diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/README.md b/packages/aws-cdk/README.md
index 0ac2e08947ec8..f50fb6509b1f9 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/README.md
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/README.md
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ Some of the interesting keys that can be used in the JSON configuration files:
 ```json5
 {
     "app": "node bin/main.js",        // Command to start the CDK app      (--app='node bin/main.js')
-    "build": "mvn package",           // Specify pre-synth build           (no command line option)
+    "build": "mvn package",           // Specify pre-synth build           (--build='mvn package')
     "context": {                      // Context entries                   (--context=key=value)
         "key": "value"
     },
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/cli.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/cli.ts
index b7c2931d233ae..1a20ed9edf279 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/cli.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ async function parseCommandLineArguments() {
     .env('CDK')
     .usage('Usage: cdk -a <cdk-app> COMMAND')
     .option('app', { type: 'string', alias: 'a', desc: 'REQUIRED: command-line for executing your app or a cloud assembly directory (e.g. "node bin/my-app.js")', requiresArg: true })
+    .option('build', { type: 'string', desc: 'Command-line for a pre-synth build' })
     .option('context', { type: 'array', alias: 'c', desc: 'Add contextual string parameter (KEY=VALUE)', nargs: 1, requiresArg: true })
     .option('plugin', { type: 'array', alias: 'p', desc: 'Name or path of a node package that extend the CDK features. Can be specified multiple times', nargs: 1 })
     .option('trace', { type: 'boolean', desc: 'Print trace for stack warnings' })
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts
index ddb28be756292..7a213111f6c9f 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/settings.ts
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ export class Settings {
     return new Settings({
       app: argv.app,
       browser: argv.browser,
+      build: argv.build,
       context,
       debug: argv.debug,
       tags,
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/test/settings.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/test/settings.test.ts
index aef16e6bac946..8c2c894ae4634 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/test/settings.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/test/settings.test.ts
@@ -144,3 +144,14 @@ test('should include outputs-file in settings', () => {
   // THEN
   expect(settings.get(['outputsFile'])).toEqual('my-outputs-file.json');
 });
+
+test('providing a build arg', () => {
+  // GIVEN
+  const settings = Settings.fromCommandLineArguments({
+    _: [Command.SYNTH],
+    build: 'mvn package',
+  });
+
+  // THEN
+  expect(settings.get(['build'])).toEqual('mvn package');
+});
\ No newline at end of file