diff --git a/config/RULES.Host b/config/RULES.Host
index e9ea5d34d..6a0cd9a88 100644
--- a/config/RULES.Host
+++ b/config/RULES.Host
@@ -713,8 +713,9 @@ endif
 ifdef DBDEXPAND
 $(DBDNAME): ../$(DBDEXPAND)
 	@echo Expanding dbd
-	@$(RM) $@
-	$(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)/dbExpand$(EXE) $(DBDFLAGS) $< > $@
+	@$(RM) $@ $@-new
+	$(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)/dbExpand$(EXE) $(DBDFLAGS) $< > $@-new
+	@$(MV) $@-new $@
 
 ifneq (,$(wildcard ../base.dbd))
 $(DBDNAME): ../base.dbd
diff --git a/config/RULES.Unix b/config/RULES.Unix
index f4b9db48e..13a7c15b7 100644
--- a/config/RULES.Unix
+++ b/config/RULES.Unix
@@ -220,8 +220,9 @@ endif
 ifdef DBDEXPAND
 $(DBDNAME): ../$(DBDEXPAND)
 	@echo expanding dbd
-	@$(RM) $@
-	$(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)/dbExpand $(DBDFLAGS) $< > $@
+	@$(RM) $@ $@-new
+	$(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)/dbExpand $(DBDFLAGS) $< > $@-new
+	@$(MV) $@-new $@
 
 ifneq (,$(wildcard ../base.dbd))
 $(DBDNAME): ../base.dbd
diff --git a/config/RULES.Vx b/config/RULES.Vx
index 0535573f4..717de4bd4 100644
--- a/config/RULES.Vx
+++ b/config/RULES.Vx
@@ -235,8 +235,9 @@ endif
 ifdef DBDEXPAND
 $(DBDNAME): ../$(DBDEXPAND)
 	@echo Expanding dbd
-	@$(RM) $@
-	$(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)/dbExpand$(EXE) $(DBDFLAGS) $< > $@
+	@$(RM) $@ $@-new
+	$(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)/dbExpand$(EXE) $(DBDFLAGS) $< > $@-new
+	@$(MV) $@-new $@
 endif
 
 $(LIBNAME): $(LIBOBJS)