diff --git a/generator/CMakeLists.txt b/generator/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f91671..a35cf2c 100644
--- a/generator/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/generator/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@ list(APPEND PRIVATE_LIBRARIES clangTooling)
 # also add reflective_rapidjson which is header-only but might pull additional include dirs for RapidJSON
 list(APPEND PRIVATE_LIBRARIES reflective_rapidjson)
 
-# trigger code generator because the tests already contain structs to be (de)serialized
+# include modules to apply configuration
+include(BasicConfig)
+include(WindowsResources)
+include(AppTarget)
+
+# trigger code generator for tests because the tests already contain structs to be (de)serialized
 include(ReflectionGenerator)
 add_reflection_generator_invocation(
     INPUT_FILES
@@ -58,9 +63,6 @@ add_reflection_generator_invocation(
 )
 
 # include modules to apply configuration
-include(BasicConfig)
-include(WindowsResources)
-include(AppTarget)
 include(TestTarget)
 include(ShellCompletion)
 include(Doxygen)
diff --git a/lib/cmake/modules/ReflectionGenerator.cmake b/lib/cmake/modules/ReflectionGenerator.cmake
index df43211..01cbb14 100644
--- a/lib/cmake/modules/ReflectionGenerator.cmake
+++ b/lib/cmake/modules/ReflectionGenerator.cmake
@@ -7,10 +7,20 @@ endif()
 set(REFLECTION_GENERATOR_MODULE_LOADED YES)
 
 # find code generator
-set(REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE reflective_rapidjson_generator)
-if(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING OR NOT TARGET "${REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
-    # find "reflective_rapidjson_moc" from path
-    find_program(REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE "${REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
+set(DEFAULT_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE "reflective_rapidjson_generator")
+set(CUSTOM_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE "" CACHE FILEPATH "path to executable of reflection generator")
+if(CUSTOM_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE)
+    # use custom generator executable
+    if(NOT FILE "${CUSTOM_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "The specified code generator executable \"${CUSTOM_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}\" does not exist.")
+    endif()
+    set(REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE "${CUSTOM_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
+elseif(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING OR NOT TARGET "${DEFAULT_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
+    # find native/external "reflective_rapidjson_generator"
+    find_program(REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE "${DEFAULT_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
+else()
+    # use "reflective_rapidjson_generator" target
+    set(REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE "${DEFAULT_REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE}")
 endif()
 if(NOT REFLECTION_GENERATOR_EXECUTABLE)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Unable to find executable of generator for reflection code.")