diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 54a93abe0b..6e79bec897 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ if [[ ${CMAKE_TARGET} == "" ]]; then
     CMAKE_TARGET="all"
 fi
 
+# Append `-DFIND_RAFT_CPP=ON` to CMAKE_ARGS unless a user specified the option.
+if [[ "${CMAKE_ARGS}" != *"DFIND_RAFT_CPP"* ]]; then
+    CMAKE_ARGS="${CMAKE_ARGS} -DFIND_RAFT_CPP=ON"
+fi
+
 # If clean given, run it prior to any other steps
 if (( ${CLEAN} == 1 )); then
     # If the dirs to clean are mounted dirs in a container, the
diff --git a/ci/gpu/build.sh b/ci/gpu/build.sh
index 1af52c0ac9..2d96432e58 100644
--- a/ci/gpu/build.sh
+++ b/ci/gpu/build.sh
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 gpuci_logger "Build C++ and Python targets"
 # These should link against the existing shared libs
 if hasArg --skip-tests; then
-  "$WORKSPACE/build.sh" pyraft pylibraft libraft -v --cmake-args=\"-DFIND_RAFT_CPP=ON\"
+  "$WORKSPACE/build.sh" pyraft pylibraft libraft -v
 else
-  "$WORKSPACE/build.sh" pyraft pylibraft libraft tests bench -v --cmake-args=\"-DFIND_RAFT_CPP=ON\"
+  "$WORKSPACE/build.sh" pyraft pylibraft libraft tests bench -v
 fi
 
 gpuci_logger "sccache stats"
diff --git a/conda/recipes/pylibraft/build.sh b/conda/recipes/pylibraft/build.sh
index 1787866116..4e64d031ec 100644
--- a/conda/recipes/pylibraft/build.sh
+++ b/conda/recipes/pylibraft/build.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 # This assumes the script is executed from the root of the repo directory
-./build.sh pylibraft --install --no-nvtx --cmake-args=\"-DFIND_RAFT_CPP=ON\"
+./build.sh pylibraft --install --no-nvtx
diff --git a/conda/recipes/pyraft/build.sh b/conda/recipes/pyraft/build.sh
index 0e74faa699..1462f365ff 100644
--- a/conda/recipes/pyraft/build.sh
+++ b/conda/recipes/pyraft/build.sh
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
 
 # This assumes the script is executed from the root of the repo directory
-./build.sh pyraft --install --no-nvtx --cmake-args=\"-DFIND_RAFT_CPP=ON\"
+./build.sh pyraft --install --no-nvtx