diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e241f8364d..5245a09b69 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -370,6 +370,7 @@ setup: venv
 # TODO: for now, we only extract assets from the Debug ROM
 ifeq ($(VERSION),gc-eu-mq-dbg)
 	$(PYTHON) extract_assets.py -j$(N_THREADS)
+	$(PYTHON) tools/msgdis.py --text-out assets/text/message_data.h --staff-text-out assets/text/message_data_staff.h
 endif
 
 disasm: $(DISASM_O_FILES)
diff --git a/extract_assets.py b/extract_assets.py
index defac57dcd..ced7da4a1c 100755
--- a/extract_assets.py
+++ b/extract_assets.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def processZAPDArgs(argsZ):
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="baserom asset extractor")
     parser.add_argument("-s", "--single", help="asset path relative to assets/, e.g. objects/gameplay_keep")
-    parser.add_argument("-f", "--force", help="Force the extraction of every xml instead of checking the touched ones, and text (overwriting current files).", action="store_true")
+    parser.add_argument("-f", "--force", help="Force the extraction of every xml instead of checking the touched ones (overwriting current files).", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-j", "--jobs", help="Number of cpu cores to extract with.")
     parser.add_argument("-u", "--unaccounted", help="Enables ZAPD unaccounted detector warning system.", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("-Z", help="Pass the argument on to ZAPD, e.g. `-ZWunaccounted` to warn about unaccounted blocks in XMLs. Each argument should be passed separately, *without* the leading dash.", metavar="ZAPD_ARG", action="append")
@@ -128,21 +128,6 @@ def main():
             del extractedAssetsTracker[fullPath]
         ExtractFunc(fullPath)
     else:
-        extract_text_path = "assets/text/message_data.h"
-        extract_staff_text_path = "assets/text/message_data_staff.h"
-
-        # Only extract text if the header does not already exist, or if --force was passed
-        if not args.force:
-            if os.path.isfile(extract_text_path):
-                extract_text_path = None
-            if os.path.isfile(extract_staff_text_path):
-                extract_staff_text_path = None
-
-        if extract_text_path is not None or extract_staff_text_path is not None:
-            print("Extracting text")
-            from tools import msgdis
-            msgdis.extract_all_text(extract_text_path, extract_staff_text_path)
-
         xmlFiles = []
         for currentPath, _, files in os.walk(os.path.join("assets", "xml")):
             for file in files:
diff --git a/tools/msgdis.py b/tools/msgdis.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index a946779fac..1da85713ec
--- a/tools/msgdis.py
+++ b/tools/msgdis.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import re, struct
 from os import path
+import argparse
 
 # ===================================================
 #   Util
@@ -404,3 +405,23 @@ def extract_all_text(text_out, staff_text_out):
 
         with open(staff_text_out, "w", encoding="utf8") as outfile:
             outfile.write(out.strip() + "\n")
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Extract text from the baserom into .h files"
+    )
+    parser.add_argument("--text-out", help="Path to output .h file for text")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--staff-text-out", help="Path to output .h file for staff text"
+    )
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    if not (args.text_out or args.staff_text_out):
+        parser.error("No output file requested")
+
+    extract_all_text(args.text_out, args.staff_text_out)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()