diff --git a/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk b/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk
index 65bc0451f7c..91cd851ef66 100644
--- a/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk
+++ b/builddefs/build_keyboard.mk
@@ -241,21 +241,20 @@ endif
 #
 #    https://docs.qmk.fm/#/feature_layouts?id=tips-for-making-layouts-keyboard-agnostic
 #
-QMK_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h
 ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYBOARD_PATH_1)/$(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_1).h)","")
-    QMK_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_1).h
+    FOUND_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_1).h
 endif
 ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYBOARD_PATH_2)/$(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_2).h)","")
-    QMK_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_2).h
+    FOUND_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_2).h
 endif
 ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYBOARD_PATH_3)/$(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_3).h)","")
-    QMK_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_3).h
+    FOUND_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_3).h
 endif
 ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYBOARD_PATH_4)/$(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_4).h)","")
-    QMK_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_4).h
+    FOUND_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_4).h
 endif
 ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYBOARD_PATH_5)/$(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_5).h)","")
-    QMK_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_5).h
+    FOUND_KEYBOARD_H = $(KEYBOARD_FOLDER_5).h
 endif
 
 # Determine and set parameters based on the keyboard's processor family.
@@ -329,7 +328,7 @@ ifneq ("$(wildcard $(KEYBOARD_PATH_5)/info.json)","")
     INFO_JSON_FILES += $(KEYBOARD_PATH_5)/info.json
 endif
 
-CONFIG_H += $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/info_config.h $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/layouts.h
+CONFIG_H += $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/info_config.h
 KEYBOARD_SRC += $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.c
 
 $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/info_config.h: $(INFO_JSON_FILES)
@@ -344,15 +343,10 @@ $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.c: $(INFO_JSON_FILES)
 
 $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h: $(INFO_JSON_FILES)
 	@$(SILENT) || printf "$(MSG_GENERATING) $@" | $(AWK_CMD)
-	$(eval CMD=$(QMK_BIN) generate-keyboard-h --quiet --keyboard $(KEYBOARD) --output $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h)
+	$(eval CMD=$(QMK_BIN) generate-keyboard-h --quiet --keyboard $(KEYBOARD) --include $(FOUND_KEYBOARD_H) --output $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h)
 	@$(BUILD_CMD)
 
-$(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/layouts.h: $(INFO_JSON_FILES)
-	@$(SILENT) || printf "$(MSG_GENERATING) $@" | $(AWK_CMD)
-	$(eval CMD=$(QMK_BIN) generate-layouts --quiet --keyboard $(KEYBOARD) --output $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/layouts.h)
-	@$(BUILD_CMD)
-
-generated-files: $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/info_config.h $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.c $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/layouts.h
+generated-files: $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/info_config.h $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.c $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h
 
 .INTERMEDIATE : generated-files
 
@@ -471,7 +465,7 @@ ALL_CONFIGS := $(PROJECT_CONFIG) $(CONFIG_H)
 OUTPUTS := $(KEYMAP_OUTPUT) $(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)
 $(KEYMAP_OUTPUT)_SRC := $(SRC)
 $(KEYMAP_OUTPUT)_DEFS := $(OPT_DEFS) \
--DQMK_KEYBOARD=\"$(KEYBOARD)\" -DQMK_KEYBOARD_H=\"$(QMK_KEYBOARD_H)\" \
+-DQMK_KEYBOARD=\"$(KEYBOARD)\" -DQMK_KEYBOARD_H=\"$(KEYBOARD_OUTPUT)/src/default_keyboard.h\" \
 -DQMK_KEYMAP=\"$(KEYMAP)\" -DQMK_KEYMAP_H=\"$(KEYMAP).h\" -DQMK_KEYMAP_CONFIG_H=\"$(KEYMAP_PATH)/config.h\"
 $(KEYMAP_OUTPUT)_INC :=  $(VPATH) $(EXTRAINCDIRS)
 $(KEYMAP_OUTPUT)_CONFIG := $(CONFIG_H)
diff --git a/keyboards/ktec/ergodone/ergodone.h b/keyboards/ktec/ergodone/ergodone.h
index 191b1ca2a93..7e7f848d509 100644
--- a/keyboards/ktec/ergodone/ergodone.h
+++ b/keyboards/ktec/ergodone/ergodone.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "quantum.h"
-#include "layouts.h" // Ensure access to info.json layouts
 
 // This file only exists to pull in....
 #include "ergodox_compat.h"
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/cli/__init__.py b/lib/python/qmk/cli/__init__.py
index 02561da1fb4..cf5b5ad87eb 100644
--- a/lib/python/qmk/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/cli/__init__.py
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ subcommands = [
     'qmk.cli.generate.info_json',
     'qmk.cli.generate.keyboard_c',
     'qmk.cli.generate.keyboard_h',
-    'qmk.cli.generate.layouts',
     'qmk.cli.generate.rgb_breathe_table',
     'qmk.cli.generate.rules_mk',
     'qmk.cli.generate.version_h',
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/keyboard_h.py b/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/keyboard_h.py
index 54ddb4cffd5..910bd6a08db 100755
--- a/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/keyboard_h.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/keyboard_h.py
@@ -1,33 +1,72 @@
 """Used by the make system to generate keyboard.h from info.json.
 """
+from pathlib import Path
+
 from milc import cli
 
+from qmk.path import normpath
 from qmk.info import info_json
 from qmk.commands import dump_lines
 from qmk.keyboard import keyboard_completer, keyboard_folder
-from qmk.path import normpath
-from qmk.constants import GPL2_HEADER_C_LIKE, GENERATED_HEADER_C_LIKE
+from qmk.constants import COL_LETTERS, ROW_LETTERS, GPL2_HEADER_C_LIKE, GENERATED_HEADER_C_LIKE
 
 
-def would_populate_layout_h(keyboard):
-    """Detect if a given keyboard is doing data driven layouts
+def _generate_layouts(keyboard):
+    """Generates the layouts.h file.
     """
     # Build the info.json file
     kb_info_json = info_json(keyboard)
 
+    if 'matrix_size' not in kb_info_json:
+        cli.log.error(f'{keyboard}: Invalid matrix config.')
+        return []
+
+    col_num = kb_info_json['matrix_size']['cols']
+    row_num = kb_info_json['matrix_size']['rows']
+
+    lines = []
     for layout_name in kb_info_json['layouts']:
         if kb_info_json['layouts'][layout_name]['c_macro']:
             continue
 
         if 'matrix' not in kb_info_json['layouts'][layout_name]['layout'][0]:
-            cli.log.debug('%s/%s: No matrix data!', keyboard, layout_name)
+            cli.log.debug(f'{keyboard}/{layout_name}: No matrix data!')
             continue
 
-        return True
+        layout_keys = []
+        layout_matrix = [['KC_NO' for i in range(col_num)] for i in range(row_num)]
 
-    return False
+        for i, key in enumerate(kb_info_json['layouts'][layout_name]['layout']):
+            row = key['matrix'][0]
+            col = key['matrix'][1]
+            identifier = 'k%s%s' % (ROW_LETTERS[row], COL_LETTERS[col])
+
+            try:
+                layout_matrix[row][col] = identifier
+                layout_keys.append(identifier)
+            except IndexError:
+                key_name = key.get('label', identifier)
+                cli.log.error(f'Matrix data out of bounds for layout {layout_name} at index {i} ({key_name}): [{row}, {col}]')
+                return []
+
+        lines.append('')
+        lines.append('#define %s(%s) {\\' % (layout_name, ', '.join(layout_keys)))
+
+        rows = ', \\\n'.join(['\t {' + ', '.join(row) + '}' for row in layout_matrix])
+        rows += ' \\'
+        lines.append(rows)
+        lines.append('}')
+
+    for alias, target in kb_info_json.get('layout_aliases', {}).items():
+        lines.append('')
+        lines.append(f'#ifndef {alias}')
+        lines.append(f'#   define {alias} {target}')
+        lines.append('#endif')
+
+    return lines
 
 
+@cli.argument('-i', '--include', nargs='?', arg_only=True, help='Optional file to include')
 @cli.argument('-o', '--output', arg_only=True, type=normpath, help='File to write to')
 @cli.argument('-q', '--quiet', arg_only=True, action='store_true', help="Quiet mode, only output error messages")
 @cli.argument('-kb', '--keyboard', arg_only=True, type=keyboard_folder, completer=keyboard_completer, required=True, help='Keyboard to generate keyboard.h for.')
@@ -35,13 +74,23 @@ def would_populate_layout_h(keyboard):
 def generate_keyboard_h(cli):
     """Generates the keyboard.h file.
     """
-    has_layout_h = would_populate_layout_h(cli.args.keyboard)
+    keyboard_h = cli.args.include
+    dd_layouts = _generate_layouts(cli.args.keyboard)
+    valid_config = dd_layouts or keyboard_h
 
     # Build the layouts.h file.
     keyboard_h_lines = [GPL2_HEADER_C_LIKE, GENERATED_HEADER_C_LIKE, '#pragma once', '#include "quantum.h"']
 
-    if not has_layout_h:
-        keyboard_h_lines.append('#error("<keyboard>.h is only optional for data driven keyboards - kb.h == bad times")')
+    keyboard_h_lines.append('')
+    keyboard_h_lines.append('// Layout content')
+    if dd_layouts:
+        keyboard_h_lines.extend(dd_layouts)
+    if keyboard_h:
+        keyboard_h_lines.append(f'#include "{Path(keyboard_h).name}"')
+
+    # Protect against poorly configured keyboards
+    if not valid_config:
+        keyboard_h_lines.append('#error("<keyboard>.h is required unless your keyboard uses data-driven configuration. Please rename your keyboard\'s header file to <keyboard>.h")')
 
     # Show the results
     dump_lines(cli.args.output, keyboard_h_lines, cli.args.quiet)
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/layouts.py b/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/layouts.py
deleted file mode 100755
index 8336f36b50d..00000000000
--- a/lib/python/qmk/cli/generate/layouts.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-"""Used by the make system to generate layouts.h from info.json.
-"""
-from milc import cli
-
-from qmk.constants import COL_LETTERS, ROW_LETTERS, GPL2_HEADER_C_LIKE, GENERATED_HEADER_C_LIKE
-from qmk.decorators import automagic_keyboard, automagic_keymap
-from qmk.info import info_json
-from qmk.keyboard import keyboard_completer, keyboard_folder
-from qmk.path import is_keyboard, normpath
-from qmk.commands import dump_lines
-
-
-@cli.argument('-o', '--output', arg_only=True, type=normpath, help='File to write to')
-@cli.argument('-q', '--quiet', arg_only=True, action='store_true', help="Quiet mode, only output error messages")
-@cli.argument('-kb', '--keyboard', type=keyboard_folder, completer=keyboard_completer, help='Keyboard to generate config.h for.')
-@cli.subcommand('Used by the make system to generate layouts.h from info.json', hidden=True)
-@automagic_keyboard
-@automagic_keymap
-def generate_layouts(cli):
-    """Generates the layouts.h file.
-    """
-    # Determine our keyboard(s)
-    if not cli.config.generate_layouts.keyboard:
-        cli.log.error('Missing parameter: --keyboard')
-        cli.subcommands['info'].print_help()
-        return False
-
-    if not is_keyboard(cli.config.generate_layouts.keyboard):
-        cli.log.error('Invalid keyboard: "%s"', cli.config.generate_layouts.keyboard)
-        return False
-
-    # Build the info.json file
-    kb_info_json = info_json(cli.config.generate_layouts.keyboard)
-
-    # Build the layouts.h file.
-    layouts_h_lines = [GPL2_HEADER_C_LIKE, GENERATED_HEADER_C_LIKE, '#pragma once']
-
-    if 'matrix_size' not in kb_info_json:
-        cli.log.error('%s: Invalid matrix config.', cli.config.generate_layouts.keyboard)
-        return False
-
-    col_num = kb_info_json['matrix_size']['cols']
-    row_num = kb_info_json['matrix_size']['rows']
-
-    for layout_name in kb_info_json['layouts']:
-        if kb_info_json['layouts'][layout_name]['c_macro']:
-            continue
-
-        if 'matrix' not in kb_info_json['layouts'][layout_name]['layout'][0]:
-            cli.log.debug('%s/%s: No matrix data!', cli.config.generate_layouts.keyboard, layout_name)
-            continue
-
-        layout_keys = []
-        layout_matrix = [['KC_NO' for i in range(col_num)] for i in range(row_num)]
-
-        for i, key in enumerate(kb_info_json['layouts'][layout_name]['layout']):
-            row = key['matrix'][0]
-            col = key['matrix'][1]
-            identifier = 'k%s%s' % (ROW_LETTERS[row], COL_LETTERS[col])
-
-            try:
-                layout_matrix[row][col] = identifier
-                layout_keys.append(identifier)
-            except IndexError:
-                key_name = key.get('label', identifier)
-                cli.log.error('Matrix data out of bounds for layout %s at index %s (%s): %s, %s', layout_name, i, key_name, row, col)
-                return False
-
-        layouts_h_lines.append('')
-        layouts_h_lines.append('#define %s(%s) {\\' % (layout_name, ', '.join(layout_keys)))
-
-        rows = ', \\\n'.join(['\t {' + ', '.join(row) + '}' for row in layout_matrix])
-        rows += ' \\'
-        layouts_h_lines.append(rows)
-        layouts_h_lines.append('}')
-
-    for alias, target in kb_info_json.get('layout_aliases', {}).items():
-        layouts_h_lines.append('')
-        layouts_h_lines.append(f'#ifndef {alias}')
-        layouts_h_lines.append(f'#   define {alias} {target}')
-        layouts_h_lines.append('#endif')
-
-    # Show the results
-    dump_lines(cli.args.output, layouts_h_lines, cli.args.quiet)
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/tests/test_cli_commands.py b/lib/python/qmk/tests/test_cli_commands.py
index 185abb5f213..c8c4e2f80ca 100644
--- a/lib/python/qmk/tests/test_cli_commands.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/tests/test_cli_commands.py
@@ -288,12 +288,6 @@ def test_generate_version_h():
     assert '#define QMK_VERSION' in result.stdout
 
 
-def test_generate_layouts():
-    result = check_subcommand('generate-layouts', '-kb', 'handwired/pytest/basic')
-    check_returncode(result)
-    assert '#define LAYOUT_custom(k0A) {' in result.stdout
-
-
 def test_format_json_keyboard():
     result = check_subcommand('format-json', '--format', 'keyboard', 'lib/python/qmk/tests/minimal_info.json')
     check_returncode(result)