diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f28c36b7d1..d0888598a5 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -375,13 +375,14 @@ variables: &tests-targets
     - $time = (Get-Date -Format "HH:mm:ss")
     - echo ${time}
     - echo "started by ${GITLAB_USER_NAME}"
-    - sh CI/before_script.msvc.sh -c $config -p Win64 -v 2019 -k -V -N -b -t
+    - export CCACHE_BASEDIR="`pwd`"
+    - export CCACHE_DIR="`pwd`/ccache"
+    - mkdir -pv "$CCACHE_DIR"
+    - ccache -z -M "${CCACHE_SIZE}"
+    - sh CI/before_script.msvc.sh -c $config -p Win64 -v 2019 -k -V -N -b -t -f
     - cd MSVC2019_64_Ninja
     - .\ActivateMSVC.ps1
-    - export CCACHE_BASEDIR="`pwd`"
-    - export CCACHE_DIR="`pwd`/ccache" && mkdir -pv "$CCACHE_DIR"
-    - ccache -z -M "${CCACHE_SIZE}"
-    - cmake --build . --config $config --target ($targets.Split(',')) -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache  -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache
+    - cmake --build . --config $config --target ($targets.Split(','))
     - cd $config
     - echo "CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME ${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}`nCI_JOB_ID ${CI_JOB_ID}`nCI_COMMIT_SHA ${CI_COMMIT_SHA}" | Out-File -Encoding UTF8 CI-ID.txt
     - Get-ChildItem -Recurse *.ilk | Remove-Item
diff --git a/CI/before_script.msvc.sh b/CI/before_script.msvc.sh
index aaf459611e..4b8335c1ab 100644
--- a/CI/before_script.msvc.sh
+++ b/CI/before_script.msvc.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ VERBOSE=""
 STRIP=""
 SKIP_DOWNLOAD=""
 SKIP_EXTRACT=""
+USE_CCACHE=""
 KEEP=""
 UNITY_BUILD=""
 VS_VERSION=""
@@ -100,6 +101,8 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
 			e )
 				SKIP_EXTRACT=true ;;
 
+			f )
+				USE_CCACHE=TRUE ;;
 			k )
 				KEEP=true ;;
 
@@ -149,6 +152,8 @@ Options:
 		Skip checking the downloads.
 	-e
 		Skip extracting dependencies.
+	-f
+	    Use ccache
 	-h
 		Show this message.
 	-k
@@ -503,6 +508,9 @@ if ! [ -z $UNITY_BUILD ]; then
 	add_cmake_opts "-DOPENMW_UNITY_BUILD=True"
 fi
 
+if ! [ -z $USE_CCACHE ]; then
+	add_cmake_opts " -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache  -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache"
+
 echo
 echo "==================================="
 echo "Starting prebuild on MSVC${MSVC_DISPLAY_YEAR} WIN${BITS}"