diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 6505f8aec..a08602a10 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
         "Build and install the benchmark executables.",
     ) orelse false;
 
+    const emit_helpgen = b.option(
+        bool,
+        "emit-helpgen",
+        "Build and install the helpgen executable.",
+    ) orelse false;
+
     // On NixOS, the built binary from `zig build` needs to patch the rpath
     // into the built binary for it to be portable across the NixOS system
     // it was built for. We default this to true if we can detect we're in
@@ -177,6 +183,10 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
     // We can use wasmtime to test wasm
     b.enable_wasmtime = true;
 
+    // Help exe. This must be run before any dependent executables because
+    // otherwise the build will be cached without emit. That's clunky but meh.
+    if (emit_helpgen) addHelp(b, null);
+
     // Add our benchmarks
     try benchSteps(b, target, optimize, config, emit_bench);
 
@@ -197,8 +207,6 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
         .{version},
     ));
 
-    createHelp(b);
-
     // Exe
     if (exe_) |exe| {
         exe.root_module.addOptions("build_options", exe_options);
@@ -477,7 +485,10 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) !void {
     }
 
     // On Mac we can build the embedding library. This only handles the macOS lib.
-    if (builtin.target.isDarwin() and target.result.os.tag == .macos) {
+    if (builtin.target.isDarwin() and
+        target.result.os.tag == .macos and
+        config.app_runtime == .none)
+    {
         // Create the universal macOS lib.
         const macos_lib_step, const macos_lib_path = try createMacOSLib(
             b,
@@ -1100,42 +1111,43 @@ fn addDeps(
         }
     }
 
-    addHelp(step);
+    addHelp(b, step);
 
     return static_libs;
 }
 
-var generate_help_step: *std.Build.Step.Run = undefined;
-var help_strings: std.Build.LazyPath = undefined;
-
 /// Generate help files
-fn createHelp(b: *std.Build) void {
-    const generate_help = b.addExecutable(.{
-        .name = "generate_help",
-        .root_source_file = .{ .path = "src/generate_help_strings.zig" },
-        .target = b.host,
-    });
+fn addHelp(
+    b: *std.Build,
+    step_: ?*std.Build.Step.Compile,
+) void {
+    // Our static state between runs. We memoize our help strings
+    // so that we only execute the help generation once.
+    const HelpState = struct {
+        var generated: ?std.Build.LazyPath = null;
+    };
 
-    generate_help_step = b.addRunArtifact(generate_help);
-    generate_help_step.step.dependOn(&generate_help.step);
+    const help_output = HelpState.generated orelse strings: {
+        const help_exe = b.addExecutable(.{
+            .name = "helpgen",
+            .root_source_file = .{ .path = "src/helpgen.zig" },
+            .target = b.host,
+        });
+        if (step_ == null) b.installArtifact(help_exe);
 
-    help_strings = generate_help_step.addOutputFileArg("help_strings.zig");
+        const help_run = b.addRunArtifact(help_exe);
+        HelpState.generated = help_run.captureStdOut();
+        break :strings HelpState.generated.?;
+    };
 
-    if (builtin.target.isDarwin()) {
-        const generated = b.option([]const u8, "help_strings", "generated help file") orelse "help_strings";
-        const write_file = b.addWriteFiles();
-        help_strings = write_file.addCopyFile(help_strings, generated);
+    if (step_) |step| {
+        help_output.addStepDependencies(&step.step);
+        step.root_module.addAnonymousImport("help_strings", .{
+            .root_source_file = help_output,
+        });
     }
 }
 
-/// Add the generated help files to the build.
-fn addHelp(step: *std.Build.Step.Compile) void {
-    step.step.dependOn(&generate_help_step.step);
-    step.root_module.addAnonymousImport("help_strings", .{
-        .root_source_file = help_strings,
-    });
-}
-
 fn benchSteps(
     b: *std.Build,
     target: std.Build.ResolvedTarget,
diff --git a/src/cli/action.zig b/src/cli/action.zig
index f97a5d2cf..2a7e0c6a9 100644
--- a/src/cli/action.zig
+++ b/src/cli/action.zig
@@ -69,6 +69,21 @@ pub const Action = enum {
             .@"list-colors" => try list_colors.run(alloc),
         };
     }
+
+    /// Returns the filename associated with an action. This is a relative
+    /// path from the root src/ directory.
+    pub fn file(comptime self: Action) []const u8 {
+        comptime {
+            const filename = filename: {
+                const tag = @tagName(self);
+                var filename: [tag.len]u8 = undefined;
+                _ = std.mem.replace(u8, tag, "-", "_", &filename);
+                break :filename &filename;
+            };
+
+            return "cli/" ++ filename ++ ".zig";
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 test "parse action none" {
diff --git a/src/generate_help_strings.zig b/src/generate_help_strings.zig
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b4ed35ca..000000000
--- a/src/generate_help_strings.zig
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,165 +0,0 @@
-const std = @import("std");
-const ziglyph = @import("ziglyph");
-const Action = @import("cli/action.zig").Action;
-const Config = @import("config/Config.zig");
-
-pub fn searchConfigAst(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, output: std.fs.File) !void {
-    var ast = try std.zig.Ast.parse(alloc, @embedFile("config/Config.zig"), .zig);
-    defer ast.deinit(alloc);
-
-    const config: Config = .{};
-
-    const tokens = ast.tokens.items(.tag);
-
-    var set = std.StringHashMap(bool).init(alloc);
-    defer set.deinit();
-
-    try output.writeAll(
-        \\//THIS FILE IS AUTO GENERATED
-        \\//DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THIS FILE!
-    );
-
-    try output.writeAll("\n\n");
-
-    inline for (@typeInfo(@TypeOf(config)).Struct.fields) |field| {
-        if (field.name[0] != '_') try set.put(field.name, false);
-    }
-
-    var index: u32 = 0;
-    while (true) : (index += 1) {
-        if (index >= tokens.len) break;
-        const token = tokens[index];
-
-        if (token == .identifier) {
-            const slice = ast.tokenSlice(index);
-            // We need this check because the ast grabs the identifier with @"" in case it's used.
-            const key = if (slice[0] == '@') slice[2 .. slice.len - 1] else slice;
-
-            if (key[0] == '_') continue;
-
-            if (set.get(key)) |value| {
-                if (value) continue;
-                if (tokens[index - 1] != .doc_comment) continue;
-
-                const comment = try consumeDocComments(alloc, ast, index - 1, &tokens);
-                const prop_type = ": " ++ "[:0]const u8 " ++ "= " ++ "\n";
-
-                try output.writeAll(slice);
-                try output.writeAll(prop_type);
-                // const concat = try std.mem.concat(self.alloc, u8, &.{ slice, prop_type });
-                // try output.writeAll(concat);
-                try output.writeAll(comment);
-                try output.writeAll("\n\n");
-
-                try set.put(key, true);
-            }
-        }
-        if (token == .eof) break;
-    }
-}
-
-fn actionPath(comptime action: Action) []const u8 {
-    return switch (action) {
-        .version => "cli/version.zig",
-        .@"list-fonts" => "cli/list_fonts.zig",
-        .@"list-keybinds" => "cli/list_keybinds.zig",
-        .@"list-themes" => "cli/list_themes.zig",
-        .@"list-colors" => "cli/list_colors.zig",
-    };
-}
-
-pub fn searchActionsAst(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, output: std.fs.File) !void {
-    inline for (@typeInfo(Action).Enum.fields) |field| {
-        const action = comptime std.meta.stringToEnum(Action, field.name).?;
-
-        var ast = try std.zig.Ast.parse(alloc, @embedFile(comptime actionPath(action)), .zig);
-        const tokens = ast.tokens.items(.tag);
-
-        var index: u32 = 0;
-        while (true) : (index += 1) {
-            if (tokens[index] == .keyword_fn) {
-                if (std.mem.eql(u8, ast.tokenSlice(index + 1), "run")) {
-                    if (tokens[index - 2] != .doc_comment) {
-                        std.debug.print("doc comment must be present on run function of the {s} action!", .{field.name});
-                        std.process.exit(1);
-                    }
-                    const comment = try consumeDocComments(alloc, ast, index - 2, &tokens);
-                    const prop_type = "@\"+" ++ field.name ++ "\"" ++ ": " ++ "[:0]const u8 " ++ "= " ++ "\n";
-
-                    try output.writeAll(prop_type);
-                    try output.writeAll(comment);
-                    try output.writeAll("\n\n");
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-fn consumeDocComments(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, ast: std.zig.Ast, index: std.zig.Ast.TokenIndex, toks: anytype) ![]const u8 {
-    var lines = std.ArrayList([]const u8).init(alloc);
-    defer lines.deinit();
-
-    const tokens = toks.*;
-    var current_idx = index;
-
-    // We iterate backwards because the doc_comment tokens should be on top of each other in case there are any.
-    while (true) : (current_idx -= 1) {
-        const token = tokens[current_idx];
-
-        if (token != .doc_comment) break;
-        // Insert at 0 so that we don't have the text in reverse.
-        try lines.insert(0, ast.tokenSlice(current_idx)[3..]);
-    }
-
-    const prefix = findCommonPrefix(lines);
-
-    var buffer = std.ArrayList(u8).init(alloc);
-    const writer = buffer.writer();
-
-    for (lines.items) |line| {
-        try writer.writeAll("    \\\\");
-        try writer.writeAll(line[@min(prefix, line.len)..]);
-        try writer.writeAll("\n");
-    }
-    try writer.writeAll(",\n");
-
-    return buffer.toOwnedSlice();
-}
-
-fn findCommonPrefix(lines: std.ArrayList([]const u8)) usize {
-    var m: usize = std.math.maxInt(usize);
-    for (lines.items) |line| {
-        var n: usize = std.math.maxInt(usize);
-        for (line, 0..) |c, i| {
-            if (c != ' ') {
-                n = i;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-        m = @min(m, n);
-    }
-    return m;
-}
-
-pub fn main() !void {
-    var gpa = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
-    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(gpa.allocator());
-    const alloc = arena.allocator();
-
-    const args = try std.process.argsAlloc(alloc);
-    defer std.process.argsFree(alloc, args);
-
-    if (args.len != 2) {
-        std.debug.print("invalid number of arguments provided!", .{});
-        std.process.exit(1);
-    }
-
-    const path = args[1];
-
-    var output = try std.fs.cwd().createFile(path, .{});
-    defer output.close();
-
-    try searchConfigAst(alloc, output);
-    try searchActionsAst(alloc, output);
-}