diff --git a/compiler/extccomp.nim b/compiler/extccomp.nim
index e6e35f462d..0e52e9217c 100644
--- a/compiler/extccomp.nim
+++ b/compiler/extccomp.nim
@@ -616,8 +616,12 @@ proc getCompileCFileCmd*(conf: ConfigRef; cfile: Cfile,
 
   includeCmd.add(join([CC[c].includeCmd, quoteShell(conf.projectPath.string)]))
 
-  let cf = if noAbsolutePaths(conf): AbsoluteFile extractFilename(cfile.cname.string)
-           else: cfile.cname
+  # Generated files live in nimcache, but external files are not copied there.
+  let cf =
+    if noAbsolutePaths(conf) and CfileFlag.External notin cfile.flags:
+      AbsoluteFile extractFilename(cfile.cname.string)
+    else:
+      cfile.cname
 
   let objfile =
     if cfile.obj.isEmpty: