diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp
index d6896cb6279..6de5139f2ff 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ namespace Internal {
 
 // AutotoolsBuildConfiguration
 
-AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(Target *parent, Core::Id id)
-    : BuildConfiguration(parent, id)
+AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(Target *target, Core::Id id)
+    : BuildConfiguration(target, id)
 {
     // /<foobar> is used so the un-changed check in setBuildDirectory() works correctly.
     // The leading / is to avoid the relative the path expansion in BuildConfiguration::buildDirectory.
@@ -54,29 +54,20 @@ AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(Target *parent, Core::I
     setBuildDirectoryHistoryCompleter("AutoTools.BuildDir.History");
     setConfigWidgetDisplayName(tr("Autotools Manager"));
 
-    setInitializer([this](const BuildInfo &) {
-        // ### Build Steps Build ###
-        // autogen.sh or autoreconf
-        QFile autogenFile(target()->project()->projectDirectory().toString() + "/autogen.sh");
-        if (autogenFile.exists())
-            buildSteps()->appendStep(Constants::AUTOGEN_STEP_ID);
-        else
-            buildSteps()->appendStep(Constants::AUTORECONF_STEP_ID);
+    // ### Build Steps Build ###
+    QFile autogenFile(target->project()->projectDirectory().toString() + "/autogen.sh");
+    if (autogenFile.exists())
+        appendInitialBuildStep(Constants::AUTOGEN_STEP_ID); // autogen.sh
+    else
+        appendInitialBuildStep(Constants::AUTORECONF_STEP_ID); // autoreconf
 
-        // ./configure.
-        buildSteps()->appendStep(Constants::CONFIGURE_STEP_ID);
+    appendInitialBuildStep(Constants::CONFIGURE_STEP_ID); // ./configure.
+    appendInitialBuildStep(Constants::MAKE_STEP_ID); // make
 
-        // make
-        buildSteps()->appendStep(Constants::MAKE_STEP_ID);
-
-        // ### Build Steps Clean ###
-        cleanSteps()->appendStep(Constants::MAKE_STEP_ID);
-    });
+    // ### Build Steps Clean ###
+    appendInitialBuildStep(Constants::MAKE_STEP_ID);
 }
 
-
-// AutotoolsBuildConfiguration class
-
 AutotoolsBuildConfigurationFactory::AutotoolsBuildConfigurationFactory()
 {
     registerBuildConfiguration<AutotoolsBuildConfiguration>
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h
index d3c89c9d590..ca744859194 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class AutotoolsBuildConfiguration : public ProjectExplorer::BuildConfiguration
     Q_OBJECT
 
     friend class ProjectExplorer::BuildConfigurationFactory;
-    AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(ProjectExplorer::Target *parent, Core::Id id);
+    AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(ProjectExplorer::Target *target, Core::Id id);
 };
 
 class AutotoolsBuildConfigurationFactory : public ProjectExplorer::BuildConfigurationFactory
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 3edd46b9dab..d2ff275fa90 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -75,9 +75,10 @@ CMakeBuildConfiguration::CMakeBuildConfiguration(Target *target, Core::Id id)
                                            displayName(),
                                            BuildConfiguration::Unknown));
 
-    setInitializer([this, target](const BuildInfo &info) {
+    appendInitialBuildStep(Constants::CMAKE_BUILD_STEP_ID);
+    appendInitialCleanStep(Constants::CMAKE_BUILD_STEP_ID);
 
-        buildSteps()->appendStep(Constants::CMAKE_BUILD_STEP_ID);
+    setInitializer([this, target](const BuildInfo &info) {
 
         CMakeConfig config;
         config.append({"CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE", info.typeName.toUtf8()});
@@ -147,8 +148,6 @@ CMakeBuildConfiguration::CMakeBuildConfiguration(Target *target, Core::Id id)
             m_initialConfiguration.prepend(CMakeProjectManager::CMakeConfigItem{"CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH", "%{Qt:QT_INSTALL_PREFIX}"});
         }
 
-        cleanSteps()->appendStep(Constants::CMAKE_BUILD_STEP_ID);
-
         if (info.buildDirectory.isEmpty()) {
             setBuildDirectory(shadowBuildDirectory(target->project()->projectFilePath(),
                                                    k,
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.cpp
index 92585468308..ffaae6bcbdb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ public:
     mutable Utils::Environment m_cachedEnvironment;
     QString m_configWidgetDisplayName;
     bool m_configWidgetHasFrame = false;
+    QList<Core::Id> m_initialBuildSteps;
+    QList<Core::Id> m_initialCleanSteps;
 
     // FIXME: Remove.
     BuildConfiguration::BuildType m_initialBuildType = BuildConfiguration::Unknown;
@@ -190,6 +192,12 @@ void BuildConfiguration::doInitialize(const BuildInfo &info)
 
     d->m_initialBuildType = info.buildType;
 
+    for (Core::Id id : qAsConst(d->m_initialBuildSteps))
+        d->m_buildSteps.appendStep(id);
+
+    for (Core::Id id : qAsConst(d->m_initialCleanSteps))
+        d->m_cleanSteps.appendStep(id);
+
     acquaintAspects();
 
     if (d->m_initializer)
@@ -250,6 +258,16 @@ BuildStepList *BuildConfiguration::cleanSteps() const
     return &d->m_cleanSteps;
 }
 
+void BuildConfiguration::appendInitialBuildStep(Core::Id id)
+{
+    d->m_initialBuildSteps.append(id);
+}
+
+void BuildConfiguration::appendInitialCleanStep(Core::Id id)
+{
+    d->m_initialCleanSteps.append(id);
+}
+
 QVariantMap BuildConfiguration::toMap() const
 {
     QVariantMap map = ProjectConfiguration::toMap();
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
index 3f053f15597..f940be1a773 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ public:
     BuildStepList *buildSteps() const;
     BuildStepList *cleanSteps() const;
 
+    void appendInitialBuildStep(Core::Id id);
+    void appendInitialCleanStep(Core::Id id);
+
     bool fromMap(const QVariantMap &map) override;
     QVariantMap toMap() const override;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 02d235fdda2..6456a97d97d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -108,15 +108,16 @@ QmakeBuildConfiguration::QmakeBuildConfiguration(Target *target, Core::Id id)
 {
     setConfigWidgetDisplayName(tr("General"));
     setConfigWidgetHasFrame(true);
+
     m_buildSystem = new QmakeBuildSystem(this);
 
+    appendInitialCleanStep(Constants::MAKESTEP_BS_ID);
+
     setInitializer([this, target](const BuildInfo &info) {
         auto qmakeStep = new QMakeStep(buildSteps());
         buildSteps()->appendStep(qmakeStep);
         buildSteps()->appendStep(Constants::MAKESTEP_BS_ID);
 
-        cleanSteps()->appendStep(Constants::MAKESTEP_BS_ID);
-
         const QmakeExtraBuildInfo qmakeExtra = info.extraInfo.value<QmakeExtraBuildInfo>();
         BaseQtVersion *version = QtKitAspect::qtVersion(target->kit());