diff --git a/meta/files/ext-sdk-prepare.py b/meta/files/ext-sdk-prepare.py
index d191e5e19c..89b0403089 100644
--- a/meta/files/ext-sdk-prepare.py
+++ b/meta/files/ext-sdk-prepare.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def main():
 
         ret = run_command_interruptible('BB_SETSCENE_ENFORCE=1 bitbake --quiet %s' % ' '.join(sdk_targets))
         if not ret:
-            ret = run_command_interruptible('bitbake --quiet build-sysroots')
+            ret = run_command_interruptible('bitbake --quiet build-sysroots -c build_native_sysroot && bitbake --quiet build-sysroots -c build_target_sysroot')
         lastlog = get_last_consolelog()
         if lastlog:
             with open(lastlog, 'r') as f:
diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/meta_ide.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/meta_ide.py
index bae98359e5..59270fb3e0 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/meta_ide.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/meta_ide.py
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ class MetaIDE(OESelftestTestCase):
     def setUpClass(cls):
         super(MetaIDE, cls).setUpClass()
         bitbake('meta-ide-support')
-        bitbake('build-sysroots')
+        bitbake('build-sysroots -c build_native_sysroot')
+        bitbake('build-sysroots -c build_target_sysroot')
         bb_vars = get_bb_vars(['MULTIMACH_TARGET_SYS', 'DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE', 'COREBASE'])
         cls.environment_script = 'environment-setup-%s' % bb_vars['MULTIMACH_TARGET_SYS']
         cls.deploydir = bb_vars['DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE']
@@ -55,5 +56,5 @@ class MetaIDE(OESelftestTestCase):
 
     def test_meta_ide_can_run_sdk_tests(self):
         bitbake('-c populate_sysroot gtk+3')
-        bitbake('build-sysroots')
+        bitbake('build-sysroots -c build_target_sysroot')
         bitbake('-c testsdk meta-ide-support')
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/meta/build-sysroots.bb b/meta/recipes-core/meta/build-sysroots.bb
index 1a3b692a1b..db05c111ab 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/meta/build-sysroots.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/meta/build-sysroots.bb
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ deltask collect_spdx_deps
 deltask create_runtime_spdx
 deltask recipe_qa
 
+do_build_warn () {
+    bbwarn "Native or target sysroot population needs to be explicitly selected; please use
+bitbake -c build_native_sysroot build-sysroots
+bitbake -c build_target_sysroot build-sysroots
+or both."
+}
+addtask do_build_warn before do_build
+
 python do_build_native_sysroot () {
     targetsysroot = d.getVar("STANDALONE_SYSROOT")
     nativesysroot = d.getVar("STANDALONE_SYSROOT_NATIVE")
@@ -31,7 +39,7 @@ python do_build_native_sysroot () {
 }
 do_build_native_sysroot[cleandirs] = "${STANDALONE_SYSROOT_NATIVE}"
 do_build_native_sysroot[nostamp] = "1"
-addtask do_build_native_sysroot before do_build
+addtask do_build_native_sysroot
 
 python do_build_target_sysroot () {
     targetsysroot = d.getVar("STANDALONE_SYSROOT")
@@ -42,6 +50,6 @@ python do_build_target_sysroot () {
 }
 do_build_target_sysroot[cleandirs] = "${STANDALONE_SYSROOT}"
 do_build_target_sysroot[nostamp] = "1"
-addtask do_build_target_sysroot before do_build
+addtask do_build_target_sysroot
 
 do_clean[cleandirs] += "${STANDALONE_SYSROOT} ${STANDALONE_SYSROOT_NATIVE}"
diff --git a/scripts/lib/devtool/sdk.py b/scripts/lib/devtool/sdk.py
index d717b6c2b8..9aefd7e354 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/devtool/sdk.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/devtool/sdk.py
@@ -300,7 +300,8 @@ def sdk_install(args, config, basepath, workspace):
             return 2
 
         try:
-            exec_build_env_command(config.init_path, basepath, 'bitbake build-sysroots', watch=True)
+            exec_build_env_command(config.init_path, basepath, 'bitbake build-sysroots -c build_native_sysroot', watch=True)
+            exec_build_env_command(config.init_path, basepath, 'bitbake build-sysroots -c build_target_sysroot', watch=True)
         except bb.process.ExecutionError as e:
             raise DevtoolError('Failed to bitbake build-sysroots:\n%s' % (str(e)))