diff --git a/common/meson.build b/common/meson.build
index ca1f17526..3a4282ad5 100644
--- a/common/meson.build
+++ b/common/meson.build
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-sway_common = files(
-	'log.c',
-	'list.c',
-	'util.c',
-	'stringop.c',
-	'readline.c',
-	'ipc-client.c'
+lib_sway_common = static_library('sway-common',
+	files(
+		'log.c',
+		'list.c',
+		'util.c',
+		'stringop.c',
+		'readline.c',
+		'ipc-client.c'
+	),
+	include_directories: sway_inc
 )
diff --git a/sway/meson.build b/sway/meson.build
index 1f17ed31d..b02506c8a 100644
--- a/sway/meson.build
+++ b/sway/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-sway_sources = sway_common + files(
+sway_sources = files(
 	'main.c',
 	'server.c',
 	'commands.c',
@@ -25,5 +25,6 @@ executable(
 	'sway',
 	sway_sources,
 	include_directories: [sway_inc],
-	dependencies: sway_deps
+	dependencies: sway_deps,
+	link_with: [lib_sway_common]
 )