diff --git a/tools/gn/BUILD.gn b/tools/gn/BUILD.gn
index 2728c0d..bb36b1f 100644
--- a/tools/gn/BUILD.gn
+++ b/tools/gn/BUILD.gn
@@ -277,7 +277,6 @@
     "function_write_file_unittest.cc",
     "functions_target_unittest.cc",
     "functions_unittest.cc",
-    "group_target_generator_unittest.cc",
     "header_checker_unittest.cc",
     "inherited_libraries_unittest.cc",
     "input_conversion_unittest.cc",
diff --git a/tools/gn/group_target_generator_unittest.cc b/tools/gn/group_target_generator_unittest.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 3b0c824..0000000
--- a/tools/gn/group_target_generator_unittest.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2016 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
-// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
-// found in the LICENSE file.
-
-#include "testing/gtest/include/gtest/gtest.h"
-#include "tools/gn/group_target_generator.h"
-#include "tools/gn/scheduler.h"
-#include "tools/gn/test_with_scope.h"
-
-namespace {
-
-// Returns true on success, false if write_file signaled an error.
-bool ParseWriteRuntimeDeps(Scope* scope, const std::string& value) {
-  TestParseInput input(
-      "group(\"foo\") { write_runtime_deps = " + value + "}");
-  if (input.has_error())
-    return false;
-
-  Err err;
-  input.parsed()->Execute(scope, &err);
-  return !err.has_error();
-}
-
-}  // namespace
-
-
-// Tests that actions can't have output substitutions.
-TEST(GroupTargetGenerator, WriteRuntimeDeps) {
-  Scheduler scheduler;
-  TestWithScope setup;
-  Scope::ItemVector items_;
-  setup.scope()->set_item_collector(&items_);
-
-  // Should refuse to write files outside of the output dir.
-  EXPECT_FALSE(ParseWriteRuntimeDeps(setup.scope(), "\"//foo.txt\""));
-  EXPECT_EQ(0U, scheduler.GetWriteRuntimeDepsTargets().size());
-
-  // Should fail for garbage inputs.
-  EXPECT_FALSE(ParseWriteRuntimeDeps(setup.scope(), "0"));
-  EXPECT_EQ(0U, scheduler.GetWriteRuntimeDepsTargets().size());
-
-  // Should be able to write inside the out dir.
-  EXPECT_TRUE(ParseWriteRuntimeDeps(setup.scope(), "\"//out/Debug/foo.txt\""));
-  EXPECT_EQ(1U, scheduler.GetWriteRuntimeDepsTargets().size());
-}
-
diff --git a/tools/gn/runtime_deps_unittest.cc b/tools/gn/runtime_deps_unittest.cc
index 915fbc2..6c2013d 100644
--- a/tools/gn/runtime_deps_unittest.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/runtime_deps_unittest.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #include "testing/gtest/include/gtest/gtest.h"
 #include "tools/gn/runtime_deps.h"
+#include "tools/gn/scheduler.h"
 #include "tools/gn/target.h"
 #include "tools/gn/test_with_scope.h"
 
@@ -282,3 +283,31 @@
                         MakePair("../../action.output", &action)) !=
               result.end()) << GetVectorDescription(result);
 }
+
+// Tests that actions can't have output substitutions.
+TEST(RuntimeDeps, WriteRuntimeDepsVariable) {
+  Scheduler scheduler;
+  TestWithScope setup;
+  Err err;
+
+  // Should refuse to write files outside of the output dir.
+  EXPECT_FALSE(setup.ExecuteSnippet(
+      "group(\"foo\") { write_runtime_deps = \"//foo.txt\" }", &err));
+
+  // Should fail for garbage inputs.
+  err = Err();
+  EXPECT_FALSE(setup.ExecuteSnippet(
+      "group(\"foo\") { write_runtime_deps = 0 }", &err));
+
+  // Should be able to write inside the out dir, and shouldn't write the one
+  // in the else clause.
+  err = Err();
+  EXPECT_TRUE(setup.ExecuteSnippet(
+      "if (true) {\n"
+      "  group(\"foo\") { write_runtime_deps = \"//out/Debug/foo.txt\" }\n"
+      "} else {\n"
+      "  group(\"bar\") { write_runtime_deps = \"//out/Debug/bar.txt\" }\n"
+      "}", &err));
+  EXPECT_EQ(1U, setup.items().size());
+  EXPECT_EQ(1U, scheduler.GetWriteRuntimeDepsTargets().size());
+}
diff --git a/tools/gn/target.cc b/tools/gn/target.cc
index 18c353e..e88c82f 100644
--- a/tools/gn/target.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/target.cc
@@ -324,6 +324,9 @@
     CheckSourcesGenerated();
   }
 
+  if (!write_runtime_deps_output_.value().empty())
+    g_scheduler->AddWriteRuntimeDepsTarget(this);
+
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/gn/target_generator.cc b/tools/gn/target_generator.cc
index 2132a5b..90642d4 100644
--- a/tools/gn/target_generator.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/target_generator.cc
@@ -403,6 +403,5 @@
   OutputFile output_file(GetBuildSettings(), source_file);
   target_->set_write_runtime_deps_output(output_file);
 
-  g_scheduler->AddWriteRuntimeDepsTarget(target_);
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/tools/gn/test_with_scope.cc b/tools/gn/test_with_scope.cc
index 32d5dd6..0ddd463 100644
--- a/tools/gn/test_with_scope.cc
+++ b/tools/gn/test_with_scope.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   settings_.set_default_toolchain_label(toolchain_.label());
 
   SetupToolchain(&toolchain_);
+  scope_.set_item_collector(&items_);
 }
 
 TestWithScope::~TestWithScope() {
@@ -37,6 +38,28 @@
   return result;
 }
 
+bool TestWithScope::ExecuteSnippet(const std::string& str, Err* err) {
+  TestParseInput input(str);
+  if (input.has_error()) {
+    *err = input.parse_err();
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  size_t first_item = items_.size();
+  input.parsed()->Execute(&scope_, err);
+  if (err->has_error())
+    return false;
+
+  for (size_t i = first_item; i < items_.size(); ++i) {
+    CHECK(items_[i]->AsTarget() != nullptr)
+        << "Only targets are supported in ExecuteSnippet()";
+    items_[i]->AsTarget()->SetToolchain(&toolchain_);
+    if (!items_[i]->OnResolved(err))
+      return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 // static
 void TestWithScope::SetupToolchain(Toolchain* toolchain) {
   Err err;
diff --git a/tools/gn/test_with_scope.h b/tools/gn/test_with_scope.h
index fa6fb4b..8853243 100644
--- a/tools/gn/test_with_scope.h
+++ b/tools/gn/test_with_scope.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
   Toolchain* toolchain() { return &toolchain_; }
   const Toolchain* toolchain() const { return &toolchain_; }
   Scope* scope() { return &scope_; }
+  const Scope::ItemVector& items() { return items_; }
 
   // This buffer accumulates output from any print() commands executed in the
   // context of this test. Note that the implementation of this is not
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@
   // assert if the label isn't valid (this is intended for hardcoded labels).
   Label ParseLabel(const std::string& str) const;
 
+  // Parses, evaluates, and resolves targets from the given snippet of code.
+  // All targets must be defined in dependency order (does not use a Builder,
+  // just blindly resolves all targets in order).
+  bool ExecuteSnippet(const std::string& str, Err* err);
+
   // Fills in the tools for the given toolchain with reasonable default values.
   // The toolchain in this object will be automatically set up with this
   // function, it is exposed to allow tests to get the same functionality for
@@ -62,6 +68,7 @@
   Settings settings_;
   Toolchain toolchain_;
   Scope scope_;
+  Scope::ItemVector items_;
 
   // Supplies the scope with built-in variables like root_out_dir.
   ScopePerFileProvider scope_progammatic_provider_;