diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c8363bcdafcd..1c08f2810299 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ If you are working on the CLI exclusively,
 gulp watchCli
 ```
 
+If you don't need to build the suite of associated webapps (skillmap, multiplayer, etc.), you can skip them and speed up your build a bit:
+
+```
+gulp --no-webapps
+```
+
+
 ### Icons
 
 There are a number of custom icons (to use in addition
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 49dfc44f1635..f70b175ee9d3 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const isWin32 = os.platform() === "win32";
 
 const clean = () => rimraf("built").then(() => rimraf("temp"));
 const update = () => exec("git pull", true).then(() => exec("npm install", true))
-
+const noop = () => Promise.resolve();
 
 /** onlineline */
 const onlinelearning = () => {
@@ -653,6 +653,26 @@ const copyMultiplayerHtml = () => rimraf("webapp/public/multiplayer.html")
 
 const multiplayer = gulp.series(cleanMultiplayer, buildMultiplayer, gulp.series(copyMultiplayerCss, copyMultiplayerJs, copyMultiplayerHtml));
 
+/********************************************************
+                 Webapp build wrappers
+*********************************************************/
+
+const shouldBuildWebapps = () => (process.argv.indexOf("--no-webapps") === -1);
+
+const maybeUpdateWebappStrings = () => {
+    if (!shouldBuildWebapps()) return noop;
+    return gulp.parallel(
+        updateSkillMapStrings,
+        updateAuthcodeStrings,
+        updateMultiplayerStrings,
+    );
+};
+
+const maybeBuildWebapps = () => {
+    if (!shouldBuildWebapps()) return noop;
+    return gulp.parallel(skillmap, authcode, multiplayer);
+}
+
 /********************************************************
                  Tests and Linting
 *********************************************************/
@@ -739,12 +759,8 @@ function testTask(testFolder, testFile) {
 }
 
 const buildAll = gulp.series(
-    gulp.parallel(
-        updatestrings,
-        updateSkillMapStrings,
-        updateAuthcodeStrings,
-        updateMultiplayerStrings,
-    ),
+    updatestrings,
+    maybeUpdateWebappStrings(),
     copyTypescriptServices,
     copyBlocklyTypings,
     gulp.parallel(pxtlib, pxtweb),
@@ -756,7 +772,7 @@ const buildAll = gulp.series(
     targetjs,
     reactCommon,
     gulp.parallel(buildcss, buildSVGIcons),
-    gulp.parallel(skillmap, authcode, multiplayer),
+    maybeBuildWebapps(),
     webapp,
     browserifyWebapp,
     browserifyAssetEditor,