c0c..d6198bb5ee 100755
--- a/build.py
+++ b/build.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def report_sizes(t):
     t.info('  compressed: %d bytes', len(stringio.getvalue()))
 
 
-virtual('all', 'build-all', 'build', 'examples')
+virtual('all', 'build-all', 'build', 'examples', 'precommit')
 
 
 virtual('precommit', 'lint', 'build-all', 'test', 'build', 'build-examples', 'doc')
@@ -152,7 +152,12 @@ def build_src_internal_types_js(t):
 virtual('build-examples', 'examples', (path.replace('.html', '.combined.js') for path in EXAMPLES))
 
 
-virtual('examples', 'examples/example-list.js', (path.replace('.html', '.json') for path in EXAMPLES))
+virtual('examples', 'examples/example-list.xml', (path.replace('.html', '.json') for path in EXAMPLES))
+
+
+@target('examples/example-list.xml', 'examples/example-list.js')
+def examples_examples_list_xml(t):
+    t.touch()  # already generated by bin/exampleparser.py
 
 
 @target('examples/example-list.js', 'bin/exampleparser.py', EXAMPLES)