diff --git a/pythonforandroid/build.py b/pythonforandroid/build.py
index 83966b7f91..9aa7212559 100644
--- a/pythonforandroid/build.py
+++ b/pythonforandroid/build.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def android_api(self, value):
     def ndk_api(self):
         '''The API number compile against'''
         if self._ndk_api is None:
-            raise ValueError('Tried to access ndk_api_api but it has not '
+            raise ValueError('Tried to access ndk_api but it has not '
                              'been set - this should not happen, something '
                              'went wrong!')
         return self._ndk_api
diff --git a/pythonforandroid/distribution.py b/pythonforandroid/distribution.py
index 11eedf0871..10644710d4 100644
--- a/pythonforandroid/distribution.py
+++ b/pythonforandroid/distribution.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from pythonforandroid.logger import (info, info_notify, warning,
                                      Err_Style, Err_Fore, error)
 from pythonforandroid.util import current_directory
+from shutil import rmtree
 
 
 class Distribution(object):
@@ -46,7 +47,8 @@ def get_distribution(cls, ctx, name=None, recipes=[],
                          ndk_api=None,
                          force_build=False,
                          extra_dist_dirs=[],
-                         require_perfect_match=False):
+                         require_perfect_match=False,
+                         allow_replace_dist=True):
         '''Takes information about the distribution, and decides what kind of
         distribution it will be.
 
@@ -70,6 +72,10 @@ def get_distribution(cls, ctx, name=None, recipes=[],
         require_perfect_match : bool
             If True, will only match distributions with precisely the
             correct set of recipes.
+        allow_replace_dist : bool
+            If True, will allow an existing dist with the specified
+            name but incompatible requirements to be overwritten by
+            a new one with the current requirements.
         '''
 
         existing_dists = Distribution.get_distributions(ctx)
@@ -123,7 +129,7 @@ def get_distribution(cls, ctx, name=None, recipes=[],
         # If there was a name match but we didn't already choose it,
         # then the existing dist is incompatible with the requested
         # configuration and the build cannot continue
-        if name_match_dist is not None:
+        if name_match_dist is not None and not allow_replace_dist:
             error('Asked for dist with name {name} with recipes ({req_recipes}) and '
                   'NDK API {req_ndk_api}, but a dist '
                   'with this name already exists and has either incompatible recipes '
@@ -154,6 +160,12 @@ def get_distribution(cls, ctx, name=None, recipes=[],
 
         return dist
 
+    def folder_exists(self):
+        return exists(self.dist_dir)
+
+    def delete(self):
+        rmtree(self.dist_dir)
+
     @classmethod
     def get_distributions(cls, ctx, extra_dist_dirs=[]):
         '''Returns all the distributions found locally.'''
diff --git a/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py b/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py
index 7fbea5afea..f7d708a151 100644
--- a/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py
+++ b/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ def wrapper_func(self, args):
                                       user_ndk_api=self.ndk_api)
         dist = self._dist
         if dist.needs_build:
+            if dist.folder_exists():  # possible if the dist is being replaced
+                dist.delete()
             info_notify('No dist exists that meets your requirements, '
                         'so one will be built.')
             build_dist_from_args(ctx, dist, args)
@@ -158,7 +160,8 @@ def dist_from_args(ctx, args):
         name=args.dist_name,
         ndk_api=args.ndk_api,
         recipes=split_argument_list(args.requirements),
-        require_perfect_match=args.require_perfect_match)
+        require_perfect_match=args.require_perfect_match,
+        allow_replace_dist=args.allow_replace_dist)
 
 
 def build_dist_from_args(ctx, dist, args):
@@ -316,6 +319,12 @@ def __init__(self):
             description=('Whether the dist recipes must perfectly match '
                          'those requested'))
 
+        add_boolean_option(
+            generic_parser, ["allow-replace-dist"],
+            default=True,
+            description='Whether existing dist names can be automatically replaced'
+            )
+
         generic_parser.add_argument(
             '--local-recipes', '--local_recipes',
             dest='local_recipes', default='./p4a-recipes',
@@ -921,10 +930,11 @@ def distributions(self, _args):
 
     def delete_dist(self, _args):
         dist = self._dist
-        if dist.needs_build:
+        if not dist.folder_exists():
             info('No dist exists that matches your specifications, '
                  'exiting without deleting.')
-        shutil.rmtree(dist.dist_dir)
+            return
+        dist.delete()
 
     def sdk_tools(self, args):
         """Runs the android binary from the detected SDK directory, passing