diff --git a/build.cmd b/build.cmd
index c960791b5d4..13d9968025e 100644
--- a/build.cmd
+++ b/build.cmd
@@ -44,8 +44,14 @@ exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
 
 :AfterManagedBuild
 
-call %~dp0buildscripts\build-tests.cmd %*
+call %~dp0buildscripts\build-packages.cmd %*
+
+IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 goto AfterNuGetPackageBuild
+echo Package build failed.
+exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
 
+:AfterNuGetPackageBuild
+call %~dp0buildscripts\build-tests.cmd %*
 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 goto AfterTests
 echo Tests failed.
 exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 26e589ec6e9..169226bb53d 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ if [ $BUILDERRORLEVEL != 0 ]; then
     exit $BUILDERRORLEVEL
 fi
 
+. ./buildscripts/build-packages.sh $*
+
+# If NuGet package build failed, exit with the status code of the package build
+if [ $BUILDERRORLEVEL != 0 ]; then
+    exit $BUILDERRORLEVEL
+fi
+
 . ./buildscripts/build-tests.sh $*
 
 if [ $TESTERRORLEVEL != 0 ]; then
diff --git a/buildscripts/build-packages.cmd b/buildscripts/build-packages.cmd
index f62bfc9d2f9..fd0ac189b1a 100644
--- a/buildscripts/build-packages.cmd
+++ b/buildscripts/build-packages.cmd
@@ -27,5 +27,7 @@ exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
 
 :AfterVarSetup
 
+if defined __SkipBuildPackages exit /b 0
+
 %_msbuildexe% "%__ProjectDir%\pkg\packages.proj" /m /nologo /flp:v=diag;LogFile=build-packages.log /p:NuPkgRid=%__NugetRuntimeId% /p:OSGroup=%__BuildOS% /p:Configuration=%__BuildType% /p:Platform=%__BuildArch% %__ExtraMsBuildParams%
 exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
diff --git a/buildscripts/build-packages.sh b/buildscripts/build-packages.sh
index 0b98711f9cd..8dd1f1a0dd6 100755
--- a/buildscripts/build-packages.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/build-packages.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 scriptRoot="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 
+if [ "$__SkipBuildPackages" == "true" ]; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 if [ "$BUILDVARS_DONE" != 1 ]; then
     . $scriptRoot/buildvars-setup.sh $*
 fi
diff --git a/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.cmd b/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.cmd
index 62beab9babf..7218eeef308 100644
--- a/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.cmd
+++ b/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.cmd
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ if /i "%1" == "clean"   (set __CleanBuild=1&shift&goto Arg_Loop)
 
 if /i "%1" == "skiptests" (set __SkipTests=1&shift&goto Arg_Loop)
 if /i "%1" == "skipvsdev" (set __SkipVsDev=1&shift&goto Arg_Loop)
+if /i "%1" == "skipbuildpackages" (set __SkipBuildPackages=1&shift&goto Arg_Loop)
+
 if /i "%1" == "/dotnetclipath" (set __DotNetCliPath=%2&shift&shift&goto Arg_Loop)
 
 if /i "%1" == "/officialbuildid" (set "__ExtraMsBuildParams=/p:OfficialBuildId=%2"&shift&shift&goto Arg_Loop)
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ set "__ObjDir=%__RootBinDir%\obj\%__BuildOS%.%__BuildArch%.%__BuildType%"
 set "__IntermediatesDir=%__RootBinDir%\obj\Native\%__BuildOS%.%__BuildArch%.%__BuildType%\"
 set "__NativeBuildLog=%__LogsDir%\Native_%__BuildOS%__%__BuildArch%__%__BuildType%.log"
 set "__BuildLog=%__LogsDir%\msbuild_%__BuildOS%__%__BuildArch%__%__BuildType%.log"
+set "__PackagesDir=%__RootBinDir%\packages"
 
 :: Generate path to be set for CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to contain forward slash
 set "__CMakeBinDir=%__BinDir%"
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ if exist "%__BinDir%" rd /s /q "%__BinDir%"
 if exist "%__ObjDir%" rd /s /q "%__ObjDir%"
 if exist "%__IntermediatesDir%" rd /s /q "%__IntermediatesDir%"
 
+if exist "%__PackagesDir%" rd /s /q "%__PackagesDir%"
 if exist "%__LogsDir%" del /f /q "%__LogsDir%\*_%__BuildOS%__%__BuildArch%__%__BuildType%.*"
 
 :MakeDirs
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ if not exist "%__BinDir%" md "%__BinDir%"
 if not exist "%__ObjDir%" md "%__ObjDir%"
 if not exist "%__IntermediatesDir%" md "%__IntermediatesDir%"
 if not exist "%__LogsDir%" md "%__LogsDir%"
+if not exist "%__PackagesDir%" md "%__PackagesDir%"
 
 :: Check prerequisites
 echo Checking pre-requisites...
@@ -183,4 +188,5 @@ echo Build architecture: one of x64, x86, arm, wasm ^(default: x64^).
 echo Build type: one of Debug, Checked, Release ^(default: Debug^).
 echo clean: force a clean build ^(default is to perform an incremental build^).
 echo skiptests: skip building tests ^(default: tests are built^).
+echo skipbuildpackages: skip building packages ^(default: packages are built^).
 exit /b 1
diff --git a/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.sh b/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.sh
index 16155656528..a83cd761ebd 100755
--- a/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/buildvars-setup.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ usage()
     echo "cross - optional argument to signify cross compilation,"
     echo "      - will use ROOTFS_DIR environment variable if set."
     echo "skiptests - optional argument to skip running tests after building."
+    echo "skipbuildpackages - optional argument to skip building packages."
     exit 1
 }
 
@@ -24,9 +25,12 @@ setup_dirs()
 
     mkdir -p "$__ProductBinDir"
     mkdir -p "$__IntermediatesDir"
+    mkdir -p "$__PackagesDir"
     if [ $__CrossBuild = 1 ]; then
         mkdir -p "$__ProductHostBinDir"
         mkdir -p "$__IntermediatesHostDir"
+        mkdir -p "$__PackagesHostDir"
+
     fi
 }
 
@@ -37,9 +41,11 @@ clean()
     echo "Cleaning previous output for the selected configuration"
     rm -rf "$__ProductBinDir"
     rm -rf "$__IntermediatesDir"
+    rm -rf "$__PackagesDir"
     if [ $__CrossBuild = 1 ]; then
         rm -rf "$__ProductHostBinDir"
         rm -rf "$__IntermediatesHostDir"
+        rm -rf "$__PackagesHostDir"
     fi
 }
 
@@ -185,6 +191,9 @@ while [ "$1" != "" ]; do
         skiptests)
             export __SkipTests=true
             ;;
+        skipbuildpackages)
+            export __SkipBuildPackages=true
+            ;;
         *)
           export __UnprocessedBuildArgs="$__UnprocessedBuildArgs $1"
     esac
@@ -246,6 +255,10 @@ export __ProductBinDir="$__rootbinpath/$__BuildOS.$__BuildArch.$__BuildType"
 if [ $__CrossBuild = 1 ]; then
     export __ProductHostBinDir="$__rootbinpath/$__BuildOS.$__HostArch.$__BuildType"
 fi
+export __PackagesDir="$__rootbinpath/packages"
+if [ $__CrossBuild = 1 ]; then
+    export __PackagesHostDir="$__rootbinpath/packages"
+fi
 
 # CI_SPECIFIC - On CI machines, $HOME may not be set. In such a case, create a subfolder and set the variable to set.
 # This is needed by CLI to function.