diff --git a/cpp/misc/bulk_generation_targets.json b/cpp/misc/bulk_generation_targets.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 4cddef005b2..00000000000
--- a/cpp/misc/bulk_generation_targets.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "strategy": "dca",
-  "language": "cpp",
-  "targets": [
-      { "name": "openssl", "with-sources": false, "with-sinks": false },
-      { "name": "sqlite", "with-sources": false, "with-sinks": false }
-  ],
-  "destination": "cpp/ql/lib/ext/generated"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cpp/misc/bulk_generation_targets.yml b/cpp/misc/bulk_generation_targets.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0e42eac3765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpp/misc/bulk_generation_targets.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+language: cpp
+strategy: dca
+destination: cpp/ql/lib/ext/generated
+targets:
+- name: openssl
+  with-sinks: false
+  with-sources: false
+- name: sqlite
+  with-sinks: false
+  with-sources: false
diff --git a/misc/scripts/models-as-data/bulk_generate_mad.py b/misc/scripts/models-as-data/bulk_generate_mad.py
index 22a872dc2bf..4a6ee9fc51e 100644
--- a/misc/scripts/models-as-data/bulk_generate_mad.py
+++ b/misc/scripts/models-as-data/bulk_generate_mad.py
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ import json
 import requests
 import zipfile
 import tarfile
-from functools import cmp_to_key
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:
+    print("ERROR: PyYAML is not installed. Please install it with 'pip install pyyaml'.")
+    sys.exit(1)
 
 import generate_mad as mad
 
@@ -492,9 +497,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         sys.exit(1)
     try:
         with open(args.config, "r") as f:
-            config = json.load(f)
-    except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
-        print(f"ERROR: Failed to parse JSON file {args.config}: {e}")
+            config = yaml.safe_load(f)
+    except yaml.YAMLError as e:
+        print(f"ERROR: Failed to parse YAML file {args.config}: {e}")
         sys.exit(1)
 
     main(config, args)
diff --git a/rust/misc/bulk_generation_targets.json b/rust/misc/bulk_generation_targets.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 274d5dc5b36..00000000000
--- a/rust/misc/bulk_generation_targets.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,75 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "strategy": "repo",
-    "language": "rust",
-    "targets": [
-        {
-            "name": "libc",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/rust-lang/libc",
-            "git_tag": "0.2.172"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "log",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/rust-lang/log",
-            "git_tag": "0.4.27"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "memchr",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/BurntSushi/memchr",
-            "git_tag": "2.7.4"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "once_cell",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/matklad/once_cell",
-            "git_tag": "v1.21.3"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "rand",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/rust-random/rand",
-            "git_tag": "0.9.1"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "smallvec",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/servo/rust-smallvec",
-            "git_tag": "v1.15.0"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "serde",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/serde-rs/serde",
-            "git_tag": "v1.0.219"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "tokio",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/tokio-rs/tokio",
-            "git_tag": "tokio-1.45.0"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "reqwest",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/seanmonstar/reqwest",
-            "git_tag": "v0.12.15"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "rocket",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/SergioBenitez/Rocket",
-            "git_tag": "v0.5.1"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "actix-web",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/actix/actix-web",
-            "git_tag": "web-v4.11.0"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "hyper",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/hyperium/hyper",
-            "git_tag": "v1.6.0"
-        },
-        {
-            "name": "clap",
-            "git_repo": "https://github.com/clap-rs/clap",
-            "git_tag": "v4.5.38"
-        }
-    ],
-    "destination": "rust/ql/lib/ext/generated",
-    "extractor_options": [
-        "cargo_features='*'"
-    ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust/misc/bulk_generation_targets.yml b/rust/misc/bulk_generation_targets.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fb0932f7a43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/misc/bulk_generation_targets.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+strategy: repo
+language: rust
+destination: rust/ql/lib/ext/generated
+extractor_options:
+- cargo_features='*'
+targets:
+- git_repo: https://github.com/rust-lang/libc
+  git_tag: 0.2.172
+  name: libc
+- git_repo: https://github.com/rust-lang/log
+  git_tag: 0.4.27
+  name: log
+- git_repo: https://github.com/BurntSushi/memchr
+  git_tag: 2.7.4
+  name: memchr
+- git_repo: https://github.com/matklad/once_cell
+  git_tag: v1.21.3
+  name: once_cell
+- git_repo: https://github.com/rust-random/rand
+  git_tag: 0.9.1
+  name: rand
+- git_repo: https://github.com/servo/rust-smallvec
+  git_tag: v1.15.0
+  name: smallvec
+- git_repo: https://github.com/serde-rs/serde
+  git_tag: v1.0.219
+  name: serde
+- git_repo: https://github.com/tokio-rs/tokio
+  git_tag: tokio-1.45.0
+  name: tokio
+- git_repo: https://github.com/seanmonstar/reqwest
+  git_tag: v0.12.15
+  name: reqwest
+- git_repo: https://github.com/SergioBenitez/Rocket
+  git_tag: v0.5.1
+  name: rocket
+- git_repo: https://github.com/actix/actix-web
+  git_tag: web-v4.11.0
+  name: actix-web
+- git_repo: https://github.com/hyperium/hyper
+  git_tag: v1.6.0
+  name: hyper
+- git_repo: https://github.com/clap-rs/clap
+  git_tag: v4.5.38
+  name: clap