diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 21cbd0826..1ad18b91a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,13 +9,15 @@
 *.o
 *.o-[0-9a-f]*
 *~
-.doconf.*
+/.cquery_cached_index
+/.doconf.*
 /Debug
 /Release
 /autom4te.cache
 /build-config
 /build-config.local
 /build-stamp
+/compile_commands.json
 /config.cache
 /config.guess
 /config.h
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@
 /po/*.mo
 /po/mkvtoolnix.pot
 /po/qt/*.qm
+/rake.d/compilation_database.rb
 /rake.d/dependency.d
 /share/icons/*/*.h
 /src/*/qt_resources.cpp
@@ -79,9 +82,9 @@
 /tests/unit/common/common
 /tests/unit/merge/merge
 /tests/unit/propedit/propedit
+/tools/macos/unlock_keychain.sh
 BROWSE
 Makefile
 TAGS
 lib*.a
 .rsync-filter
-/tools/macos/unlock_keychain.sh
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 89a1a902e..4a15f4f58 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+# Version ?
+
+## Build system changes
+
+* A compilation database (in the form of a file `compile_commands.json`) can
+  be built automatically if the variable `BUILD_COMPILATION_DATABASE` is set
+  to `yes` (e.g. as `rake BUILD_COMPILATION_DATABASE=yes`).
+
+
 # Version 21.0.0 "Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth" 2018-02-24
 
 ## New features and enhancements
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index ea5e03293..46669be5c 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ if (version[0] < 2) && (version[1] < 9)
 end
 
 # Change to base directory before doing anything
+$source_dir = File.absolute_path(File.dirname(__FILE__))
+$build_dir  = $source_dir
+
 if FileUtils.pwd != File.dirname(__FILE__)
-  new_dir = File.absolute_path(File.dirname(__FILE__))
-  puts "Entering directory `#{new_dir}'"
-  Dir.chdir new_dir
+  puts "Entering directory `#{$source_dir}'"
+  Dir.chdir $source_dir
 end
 
 # Set number of threads to use if it is unset and we're running with
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ require_relative "rake.d/target"
 require_relative "rake.d/application"
 require_relative "rake.d/installer"
 require_relative "rake.d/library"
+require_relative "rake.d/compilation_database"
 require_relative "rake.d/format_string_verifier"
 require_relative "rake.d/pch"
 require_relative "rake.d/po"
@@ -272,6 +275,8 @@ cxx_compiler = lambda do |*args|
     :allow_failure => true
   ]
 
+  Mtx::CompilationDatabase.add "directory" => $source_dir, "file" => source, "command" => args[2]
+
   if pchi.pretty_flags
     PCH.runq(*args[0..2], args[3].merge(pchi.pretty_flags))
   else
@@ -887,7 +892,7 @@ end
 namespace :clean do
   desc "Remove all compiled and generated files ('tarball' clean)"
   task :dist => :clean do
-    run "rm -f config.h config.log config.cache build-config TAGS src/info/static_plugins.cpp src/mkvtoolnix-gui/static_plugins.cpp", :allow_failure => true
+    run "rm -f config.h config.log config.cache build-config TAGS src/mkvtoolnix-gui/static_plugins.cpp #{Mtx::CompilationDatabase.database_file_name}", :allow_failure => true
   end
 
   desc "Remove all compiled and generated files ('git' clean)"
diff --git a/build-config.in b/build-config.in
index 7d2942644..57c9e6311 100644
--- a/build-config.in
+++ b/build-config.in
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ ZLIB_LIBS = @ZLIB_LIBS@
 USE_QT = @USE_QT@
 APPIMAGE_BUILD = @APPIMAGE_BUILD@
 BUILD_TOOLS = @BUILD_TOOLS@
+BUILD_COMPILATION_DATABASE = no
 
 TRANSLATIONS = @TRANSLATIONS@
 MANPAGES_TRANSLATIONS = @MANPAGES_TRANSLATIONS@