diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index 249330d9..8c7e0f91 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -48,9 +48,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/vs2015-install-latest-python3-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=shared --backend=ninja
@@ -68,9 +66,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/vs2015-install-latest-python3-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=static --backend=ninja
@@ -124,9 +120,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/vs2015-install-latest-python3-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" amd64
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=shared --backend=ninja
@@ -144,9 +138,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/vs2015-install-latest-python3-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" amd64
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=static --backend=ninja
@@ -202,9 +194,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/install-latest-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" x86
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=shared --backend=ninja
@@ -222,9 +212,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/install-latest-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" x86
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=static --backend=ninja
@@ -278,9 +266,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/install-latest-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" amd64
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=shared --backend=ninja
@@ -298,9 +284,7 @@ jobs:
     clean: all
   steps:
   - template: azure-pipelines/install-latest-meson.yml
-  - script: |
-      choco install ninja
-    displayName: 'Install Dependencies'
+  - template: azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
   - script: |
       call "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" amd64
       meson setup build --buildtype=release --default-library=static --backend=ninja
diff --git a/azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml b/azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af4eb6ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/azure-pipelines/windows-install-ninja.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# 4 april 2019
+# why this? because choco isn't available on the VS2015 image and is extremely slow on the VS2017 one (it should not take 2 minutes to install just ninja!)
+- powershell: 'Invoke-WebRequest https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/releases/download/v1.9.0/ninja-win.zip -OutFile C:\ninja-win.zip'
+  displayName: 'Download Ninja'
+- shell: |
+    mkdir C:\ninja
+    powershell -Command "Expand-Archive -LiteralPath C:\ninja-win.zip -DestinationPath C:\ninja"
+    @echo ##vso[task.prependpath]C:\ninja
+  displayName: 'Install Ninja'