diff --git a/eng/build.ps1 b/eng/build.ps1
index 3696fe11e0df3..86f4a4f67f151 100644
--- a/eng/build.ps1
+++ b/eng/build.ps1
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ param(
     [Alias('v')]
     [string]$Verbosity = 'minimal',
     [switch]$DumpProcesses, # Capture all running processes and dump them to a file.
+    [string]$msbuildEngine = 'dotnet',
 
     # Other lifecycle targets
     [switch]$Help, # Show help
@@ -288,24 +289,20 @@ if ($RuntimeSourceFeed -or $RuntimeSourceFeedKey) {
 }
 
 # Split build categories between dotnet msbuild and desktop msbuild. Use desktop msbuild as little as possible.
-[string[]]$dotnetBuildArguments = $MSBuildArguments
+[string[]]$dotnetBuildArguments = ''
+[string[]]$MSBuildOnlyArguments = ''
+
 if ($All) { $dotnetBuildArguments += '/p:BuildAllProjects=true' }
-if ($Projects) {
-    if ($BuildNative) {
-        $MSBuildArguments += "/p:ProjectToBuild=$Projects"
-    } else {
-        $dotnetBuildArguments += "/p:ProjectToBuild=$Projects"
-    }
-}
+if ($Projects) { $MSBuildArguments += "/p:ProjectToBuild=$Projects" }
 
-if ($NoBuildInstallers) { $MSBuildArguments += "/p:BuildInstallers=false"; $BuildInstallers = $false }
-if ($BuildInstallers) { $MSBuildArguments += "/p:BuildInstallers=true" }
+if ($NoBuildInstallers) { $MSBuildOnlyArguments += "/p:BuildInstallers=false"; $BuildInstallers = $false }
+if ($BuildInstallers) { $MSBuildOnlyArguments += "/p:BuildInstallers=true" }
 
 # Build native projects by default unless -NoBuildNative was specified.
 $specifiedBuildNative = $BuildNative
 $BuildNative = $true
-if ($NoBuildNative) { $MSBuildArguments += "/p:BuildNative=false"; $BuildNative = $false }
-if ($BuildNative) { $MSBuildArguments += "/p:BuildNative=true"}
+if ($NoBuildNative) { $MSBuildOnlyArguments += "/p:BuildNative=false"; $BuildNative = $false }
+if ($BuildNative) { $MSBuildOnlyArguments += "/p:BuildNative=true"}
 
 if ($NoBuildJava) { $dotnetBuildArguments += "/p:BuildJava=false"; $BuildJava = $false }
 if ($BuildJava) { $dotnetBuildArguments += "/p:BuildJava=true" }
@@ -317,23 +314,24 @@ if ($BuildNodeJS) { $dotnetBuildArguments += "/p:BuildNodeJSUnlessSourcebuild=tr
 # Don't bother with two builds if just one will build everything. Ignore super-weird cases like
 # "-Projects ... -NoBuildJava -NoBuildManaged -NoBuildNodeJS". An empty `./build.ps1` command will build both
 # managed and native projects.
-$performDesktopBuild = $BuildInstallers -or $BuildNative
-$performDotnetBuild = $BuildJava -or $BuildManaged -or $BuildNodeJS -or `
+
+# If -msbuildEngine vs is explicitly passed in, use desktop msbuild only.
+# This is necessary for one-shot builds like within the VMR.
+
+$performDesktopBuild = $BuildInstallers -or $BuildNative -or $msbuildEngine -eq 'vs'
+$performDotnetBuild = $msBuildEngine -ne 'vs' -and ($BuildJava -or $BuildManaged -or $BuildNodeJS -or `
     ($All -and -not ($NoBuildJava -and $NoBuildManaged -and $NoBuildNodeJS)) -or `
-    ($Projects -and -not ($BuildInstallers -or $specifiedBuildNative))
+    ($Projects -and -not ($BuildInstallers -or $specifiedBuildNative)))
 
 # Initialize global variables need to be set before the import of Arcade is imported
 $restore = $RunRestore
 
-# Though VS Code may indicate $nodeReuse and $msbuildEngine are unused, tools.ps1 uses them.
+# Though VS Code may indicate $nodeReuse is unused, tools.ps1 uses them.
 
 # Disable node reuse - Workaround perpetual issues in node reuse and custom task assemblies
 $nodeReuse = $false
 $env:MSBUILDDISABLENODEREUSE=1
 
-# Use `dotnet msbuild` by default
-$msbuildEngine = 'dotnet'
-
 # Ensure passing neither -bl nor -nobl on CI avoids errors in tools.ps1. This is needed because both parameters are
 # $false by default i.e. they always exist. (We currently avoid binary logs but that is made visible in the YAML.)
 if ($CI -and -not $excludeCIBinarylog) {
@@ -414,12 +412,17 @@ if ($BinaryLog) {
     $bl = GetMSBuildBinaryLogCommandLineArgument($MSBuildArguments)
     if (-not $bl) {
         $dotnetBuildArguments += "/bl:" + (Join-Path $LogDir "Build.binlog")
-        $MSBuildArguments += "/bl:" + (Join-Path $LogDir "Build.native.binlog")
+
+        # When running both builds, use a different binary log path for the desktop msbuild.
+        if ($performDesktopBuild -and $performDotnetBuild) {
+            $MSBuildOnlyArguments += "/bl:" + (Join-Path $LogDir "Build.native.binlog")
+        }
+
         $ToolsetBuildArguments += "/bl:" + (Join-Path $LogDir "Build.repotasks.binlog")
     } else {
         # Use a different binary log path when running desktop msbuild if doing both builds.
         if ($performDesktopBuild -and $performDotnetBuild) {
-            $MSBuildArguments += "/bl:" + [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($bl, "native.binlog")
+            $MSBuildOnlyArguments += "/bl:" + [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($bl, "native.binlog")
         }
 
         $ToolsetBuildArguments += "/bl:" + [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($bl, "repotasks.binlog")
@@ -478,7 +481,12 @@ try {
             Remove-Item variable:global:_BuildTool -ErrorAction Ignore
             $msbuildEngine = 'vs'
 
-            MSBuild $toolsetBuildProj /p:RepoRoot=$RepoRoot @MSBuildArguments
+            # When running with desktop msbuild only, append the dotnet build specific arguments.
+            if (-not $performDotnetBuild) {
+                $MSBuildOnlyArguments += $dotnetBuildArguments
+            }
+
+            MSBuild $toolsetBuildProj /p:RepoRoot=$RepoRoot @MSBuildArguments @MSBuildOnlyArguments
         }
 
         if ($performDotnetBuild) {
@@ -486,7 +494,7 @@ try {
             Remove-Item variable:global:_BuildTool -ErrorAction Ignore
             $msbuildEngine = 'dotnet'
 
-            MSBuild $toolsetBuildProj /p:RepoRoot=$RepoRoot @dotnetBuildArguments
+            MSBuild $toolsetBuildProj /p:RepoRoot=$RepoRoot @MSBuildArguments @dotnetBuildArguments
         }
     }
 }