diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 06fd8f6c1..c4661381c 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # devtools 1.13.3.9000
 
+* `build_vignettes()` now has a `clean` and `upgrade` arguments, to control
+  cleaning of intermediate files and upgrading vignette dependencies
+  respectively. (#1770).
+
 * `check()` argument `check_version` has been renamed to `remote` to better
   describe what tests are disabled (#1811)
 
diff --git a/R/vignettes.r b/R/vignettes.r
index 8caa91d4d..1a46bfb76 100644
--- a/R/vignettes.r
+++ b/R/vignettes.r
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #'   \code{\link{as.package}} for more information
 #' @param quiet If \code{TRUE}, suppresses most output. Set to \code{FALSE}
 #'   if you need to debug.
+#' @inheritParams tools::buildVignettes
 #' @inheritParams install_deps
 #' @keywords programming
 #' @seealso \code{\link{clean_vignettes}} to remove the pdfs in
@@ -18,16 +19,18 @@
 #' @seealso \code{\link{clean_vignettes}} to remove build tex/pdf files.
 build_vignettes <- function(pkg = ".",
                             dependencies = "VignetteBuilder",
+                            clean = TRUE,
+                            upgrade = FALSE,
                             quiet = TRUE
                             ) {
   pkg <- as.package(pkg)
   vigns <- tools::pkgVignettes(dir = pkg$path)
   if (length(vigns$docs) == 0) return()
 
-  install_deps(pkg, dependencies, upgrade = FALSE)
+  install_deps(pkg, dependencies, upgrade = upgrade)
 
   message("Building ", pkg$package, " vignettes")
-  tools::buildVignettes(dir = pkg$path, tangle = TRUE, quiet = quiet)
+  tools::buildVignettes(dir = pkg$path, clean = clean, tangle = TRUE, quiet = quiet)
   copy_vignettes(pkg)
 
   invisible(TRUE)
diff --git a/man/build_vignettes.Rd b/man/build_vignettes.Rd
index 2a1d449ef..0de6e3611 100644
--- a/man/build_vignettes.Rd
+++ b/man/build_vignettes.Rd
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 \alias{build_vignettes}
 \title{Build package vignettes.}
 \usage{
-build_vignettes(pkg = ".", dependencies = "VignetteBuilder", quiet = TRUE)
+build_vignettes(pkg = ".", dependencies = "VignetteBuilder", clean = TRUE,
+  upgrade = FALSE, quiet = TRUE)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{pkg}{package description, can be path or package name.  See
@@ -14,6 +15,11 @@ build_vignettes(pkg = ".", dependencies = "VignetteBuilder", quiet = TRUE)
 packages which this \code{pkg} depends on/links to/suggests. See
 argument \code{dependencies} of \code{\link{install.packages}}.}
 
+\item{clean}{Remove all files generated by the build, even if there
+    were copies there before.}
+
+\item{upgrade}{If \code{TRUE}, also upgrade any of out date dependencies.}
+
 \item{quiet}{If \code{TRUE}, suppresses most output. Set to \code{FALSE}
 if you need to debug.}
 }