diff --git a/build/gen.py b/build/gen.py
index a00558b..99e06f7 100755
--- a/build/gen.py
+++ b/build/gen.py
@@ -598,6 +598,7 @@
         'src/gn/value.cc',
         'src/gn/value_extractors.cc',
         'src/gn/variables.cc',
+        'src/gn/version.cc',
         'src/gn/visibility.cc',
         'src/gn/visual_studio_utils.cc',
         'src/gn/visual_studio_writer.cc',
@@ -694,6 +695,7 @@
         'src/gn/unique_vector_unittest.cc',
         'src/gn/value_unittest.cc',
         'src/gn/vector_utils_unittest.cc',
+        'src/gn/version_unittest.cc',
         'src/gn/visibility_unittest.cc',
         'src/gn/visual_studio_utils_unittest.cc',
         'src/gn/visual_studio_writer_unittest.cc',
diff --git a/docs/reference.md b/docs/reference.md
index 0dac783..79b01a2 100644
--- a/docs/reference.md
+++ b/docs/reference.md
@@ -6662,6 +6662,11 @@
       GN will look for build files named "BUILD.$build_file_extension.gn".
       This is intended to be used during migrations or other situations where
       there are two independent GN builds in the same directories.
+
+  ninja_required_version [optional]
+      When set specifies the minimum required version of Ninja. The default
+      required version is 1.7.2. Specifying a higher version might enable the
+      use of some of newer features that can make the build more efficient.
 ```
 
 #### **Example .gn file contents**
diff --git a/src/gn/build_settings.cc b/src/gn/build_settings.cc
index 9935239..22c1145 100644
--- a/src/gn/build_settings.cc
+++ b/src/gn/build_settings.cc
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
       root_path_utf8_(other.root_path_utf8_),
       secondary_source_path_(other.secondary_source_path_),
       python_path_(other.python_path_),
+      ninja_required_version_(other.ninja_required_version_),
       build_config_file_(other.build_config_file_),
       arg_file_template_path_(other.arg_file_template_path_),
       build_dir_(other.build_dir_),
diff --git a/src/gn/build_settings.h b/src/gn/build_settings.h
index 0bb55e9..f8dc502 100644
--- a/src/gn/build_settings.h
+++ b/src/gn/build_settings.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "gn/scope.h"
 #include "gn/source_dir.h"
 #include "gn/source_file.h"
+#include "gn/version.h"
 
 class Item;
 
@@ -55,6 +56,12 @@
   base::FilePath python_path() const { return python_path_; }
   void set_python_path(const base::FilePath& p) { python_path_ = p; }
 
+  // Required Ninja version.
+  const Version& ninja_required_version() const {
+    return ninja_required_version_;
+  }
+  void set_ninja_required_version(Version v) { ninja_required_version_ = v; }
+
   const SourceFile& build_config_file() const { return build_config_file_; }
   void set_build_config_file(const SourceFile& f) { build_config_file_ = f; }
 
@@ -126,6 +133,9 @@
   base::FilePath secondary_source_path_;
   base::FilePath python_path_;
 
+  // See 40045b9 for the reason behind using 1.7.2 as the default version.
+  Version ninja_required_version_{1, 7, 2};
+
   SourceFile build_config_file_;
   SourceFile arg_file_template_path_;
   SourceDir build_dir_;
diff --git a/src/gn/ninja_build_writer.cc b/src/gn/ninja_build_writer.cc
index b5b491b..f801fb6 100644
--- a/src/gn/ninja_build_writer.cc
+++ b/src/gn/ninja_build_writer.cc
@@ -277,7 +277,8 @@
 }
 
 void NinjaBuildWriter::WriteNinjaRules() {
-  out_ << "ninja_required_version = 1.7.2\n\n";
+  out_ << "ninja_required_version = "
+       << build_settings_->ninja_required_version().Describe() << "\n\n";
   out_ << "rule gn\n";
   out_ << "  command = " << GetSelfInvocationCommand(build_settings_) << "\n";
   out_ << "  description = Regenerating ninja files\n\n";
diff --git a/src/gn/setup.cc b/src/gn/setup.cc
index 4026d1a..1d2bea2 100644
--- a/src/gn/setup.cc
+++ b/src/gn/setup.cc
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@
       This is intended to be used during migrations or other situations where
       there are two independent GN builds in the same directories.
 
+  ninja_required_version [optional]
+      When set specifies the minimum required version of Ninja. The default
+      required version is 1.7.2. Specifying a higher version might enable the
+      use of some of newer features that can make the build more efficient.
+
 Example .gn file contents
 
   buildconfig = "//build/config/BUILDCONFIG.gn"
@@ -809,6 +814,25 @@
     loader_->set_build_file_extension(extension);
   }
 
+  // Ninja required version.
+  const Value* ninja_required_version_value =
+      dotfile_scope_.GetValue("ninja_required_version", true);
+  if (ninja_required_version_value) {
+    if (!ninja_required_version_value->VerifyTypeIs(Value::STRING, &err)) {
+      err.PrintToStdout();
+      return false;
+    }
+    std::optional<Version> version =
+        Version::FromString(ninja_required_version_value->string_value());
+    if (!version) {
+      Err(Location(), "Invalid Ninja version '" +
+                          ninja_required_version_value->string_value() + "'")
+          .PrintToStdout();
+      return false;
+    }
+    build_settings_.set_ninja_required_version(*version);
+  }
+
   // Root build file.
   const Value* root_value = dotfile_scope_.GetValue("root", true);
   if (root_value) {
diff --git a/src/gn/version.cc b/src/gn/version.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5fea31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gn/version.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// Copyright 2020 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 "gn/version.h"
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string_view>
+
+#include "base/strings/string_number_conversions.h"
+
+using namespace std::literals;
+
+constexpr std::string_view kDot = "."sv;
+
+Version::Version(int major, int minor, int patch)
+    : major_(major), minor_(minor), patch_(patch) {}
+
+// static
+std::optional<Version> Version::FromString(std::string s) {
+  int major = 0, minor = 0, patch = 0;
+  // First, parse the major version.
+  size_t major_begin = 0;
+  if (size_t major_end = s.find(kDot, major_begin);
+      major_end != std::string::npos) {
+    if (!base::StringToInt(s.substr(major_begin, major_end - major_begin),
+                           &major))
+      return {};
+    // Then, parse the minor version.
+    size_t minor_begin = major_end + kDot.size();
+    if (size_t minor_end = s.find(kDot, minor_begin);
+        minor_end != std::string::npos) {
+      if (!base::StringToInt(s.substr(minor_begin, minor_end - minor_begin),
+                             &minor))
+        return {};
+      // Finally, parse the patch version.
+      size_t patch_begin = minor_end + kDot.size();
+      if (!base::StringToInt(s.substr(patch_begin, std::string::npos), &patch))
+        return {};
+      return Version(major, minor, patch);
+    }
+  }
+  return {};
+}
+
+bool Version::operator==(const Version& other) const {
+  return other.major_ == major_ && other.minor_ == minor_ &&
+         other.patch_ == patch_;
+}
+
+bool Version::operator<(const Version& other) const {
+  return std::tie(major_, minor_, patch_) <
+         std::tie(other.major_, other.minor_, other.patch_);
+}
+
+bool Version::operator!=(const Version& other) const {
+  return !(*this == other);
+}
+
+bool Version::operator>=(const Version& other) const {
+  return !(*this < other);
+}
+
+bool Version::operator>(const Version& other) const {
+  return other < *this;
+}
+
+bool Version::operator<=(const Version& other) const {
+  return !(*this > other);
+}
+
+std::string Version::Describe() const {
+  std::string ret;
+  ret += base::IntToString(major_);
+  ret += kDot;
+  ret += base::IntToString(minor_);
+  ret += kDot;
+  ret += base::IntToString(patch_);
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/gn/version.h b/src/gn/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fcf81d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gn/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Copyright 2020 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.
+
+#ifndef TOOLS_GN_VERSION_H_
+#define TOOLS_GN_VERSION_H_
+
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
+
+// Represents a semantic version.
+class Version {
+ public:
+  Version(int major, int minor, int patch);
+
+  static std::optional<Version> FromString(std::string s);
+
+  int major() const { return major_; }
+  int minor() const { return minor_; }
+  int patch() const { return patch_; }
+
+  bool operator==(const Version& other) const;
+  bool operator<(const Version& other) const;
+  bool operator!=(const Version& other) const;
+  bool operator>=(const Version& other) const;
+  bool operator>(const Version& other) const;
+  bool operator<=(const Version& other) const;
+
+  std::string Describe() const;
+
+ private:
+  int major_;
+  int minor_;
+  int patch_;
+};
+
+#endif  // TOOLS_GN_VERSION_H_
diff --git a/src/gn/version_unittest.cc b/src/gn/version_unittest.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1530f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gn/version_unittest.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Copyright 2020 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 "gn/version.h"
+
+#include "util/test/test.h"
+
+TEST(VersionTest, FromString) {
+  Version v0_0_1{0, 0, 1};
+  ASSERT_EQ(Version::FromString("0.0.1"), v0_0_1);
+  Version v0_1_0{0, 1, 0};
+  ASSERT_EQ(Version::FromString("0.1.0"), v0_1_0);
+  Version v1_0_0{1, 0, 0};
+  ASSERT_EQ(Version::FromString("1.0.0"), v1_0_0);
+}
+
+TEST(VersionTest, Comparison) {
+  Version v0_0_1{0, 0, 1};
+  Version v0_1_0{0, 1, 0};
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_0_1 == v0_0_1);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_0_1 != v0_1_0);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_0_1 <= v0_0_1);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_0_1 <= v0_1_0);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_0_1 < v0_1_0);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_0_1 >= v0_0_1);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_1_0 > v0_0_1);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(v0_1_0 >= v0_0_1);
+}
+
+TEST(VersionTest, Describe) {
+  ASSERT_EQ(Version::FromString("0.0.1")->Describe(), "0.0.1");
+}