diff --git a/Source/cmLocalNinjaGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmLocalNinjaGenerator.cxx
index d9517d823..b2927a96e 100644
--- a/Source/cmLocalNinjaGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmLocalNinjaGenerator.cxx
@@ -398,6 +398,16 @@ cmLocalNinjaGenerator::WriteCustomCommandBuildStatement(
   const std::vector<std::string> &byproducts = ccg.GetByproducts();
   cmNinjaDeps ninjaOutputs(outputs.size()+byproducts.size()), ninjaDeps;
 
+  bool symbolic = false;
+  for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator o = outputs.begin();
+       o != outputs.end(); ++o)
+    {
+    if (cmSourceFile* sf = this->Makefile->GetSource(*o))
+      {
+      symbolic = sf->GetPropertyAsBool("SYMBOLIC");
+      }
+    }
+
 #if 0
 #error TODO: Once CC in an ExternalProject target must provide the \
     file of each imported target that has an add_dependencies pointing \
@@ -434,7 +444,7 @@ cmLocalNinjaGenerator::WriteCustomCommandBuildStatement(
       this->ConstructComment(ccg),
       "Custom command for " + ninjaOutputs[0],
       cc->GetUsesTerminal(),
-      /*restat*/true,
+      /*restat*/!symbolic,
       ninjaOutputs,
       ninjaDeps,
       orderOnlyDeps);
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/Custom-Always.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/Custom-Always.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d412708a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/Custom-Always.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+add_custom_command(
+  OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/before-always
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E touch before-always
+  )
+add_custom_command(
+  OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/always
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E touch always-updated
+  DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/before-always
+  )
+set_property(SOURCE always PROPERTY SYMBOLIC 1)
+add_custom_command(
+  OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/after-always
+  DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/always
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E touch after-always
+  )
+
+add_custom_target(drive ALL DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/after-always)
+
+file(GENERATE OUTPUT check-$<LOWER_CASE:$<CONFIG>>.cmake CONTENT "
+set(check_pairs
+  \"${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/always-updated|${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/before-always\"
+  \"${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/after-always|${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/always-updated\"
+  )
+")
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/RunCMakeTest.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/RunCMakeTest.cmake
index a578408e0..31c72fbe1 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/RunCMakeTest.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/BuildDepends/RunCMakeTest.cmake
@@ -38,3 +38,5 @@ if(NOT RunCMake_GENERATOR MATCHES "Visual Studio [67]|Xcode")
   run_BuildDepends(C-Exe-Manifest)
   unset(run_BuildDepends_skip_step_2)
 endif()
+
+run_BuildDepends(Custom-Always)