diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d40f4d39486..46dcf84b43a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ bin
 compile_commands.json
 platform/windows/godot_res.res
 
+# Ninja build files
+build.ninja
+.ninja
+
 # Generated by Godot binary
 .import/
 /gdextension_interface.h
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 753cea40e33..73ef420a0dc 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ opts.Add(BoolVariable("custom_modules_recursive", "Detect custom modules recursi
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("dev_mode", "Alias for dev options: verbose=yes warnings=extra werror=yes tests=yes", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("tests", "Build the unit tests", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("fast_unsafe", "Enable unsafe options for faster rebuilds", False))
+opts.Add(BoolVariable("ninja", "Use the ninja backend for faster rebuilds", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("compiledb", "Generate compilation DB (`compile_commands.json`) for external tools", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("verbose", "Enable verbose output for the compilation", False))
 opts.Add(BoolVariable("progress", "Show a progress indicator during compilation", True))
@@ -956,7 +957,8 @@ if selected_platform in platform_list:
         env.vs_incs = []
         env.vs_srcs = []
 
-    # CompileDB
+    # CompileDB and Ninja are only available with certain SCons versions which
+    # not everybody might have yet, so we have to check.
     from SCons import __version__ as scons_raw_version
 
     scons_ver = env._get_major_minor_revision(scons_raw_version)
@@ -968,6 +970,20 @@ if selected_platform in platform_list:
         env.Tool("compilation_db")
         env.Alias("compiledb", env.CompilationDatabase())
 
+    if env["ninja"]:
+        if scons_ver < (4, 2, 0):
+            print("The `ninja=yes` option requires SCons 4.2 or later, but your version is %s." % scons_raw_version)
+            Exit(255)
+
+        SetOption("experimental", "ninja")
+
+        # By setting this we allow the user to run ninja by themselves with all
+        # the flags they need, as apparently automatically running from scons
+        # is way slower.
+        SetOption("disable_execute_ninja", True)
+
+        env.Tool("ninja")
+
     # Threads
     if env["threads"]:
         env.Append(CPPDEFINES=["THREADS_ENABLED"])
@@ -1041,9 +1057,10 @@ atexit.register(print_elapsed_time)
 
 
 def purge_flaky_files():
+    paths_to_keep = ["ninja.build"]
     for build_failure in GetBuildFailures():
-        path = build_failure.node.abspath
-        if os.path.isfile(path):
+        path = build_failure.node.path
+        if os.path.isfile(path) and path not in paths_to_keep:
             os.remove(path)
 
 
diff --git a/platform_methods.py b/platform_methods.py
index 92aefcc648b..56115db4a49 100644
--- a/platform_methods.py
+++ b/platform_methods.py
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ def generate_export_icons(platform_path, platform_name):
 
             svg_str += '";\n'
 
-        # NOTE: It is safe to generate this file here, since this is still executed serially.
         wf = export_path + "/" + name + "_svg.gen.h"
 
         methods.write_file_if_needed(wf, svg_str)