diff --git a/cmake/CleaningConfigureFile.cmake b/cmake/CleaningConfigureFile.cmake
index 7fe2da1b0..8273e2924 100644
--- a/cmake/CleaningConfigureFile.cmake
+++ b/cmake/CleaningConfigureFile.cmake
@@ -10,17 +10,28 @@ function(cleaning_configure_file RSRC RDST)
   get_filename_component(SRC "${RSRC}" ABSOLUTE BASE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
   get_filename_component(DST "${RDST}" ABSOLUTE BASE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
   get_filename_component(DST_DIR "${DST}" DIRECTORY)
+  get_filename_component(DST_NAME ${DST} NAME)
+
+  # ensure the temporary configuration files are in a different directory
+  set(CFG_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cfg")
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${CFG_DIR}")
+
+  # Generate the temporary configuration files
   if(CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES)
     foreach(CFG ${CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES})
       set(CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG ${CFG})
+      if(NOT SOURCE_CFG_INIT)
+        set(SOURCE_CFG_INIT "${CFG_DIR}/${DST_NAME}_${CFG}")
+      endif()
       cflagstovar(CURRENT_C_FLAGS ${CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG})
-      configure_file(${SRC} ${DST}_${CFG} ${ARGN})
+      configure_file(${SRC} "${CFG_DIR}/${DST_NAME}_${CFG}" ${ARGN})
       unset(CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG)
       unset(CURRENT_C_FLAGS)
     endforeach()
+    set(SOURCE_CFG "${CFG_DIR}/${DST_NAME}_$<CONFIG>")
   else()
     # We call this also from CMake scripts without a CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE
-    # Fall back to an explicitly unsupported build type to point out something is wrond
+    # Fall back to an explicitly unsupported build type to point out something is wrong
     # if this variable is used during such a call
     if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
       set(CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE})
@@ -28,20 +39,32 @@ function(cleaning_configure_file RSRC RDST)
       set(CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG "InvalidBuildType")
     endif()
     cflagstovar(CURRENT_C_FLAGS ${CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG})
-    configure_file(${SRC} ${DST}_${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE} ${ARGN})
+    set(SOURCE_CFG "${CFG_DIR}/${DST_NAME}_${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}")
+    set(SOURCE_CFG_INIT "${SOURCE_CFG}")
+    configure_file(${SRC} "${SOURCE_CFG}" ${ARGN})
     unset(CURRENT_BUILD_CONFIG)
     unset(CURRENT_C_FLAGS)
   endif()
 
-  configure_file(${SRC} ${DST} ${ARGN})
+  # Fallback for older CMake: we want to copy only if the destination is different.
+  # First do an initial copy during configuration
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${DST_DIR}")
+  if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS "3.21.0")
+    get_filename_component(CFG_VAR ${SOURCE_CFG_INIT} NAME)
+    file(COPY ${SOURCE_CFG_INIT} DESTINATION ${DST_DIR})
+    set(CFG_VAR_ABS "${DST_DIR}/${CFG_VAR}")
+    file(RENAME ${CFG_VAR_ABS} ${DST})
+  else()
+    file(COPY_FILE ${SOURCE_CFG_INIT} ${DST} ONLY_IF_DIFFERENT)
+  endif()
 
+  # Create a target to recreate the configuration file if something changes.
   string(SHA256 DST_HASH "${DST}")
   if(NOT TARGET ct-${DST_HASH})
     add_custom_target(
       ct-${DST_HASH} ALL COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} "-E" "make_directory" "${DST_DIR}"
-      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} "-E" "copy" "${DST}_$<CONFIG>" "${DST}" COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} "-E" "sha256sum"
-                                                                               "${DST}_$<CONFIG>" > ${DST}.hash
-      DEPENDS ${DST} BYPRODUCTS ${DST}.hash
+      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} "-E" "copy_if_different" "${SOURCE_CFG}" "${DST}" DEPENDS ${SOURCE_CFG}
+      BYPRODUCTS ${DST}
     )
   endif()
 endfunction()