diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 95e4ffb..ed66917 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 /target
 /ref/
+/completions/
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 642a0cc..b5b934e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ targets = ["aarch64-apple-darwin", "x86_64-apple-darwin", "x86_64-unknown-linux-
 pr-run-mode = "plan"
 
 include = [
-  "target/release/_buildkite_waiter",
-  "target/release/_buildkite_waiter.ps1",
-  "target/release/buildkite_waiter.bash",
-  "target/release/buildkite_waiter.elv",
-  "target/release/buildkite_waiter.fish",
-  "target/release/buildkite_waiter.ts",
+  "completions/_buildkite_waiter",
+  "completions/_buildkite_waiter.ps1",
+  "completions/buildkite_waiter.bash",
+  "completions/buildkite_waiter.elv",
+  "completions/buildkite_waiter.fish",
+  "completions/buildkite_waiter.ts",
 ]
 
 [workspace.metadata.dist.dependencies.apt]
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index 7d4bcef..53e049b 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -5,33 +5,25 @@ use clap::CommandFactory;
 use clap_complete::Shell;
 use cli::Cli;
 use std::ffi::OsStr;
-use std::fs::File;
 use std::{env, path::PathBuf};
 
 fn main() {
-    let target_dir = match env::var_os("OUT_DIR") {
-        // if no OUT_DIR, no need to write man/completions
-        None => return,
-        Some(outdir) => PathBuf::from(outdir),
-    };
-
-    let mut completion_dirs = vec![target_dir.clone()];
+    if env::var("PROFILE") != Ok("release".to_string()) {
+        // only generate completions on release builds
+        return;
+    }
 
-    if Ok("release".to_string()) == env::var("PROFILE") {
-        if let Some(manifest_dir) = env::var_os("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR") {
-            completion_dirs.push(PathBuf::from(manifest_dir).join("target").join("release"));
-        }
+    let target_dir = match env::var_os("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR") {
+        // if no CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR, don't completions
+        None => return,
+        Some(outdir) => PathBuf::from(outdir).join("completions"),
     };
 
-    dbg!(&completion_dirs);
-
-    for target_dir in completion_dirs {
-        generate_completions(target_dir.as_os_str());
+    if !target_dir.exists() {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&target_dir).expect("should find or create completions directory");
     }
 
-    let anchor = PathBuf::from(&target_dir).join("buildkite_waiter-stamp");
-
-    File::create(anchor).unwrap();
+    generate_completions(target_dir.as_os_str());
 }
 
 fn generate_completions(target_dir: &OsStr) {
@@ -46,13 +38,19 @@ fn generate_completions(target_dir: &OsStr) {
         Shell::Zsh,
     ] {
         if let Err(err) = clap_complete::generate_to(*shell, &mut cmd, bin_name, target_dir) {
-            panic!("failed to generate completions for {:?} in {:?}: {:?}", shell, target_dir, err);
+            panic!(
+                "failed to generate completions for {:?} in {:?}: {:?}",
+                shell, target_dir, err
+            );
         }
     }
 
     if let Err(err) =
         clap_complete::generate_to(clap_complete_fig::Fig, &mut cmd, bin_name, target_dir)
     {
-        panic!("failed to generate completions for fig in {:?}: {:?}", target_dir, err);
+        panic!(
+            "failed to generate completions for fig in {:?}: {:?}",
+            target_dir, err
+        );
     }
 }