diff --git a/src/cli/cli_args.zig b/src/cli/cli_args.zig
index 819e869cb86..21f145ab761 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli_args.zig
+++ b/src/cli/cli_args.zig
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ pub const BuildArgs = struct {
     target: ?[]const u8 = null, // the target to compile for (e.g., x64musl, x64glibc)
     output: ?[]const u8 = null, // the path where the output binary should be created
     debug: bool = false, // include debug information in the output binary
+    keep_temp: bool = false, // do not delete temporary directories created during build
     allow_errors: bool = false, // allow building even if there are type errors
     verbose: bool = false, // enable verbose output including cache statistics
     timings: bool = false, // always show the per-phase timing breakdown
@@ -407,6 +408,7 @@ fn parseBuild(args: []const []const u8) CliArgs {
     var target: ?[]const u8 = null;
     var output: ?[]const u8 = null;
     var debug: bool = false;
+    var keep_temp: bool = false;
     var allow_errors: bool = false;
     var verbose: bool = false;
     var timings: bool = false;
@@ -432,6 +434,7 @@ fn parseBuild(args: []const []const u8) CliArgs {
             \\      --opt=<opt>                    Build mode: speed (default LLVM optimized), size (LLVM optimized for binary size), dev (native dev backend), or interpreter (embedded interpreter backend)
             \\      --target=<target>              Target to compile for (e.g., x64musl, x64glibc, arm64musl). Defaults to native target with musl for static linking
             \\      --debug                        Include debug information in the output binary
+            \\      --keep-temp                    Keep all temporary directories created during build
             \\      --allow-errors                 Allow building even if there are type errors (warnings are always allowed)
             \\      --verbose                      Enable verbose output including cache statistics
             \\      --timings                      Show how long each compilation phase took (shown automatically when a build is slow)
@@ -472,6 +475,8 @@ fn parseBuild(args: []const []const u8) CliArgs {
             }
         } else if (mem.eql(u8, arg, "--debug")) {
             debug = true;
+        } else if (mem.eql(u8, arg, "--keep-temp")) {
+            keep_temp = true;
         } else if (mem.eql(u8, arg, "--allow-errors")) {
             allow_errors = true;
         } else if (mem.startsWith(u8, arg, "--wasm-memory")) {
@@ -529,7 +534,7 @@ fn parseBuild(args: []const []const u8) CliArgs {
             path = arg;
         }
     }
-    return CliArgs{ .build = BuildArgs{ .path = path orelse "main.roc", .opt = opt, .target = target, .output = output, .debug = debug, .allow_errors = allow_errors, .verbose = verbose, .timings = timings, .no_cache = no_cache, .watch = watch, .watch_inputs_file = watch_inputs_file, .max_threads = max_threads, .wasm_memory = wasm_memory, .wasm_stack_size = wasm_stack_size, .resolve_limits = resolve_limits } };
+    return CliArgs{ .build = BuildArgs{ .path = path orelse "main.roc", .opt = opt, .target = target, .output = output, .debug = debug, .keep_temp = keep_temp, .allow_errors = allow_errors, .verbose = verbose, .timings = timings, .no_cache = no_cache, .watch = watch, .watch_inputs_file = watch_inputs_file, .max_threads = max_threads, .wasm_memory = wasm_memory, .wasm_stack_size = wasm_stack_size, .resolve_limits = resolve_limits } };
 }
 
 fn parseBundle(alloc: mem.Allocator, args: []const []const u8) std.mem.Allocator.Error!CliArgs {
diff --git a/src/cli/main.zig b/src/cli/main.zig
index 36f11c9ed15..487845b51de 100644
--- a/src/cli/main.zig
+++ b/src/cli/main.zig
@@ -6719,7 +6719,16 @@ fn rocBuildDefaultApp(ctx: *CliCtx, args: cli_args.BuildArgs, original_source: [
     const temp_dir = createUniqueTempDir(ctx) catch |err| {
         return ctx.fail(.{ .temp_dir_failed = .{ .err = err } });
     };
-    defer std.Io.Dir.cwd().deleteTree(ctx.io.std_io, temp_dir) catch {};
+
+    if (args.keep_temp) {
+        const palette = reporting.ColorUtils.getPaletteForConfig(reporting.ReportingConfig.initColorTerminal());
+        const config = reporting.ReportingConfig.initColorTerminal();
+        const headline = try std.fmt.allocPrint(ctx.arena, "Kept temporary directory: {s}.", .{temp_dir});
+        var report = try reporting.Report.init(ctx.arena, "Kept Temporary Directory", headline, .warning);
+        defer report.deinit();
+        reporting.renderReportToTerminal(&report, ctx.io.stderr(), palette, config) catch {};
+    }
+    defer if (!args.keep_temp) std.Io.Dir.cwd().deleteTree(ctx.io.std_io, temp_dir) catch {};
 
     const platform_dir = try std.fs.path.join(ctx.arena, &.{ temp_dir, ".roc_echo_platform" });
     try std.Io.Dir.cwd().createDirPath(ctx.io.std_io, platform_dir);
@@ -8285,7 +8294,16 @@ fn rocBuildLlvm(ctx: *CliCtx, args: cli_args.BuildArgs) CliMainError!void {
             enable_default_platform_runtime,
             args.synthetic_default_platform,
         );
-        defer std.Io.Dir.cwd().deleteTree(ctx.io.std_io, app_object.artifact_dir) catch {};
+
+        if (args.keep_temp) {
+            const palette = reporting.ColorUtils.getPaletteForConfig(reporting.ReportingConfig.initColorTerminal());
+            const config = reporting.ReportingConfig.initColorTerminal();
+            const headline = try std.fmt.allocPrint(ctx.arena, "Kept temporary directory: {s}.", .{app_object.artifact_dir});
+            var report = try reporting.Report.init(ctx.arena, "Kept Temporary Directory", headline, .warning);
+            defer report.deinit();
+            reporting.renderReportToTerminal(&report, ctx.io.stderr(), palette, config) catch {};
+        }
+        defer if (!args.keep_temp) std.Io.Dir.cwd().deleteTree(ctx.io.std_io, app_object.artifact_dir) catch {};
 
         var static_data_obj_path: ?[]const u8 = null;
         if (static_data_exports.len > 0) {