diff --git a/.dir-locals.el b/.dir-locals.el
index 8d53004..da3d22d 100644
--- a/.dir-locals.el
+++ b/.dir-locals.el
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-((nil . ((indent-tabs-mode . nil)))
+((nil . ((indent-tabs-mode . nil)
+         (projectile-project-compilation-cmd . "ninja -C _build")
+         (projectile-project-test-cmd . "ninja -C _build test")))
  ;; thanks to Mohammed Sadiq, see https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/calls/-/merge_requests/332#note_159469
  (c-mode . ((c-macro-names-with-semicolon
              . ("G_BEGIN_DECLS" "G_END_DECLS" "G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE" "G_DEFINE_QUARK"