diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a0c438676..786ad86fa 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ generated_files: visualc_files
 VISUALC_FILES = visualc/VS2010/mbedTLS.sln visualc/VS2010/mbedTLS.vcxproj
 # TODO: $(app).vcxproj for each $(app) in programs/
 visualc_files: $(VISUALC_FILES)
+
+# Ensure that the .c files that generate_visualc_files.pl enumerates are
+# present before it runs. List the files explicitly, not via the
+# library/generated_files indirection, because otherwise running
+# make visualc_files would always consider the visualc files out of date.
+$(VISUALC_FILES): library/error.c library/version_features.c
 $(VISUALC_FILES): scripts/generate_visualc_files.pl
 $(VISUALC_FILES): scripts/data_files/vs2010-app-template.vcxproj
 $(VISUALC_FILES): scripts/data_files/vs2010-main-template.vcxproj
diff --git a/tests/scripts/check-generated-files.sh b/tests/scripts/check-generated-files.sh
index 07974a23e..b48083786 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/check-generated-files.sh
+++ b/tests/scripts/check-generated-files.sh
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ check()
 check scripts/generate_errors.pl library/error.c
 check scripts/generate_query_config.pl programs/test/query_config.c
 check scripts/generate_features.pl library/version_features.c
+# generate_visualc_files enumerates source files (library/*.c). It doesn't
+# care about their content, but the files must exist. So it must run after
+# the step that creates or updates these files.
 check scripts/generate_visualc_files.pl visualc/VS2010
 check scripts/generate_psa_constants.py programs/psa/psa_constant_names_generated.c
 check tests/scripts/generate_psa_tests.py $(tests/scripts/generate_psa_tests.py --list)