diff --git a/make/models b/make/models
index 256e4b7821..83b67ca7c0 100644
--- a/make/models
+++ b/make/models
@@ -2,17 +2,21 @@
 # Models (to be passed through stanc)
 ##
 MODEL_HEADER := $(STAN)src/stan/model/model_header.hpp
+MODEL_PCH := $(MODEL_HEADER:.hpp=.hpp.gch)
 CMDSTAN_MAIN := src/cmdstan/main.cpp
 
+$(MODEL_PCH) : $(MODEL_HEADER)
+	@echo 'Compiling pre-compiled header'
+	$(COMPILE.cc) -O$O $(MODEL_HEADER) -o $@
 
 .PRECIOUS: %.hpp %.o
-$(patsubst %.stan,%,$(wildcard $(addsuffix .stan,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))) : %$(EXE) : %.hpp %.stan bin/stanc$(EXE) bin/stansummary$(EXE) bin/diagnose$(EXE) $(LIBCVODES)
+$(patsubst %.stan,%,$(wildcard $(addsuffix .stan,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))) : %$(EXE) : %.hpp %.stan bin/stanc$(EXE) bin/stansummary$(EXE) bin/diagnose$(EXE) $(LIBCVODES) $(MODEL_PCH)
 	@echo ''
 	@echo '--- Linking C++ model ---'
 ifneq (,$(findstring allow_undefined,$(STANCFLAGS)))
-	$(LINK.cc) -O$O $(OUTPUT_OPTION) $(CMDSTAN_MAIN) -include $< -include $(USER_HEADER) $(LIBCVODES)
+	$(LINK.cc) -include-pch $(MODEL_PCH) -O$O $(OUTPUT_OPTION) $(CMDSTAN_MAIN) -include $< -include $(USER_HEADER) $(LIBCVODES)
 else
-	$(LINK.cc) -O$O $(OUTPUT_OPTION) $(CMDSTAN_MAIN) -include $< $(LIBCVODES)
+	$(LINK.cc) -include-pch $(MODEL_PCH) -O$O $(OUTPUT_OPTION) $(CMDSTAN_MAIN) -include $< $(LIBCVODES)
 endif
 
 .PRECIOUS: %.hpp
@@ -20,4 +24,3 @@ endif
 	@echo ''
 	@echo '--- Translating Stan model to C++ code ---'
 	$(WINE) bin$(PATH_SEPARATOR)stanc$(EXE) $(STANCFLAGS) $< --o=$@
-
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 34899786f5..6a8b67daed 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ clean-manual:
 
 clean-all: clean clean-libraries
 	$(RM) -r bin
+	$(RM) $(STAN)src/stan/model/model_header.hpp.gch
 
 ##
 # Submodule related tasks