diff --git a/core/.gitignore b/core/.gitignore
index e71a856da3..b02aacc473 100644
--- a/core/.gitignore
+++ b/core/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 .vs/
 build/
 configure/
+resources/
 
 # cross-compile for meson wasm, built from wasm.build.<platform>.in
 wasm.build
@@ -10,8 +11,6 @@ TIER.md
 VERSION.md
 shellHelperFunctions.sh
 
-src/rust/keyman_keyboard_processor/target/
-
 # The following files/subdirs are generated by autotools when building ibus-keyman.
 # They can be removed after we convert ibus-keyman to use meson.
 .deps/
diff --git a/core/build.sh b/core/build.sh
index b746065b48..90e56733f3 100755
--- a/core/build.sh
+++ b/core/build.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ builder_describe \
 
 Libraries will be built in 'build/<target>/<configuration>/src'.
   * <configuration>: 'debug' or 'release' (see --debug flag)
-  * All parameters after '--' are passed to meson or ninja
+  * All parameters after '--' are passed to meson or ninja \
 " \
   "@/common/tools/hextobin" \
   "@/common/web/keyman-version" \
@@ -112,6 +112,14 @@ else
   TARGET_PATH="$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build"
 fi
 
+# Import our standard compiler defines; this is copied from
+# /resources/build/meson/standard.meson.build by build.sh, because meson doesn't
+# allow us to reference a file outside its root
+if builder_has_action configure; then
+  mkdir -p "$THIS_SCRIPT_PATH/resources"
+  cp "$KEYMAN_ROOT/resources/build/meson/standard.meson.build" "$THIS_SCRIPT_PATH/resources/meson.build"
+fi
+
 # Iterate through all possible targets; note that targets that cannot be built
 # on the current platform have already been excluded through the archtargets
 # settings above
diff --git a/core/meson.build b/core/meson.build
index 47b8860389..81d994124c 100644
--- a/core/meson.build
+++ b/core/meson.build
@@ -14,27 +14,19 @@ project('keyboardprocessor', 'cpp', 'c',
                            'warning_level=2'],
         meson_version: '>=0.53.0')
 
-compiler = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
+# Import our standard compiler defines; this is copied from
+# /resources/build/standard.meson.build by build.sh, because
+# meson doesn't allow us to reference a file outside its root
+subdir('resources')
 
 lib_version = '0.0.0'
 
 py = import('python')
 python = py.find_installation()
 
-# Once we can assume meson 0.60 we can delete this
-# (https://mesonbuild.com/Release-notes-for-0-60-0.html#msvc-compiler-now-assumes-utf8-source-code-by-default)
-if compiler.get_id() == 'msvc'
-  add_global_arguments('/source-charset:utf-8', language: ['c', 'cpp'])
-endif
-
-message('host_machine.system(): ' + host_machine.system())
-message('compiler.get_id(): ' + compiler.get_id())
-
-cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
-
 # TODO: Shared includes may use namespaces, etc which need future tidyup.
 # For now, we use KMN_KBP to inject the km::kbp::kmx namespace
-defns = ['-DKMN_KBP']
+defns += ['-DKMN_KBP']
 
 # #define DEBUG when we are on a debug build
 if get_option('buildtype') == 'debug'
diff --git a/core/src/meson.build b/core/src/meson.build
index 8259d0e22a..b117b06f9d 100644
--- a/core/src/meson.build
+++ b/core/src/meson.build
@@ -4,58 +4,17 @@
 # Authors:      Tim Eves (TSE)
 #
 
-defns += ['-DKMN_KBP_EXPORTING']
 version_res = []
+defns += ['-DKMN_KBP_EXPORTING']
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or compiler.get_id() == 'clang'
-  warns = [
-     '-Wctor-dtor-privacy',
-     '-Wdouble-promotion',
-     '-Wendif-labels',
-     '-Wno-unknown-pragmas',
-     '-Wno-missing-field-initializers',
-     '-Wnon-virtual-dtor',
-     '-Wshadow'
-  ]
-  flags = [
-    '-fvisibility=hidden',
-    '-fvisibility-inlines-hidden'
-  ]
-  links = []
-
-  if compiler.get_id() == 'clang'
-    warns += [
-      '-Wimplicit-fallthrough',
-      '-Wno-double-promotion',
-      '-Wshorten-64-to-32'
-    ]
-  endif
-
-  if host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
-    warns += ['-Wno-ctor-dtor-privacy', '-Wno-non-virtual-dtor']
-  endif
-endif
-
-if compiler.get_id() == 'msvc'
-  warns = []
-  flags = []
-  defns += [
-    '-D_SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS',
-    '-D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS',
-    '-DUNICODE'
-  ]
-  links = []
-
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'msvc'
   # /n = append null
   # /c65001 = utf-8 file format
   version_res += import('windows').compile_resources('version.rc', args:['/n','/c65001'])
 endif
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
-  warns = []
-  flags = []
-  defns = ['-DKMN_KBP']
-  links = []
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+  defns += ['-DKMN_KBP']
 endif
 
 kmx_files = files(
diff --git a/core/tests/kmx_test_source/meson.build b/core/tests/kmx_test_source/meson.build
index 4cfdd5661d..691839047f 100644
--- a/core/tests/kmx_test_source/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/kmx_test_source/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-if compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+
+# TODO -- why are these differing from the standard.meson.build flags?
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   warns = [
      '-Wno-missing-field-initializers',
      '-Wno-unused-parameter'
diff --git a/core/tests/meson.build b/core/tests/meson.build
index 1d37806947..e2e2997582 100644
--- a/core/tests/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/meson.build
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ if get_option('keyman_core_tests')
   if get_option('default_library') != 'static'
     ctypes_void_p_size = ['-c', 'import ctypes; print(ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_void_p))']
     r = run_command(python, ctypes_void_p_size)
-    python_ctypes_compatible = r.stdout().to_int() == compiler.sizeof('void *')
+    python_ctypes_compatible = r.stdout().to_int() == cpp_compiler.sizeof('void *')
     if not python_ctypes_compatible
       message('Python ctypes is incompatible with built shared object. Disabling some tests.')
     endif
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/json/meson.build b/core/tests/unit/json/meson.build
index 42106976cd..6289d7db0c 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/json/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/unit/json/meson.build
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Authors:      Tim Eves (TSE)
 #
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   tests_flags = ['-lnodefs.js']
 else
   tests_flags = []
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/kmnkbd/meson.build b/core/tests/unit/kmnkbd/meson.build
index 16884298e5..9cf3cdb240 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/kmnkbd/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/unit/kmnkbd/meson.build
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 # Authors:      Tim Eves (TSE)
 #
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+# TODO -- why are these differing from the standard.meson.build flags?
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   warns = [
      '-Wno-missing-field-initializers',
      '-Wno-unused-parameter'
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ else
   warns = []
 endif
 
-defns+=['-DKMN_KBP_STATIC']
+local_defns = ['-DKMN_KBP_STATIC']
 tests = [
   ['context-api', 'context_api.cpp'],
   ['keyboard-api', 'keyboard_api.cpp'],
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ tests = [
   ['kmx_context', 'test_kmx_context.cpp'],
 ]
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   tests_flags = ['--embed-file', join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(),'..','kmx','@/')]
   source_path = '/'
   test_path = '/'
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ endif
 
 foreach t : tests
   bin = executable(t[0], t[1],
-    cpp_args: defns + warns,
+    cpp_args: local_defns + defns + warns,
     include_directories: [inc, libsrc],
     link_args: links + tests_flags,
     objects: lib.extract_all_objects(recursive: false))
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/kmx/fixtures/binary/meson.build b/core/tests/unit/kmx/fixtures/binary/meson.build
index 5998a3b1e9..da509ff619 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/kmx/fixtures/binary/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/unit/kmx/fixtures/binary/meson.build
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 # Build all binary test keyboards
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   binary_test_path = '/'
 else
   binary_test_path = meson.current_build_dir()
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/kmx/meson.build b/core/tests/unit/kmx/meson.build
index 048b888011..f4ededbf95 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/kmx/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/unit/kmx/meson.build
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 # History:      19  Oct 2018 - TSE - Added test for context API functions.
 #
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+# TODO -- why are these differing from the standard.meson.build flags?
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   warns = [
      '-Wno-missing-field-initializers',
      '-Wno-unused-parameter'
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   tests_flags = ['--embed-file', join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(),'@/')]
   # we have to link in files from the binary folder also as the binary tests
   # use the kmx test runner.
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ else
   cat_cmd = [find_program('cat', required: true)]
 endif
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   # The .kmx files are linked in to the unit test,
   # so kmcomp is too late here
   kmcomp = disabler()
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ if kmcomp.found()
   endforeach
 else
   foreach kbd : tests
-    if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+    if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
       kbd_basename = kbd
     else
       kbd_basename = 'k_' + kbd.underscorify().to_lower()
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/ldml/meson.build b/core/tests/unit/ldml/meson.build
index 7dc3d81805..596099246a 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/ldml/meson.build
+++ b/core/tests/unit/ldml/meson.build
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 # Authors:      Marc Durdin
 #
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+# TODO -- why are these differing from the standard.meson.build flags?
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'clang' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   warns = [
      '-Wno-missing-field-initializers',
      '-Wno-unused-parameter'
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ endif
 
 # Build ldml test executable
 
-if compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
   tests_flags = ['--embed-file', join_paths(meson.current_build_dir(),'keyboards','@')]
   tests_flags += ['--embed-file', join_paths(meson.current_build_dir(),'invalid-keyboards','@')]
   test_path = '/'
diff --git a/resources/build/meson/standard.meson.build b/resources/build/meson/standard.meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32eef47c8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/build/meson/standard.meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#
+# Shared configuration for all meson-based builds
+#
+# This file has the master location /resources/build/meson/standard.meson.build,
+# and is copied into each project's <project>/resources/meson.build in the
+# configure step, so that it can be referenced by meson directly.
+#
+# Where possible, we want to use these flags everywhere
+#
+
+cpp_compiler = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
+c_compiler = meson.get_compiler('c')
+
+# Once we can assume meson 0.60 we can delete this
+# (https://mesonbuild.com/Release-notes-for-0-60-0.html#msvc-compiler-now-assumes-utf8-source-code-by-default)
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'msvc'
+  add_global_arguments('/source-charset:utf-8', language: ['c', 'cpp'])
+endif
+
+#
+# Standard informational messages for our builds
+#
+
+message('host_machine.system(): ' + host_machine.system())
+message('compiler.get_id(): ' + cpp_compiler.get_id())
+
+#
+# Standard compiler flags for all platforms
+#
+
+warns = []
+flags = []
+links = []
+defns = []
+
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'gcc' or cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'clang'
+  warns += [
+     '-Wctor-dtor-privacy',
+     '-Wdouble-promotion',
+     '-Wendif-labels',
+     '-Wno-unknown-pragmas',
+     '-Wno-missing-field-initializers',
+     '-Wnon-virtual-dtor',
+     '-Wshadow'
+  ]
+  flags += [
+    '-fvisibility=hidden',
+    '-fvisibility-inlines-hidden'
+  ]
+
+  if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'clang'
+    warns += [
+      '-Wimplicit-fallthrough',
+      '-Wno-double-promotion',
+      '-Wshorten-64-to-32'
+    ]
+  endif
+
+  if host_machine.system() == 'darwin'
+    warns += ['-Wno-ctor-dtor-privacy', '-Wno-non-virtual-dtor']
+  endif
+endif
+
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'msvc'
+  defns += [
+    '-D_SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS',
+    '-D_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS',
+    '-DUNICODE'
+  ]
+endif
+
+if cpp_compiler.get_id() == 'emscripten'
+  #
+endif