diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index 469b5326..1c5872ee 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ extern crate liquid;
 
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::fs;
+use std::path::Path;
 
 // Read environment variables.
 lazy_static! {
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ fn init_template() -> liquid::value::Object {
 fn template(
     variables: &liquid::value::Object,
     in_file: &str,
-    out_file: &str,
+    out_file: impl AsRef<Path>,
 ) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     let template = liquid::ParserBuilder::with_liquid()
         .build()?
@@ -55,11 +56,21 @@ fn template(
 fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     let variables = init_template();
 
-    template(&variables, "assets/manual/bat.1.in", "assets/manual/bat.1")?;
+    let out_dir_env = std::env::var_os("OUT_DIR").expect("OUT_DIR to be set in build.rs");
+    let out_dir = Path::new(&out_dir_env);
+
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(out_dir.join("assets/manual")).unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(out_dir.join("assets/completions")).unwrap();
+
+    template(
+        &variables,
+        "assets/manual/bat.1.in",
+        out_dir.join("assets/manual/bat.1"),
+    )?;
     template(
         &variables,
         "assets/completions/bat.fish.in",
-        "assets/completions/bat.fish",
+        out_dir.join("assets/completions/bat.fish"),
     )?;
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/ci/before_deploy.bash b/ci/before_deploy.bash
index ac4bb159..a11aaed6 100755
--- a/ci/before_deploy.bash
+++ b/ci/before_deploy.bash
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ pack() {
     "${gcc_prefix}"strip "$tempdir/$package_name/$PROJECT_NAME"
 
     # manpage, readme and license
-    cp "assets/manual/bat.1" "$tempdir/$package_name/$PROJECT_NAME.1"
+    cp "$out_dir/assets/manual/bat.1" "$tempdir/$package_name/$PROJECT_NAME.1"
     cp README.md "$tempdir/$package_name"
     cp LICENSE-MIT "$tempdir/$package_name"
     cp LICENSE-APACHE "$tempdir/$package_name"
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pack() {
     # TODO: disabled for now, see issue #372
     # cp target/"$TARGET"/release/build/"$PROJECT_NAME"-*/out/"$PROJECT_NAME".bash "$tempdir/$package_name/autocomplete/${PROJECT_NAME}.bash-completion"
     # cp target/"$TARGET"/release/build/"$PROJECT_NAME"-*/out/"$PROJECT_NAME".fish "$tempdir/$package_name/autocomplete"
-    cp "assets/completions/bat.fish" "$tempdir/$package_name/autocomplete/$PROJECT_NAME.fish"
+    cp "$out_dir/assets/completions/bat.fish" "$tempdir/$package_name/autocomplete/$PROJECT_NAME.fish"
     # cp target/"$TARGET"/release/build/"$PROJECT_NAME"-*/out/_"$PROJECT_NAME" "$tempdir/$package_name/autocomplete"
 
     # archiving
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ make_deb() {
     "${gcc_prefix}"strip "$tempdir/usr/bin/$PROJECT_NAME"
 
     # manpage
-    install -Dm644 "assets/manual/bat.1" "$tempdir/usr/share/man/man1/$PROJECT_NAME.1"
+    install -Dm644 "$out_dir/assets/manual/bat.1" "$tempdir/usr/share/man/man1/$PROJECT_NAME.1"
     gzip --best "$tempdir/usr/share/man/man1/$PROJECT_NAME.1"
 
     # completions
-    install -Dm644 "assets/completions/bat.fish" "$tempdir/usr/share/fish/vendor_completions.d/$PROJECT_NAME.fish"
+    install -Dm644 "$out_dir/assets/completions/bat.fish" "$tempdir/usr/share/fish/vendor_completions.d/$PROJECT_NAME.fish"
 
     # readme and license
     install -Dm644 README.md "$tempdir/usr/share/doc/$PROJECT_NAME/README.md"