diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ebdaa71a2b..8ba18d982b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ else()
       set(VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE_PARAM --vcpkg-build-type ${VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE})
     endif()
     execute_process(
-        COMMAND ${HIFI_PYTHON_EXEC} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/prebuild.py --release-type ${RELEASE_TYPE} --build-root ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR} ${VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE_PARAM}
+        COMMAND ${HIFI_PYTHON_EXEC} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/prebuild.py --vcpkg-skip-clean --release-type ${RELEASE_TYPE} --build-root ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR} ${VCPKG_BUILD_TYPE_PARAM}
         WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} RESULTS_VARIABLE PREBUILD_RET
     )
     # squelch the Policy CMP0074 warning without requiring an update to cmake 3.12.
diff --git a/prebuild.py b/prebuild.py
index 5483703cb7..d3c819489c 100644
--- a/prebuild.py
+++ b/prebuild.py
@@ -160,10 +160,11 @@ def main():
         with timer('Setting up dependencies'):
             pm.setupDependencies(qt=qtInstallPath)
 
-        # wipe out the build directories (after writing the tag, since failure 
+        # wipe out the build directories (after writing the tag, since failure
         # here shouldn't invalidate the vcpkg install)
-        with timer('Cleaning builds'):
-            pm.cleanBuilds()
+        if not args.vcpkg_skip_clean:
+            with timer('Cleaning builds'):
+                pm.cleanBuilds()
 
         # If we're running in android mode, we also need to grab a bunch of additional binaries
         # (this logic is all migrated from the old setupDependencies tasks in gradle)