diff --git a/lib/std/Build.zig b/lib/std/Build.zig
index 58cead7e7a..5f74af3db6 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build.zig
@@ -1220,12 +1220,7 @@ pub fn addInstallFileWithDir(
     install_dir: InstallDir,
     dest_rel_path: []const u8,
 ) *InstallFileStep {
-    if (dest_rel_path.len == 0) {
-        panic("dest_rel_path must be non-empty", .{});
-    }
-    const install_step = self.allocator.create(InstallFileStep) catch @panic("OOM");
-    install_step.* = InstallFileStep.init(self, source.dupe(self), install_dir, dest_rel_path);
-    return install_step;
+    return InstallFileStep.create(self, source.dupe(self), install_dir, dest_rel_path);
 }
 
 pub fn addInstallDirectory(self: *Build, options: InstallDirectoryOptions) *InstallDirStep {
@@ -1685,9 +1680,7 @@ pub const InstallDir = union(enum) {
     /// Duplicates the install directory including the path if set to custom.
     pub fn dupe(self: InstallDir, builder: *Build) InstallDir {
         if (self == .custom) {
-            // Written with this temporary to avoid RLS problems
-            const duped_path = builder.dupe(self.custom);
-            return .{ .custom = duped_path };
+            return .{ .custom = builder.dupe(self.custom) };
         } else {
             return self;
         }
diff --git a/lib/std/Build/InstallFileStep.zig b/lib/std/Build/InstallFileStep.zig
index a77fa10b43..011ad48208 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/InstallFileStep.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/InstallFileStep.zig
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const Step = std.Build.Step;
 const FileSource = std.Build.FileSource;
 const InstallDir = std.Build.InstallDir;
 const InstallFileStep = @This();
+const assert = std.debug.assert;
 
 pub const base_id = .install_file;
 
@@ -14,14 +15,16 @@ dest_rel_path: []const u8,
 /// package but is being installed by another.
 dest_builder: *std.Build,
 
-pub fn init(
+pub fn create(
     owner: *std.Build,
     source: FileSource,
     dir: InstallDir,
     dest_rel_path: []const u8,
-) InstallFileStep {
+) *InstallFileStep {
+    assert(dest_rel_path.len != 0);
     owner.pushInstalledFile(dir, dest_rel_path);
-    return InstallFileStep{
+    const self = owner.allocator.create(InstallFileStep) catch @panic("OOM");
+    self.* = .{
         .step = Step.init(.{
             .id = base_id,
             .name = owner.fmt("install {s} to {s}", .{ source.getDisplayName(), dest_rel_path }),
@@ -33,6 +36,8 @@ pub fn init(
         .dest_rel_path = owner.dupePath(dest_rel_path),
         .dest_builder = owner,
     };
+    source.addStepDependencies(&self.step);
+    return self;
 }
 
 fn make(step: *Step, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) !void {