diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2cc28a9d6f..bbabdc0421 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -379,7 +379,10 @@ module_documentation:
 extract_events:
 	@$(MAKE) --no-print-directory px4_sitl_default metadata_extract_events ver_gen
 
-px4_metadata: parameters_metadata airframe_metadata module_documentation extract_events
+msg_docs:
+	@$(MAKE) --no-print-directory px4_sitl_default metadata_msg_documentation ver_gen
+
+px4_metadata: parameters_metadata airframe_metadata module_documentation extract_events msg_docs
 
 doxygen:
 	@mkdir -p "$(SRC_DIR)"/build/doxygen
diff --git a/cmake/metadata.cmake b/cmake/metadata.cmake
index 82b2042701..45dc00a6ca 100644
--- a/cmake/metadata.cmake
+++ b/cmake/metadata.cmake
@@ -116,10 +116,18 @@ add_custom_target(metadata_extract_events
 	USES_TERMINAL
 )
 
+add_custom_target(metadata_msg_documentation
+	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PX4_BINARY_DIR}/msg_docs
+	COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}/Tools/msg/generate_msg_docs.py -d ${PX4_BINARY_DIR}/msg_docs
+	COMMENT "Generating uORB message documentation"
+	USES_TERMINAL
+)
+
 add_custom_target(all_metadata
 	DEPENDS
 		metadata_airframes
 		metadata_parameters
 		metadata_module_documentation
 		metadata_extract_events
+		metadata_msg_documentation
 )