diff --git a/packages/nuxi/package.json b/packages/nuxi/package.json
index c361065438..56bb30acf5 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/package.json
+++ b/packages/nuxi/package.json
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     "@nuxt/kit": "3.0.0",
     "@types/clear": "^0",
     "@types/mri": "^1.1.1",
+    "@types/rimraf": "^3",
     "chokidar": "^3.5.2",
     "clear": "^0.1.0",
     "clipboardy": "^3.0.0",
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@
     "p-debounce": "^4.0.0",
     "pathe": "^0.2.0",
     "pkg-types": "^0.2.1",
+    "rimraf": "^3.0.2",
     "scule": "^0.2.1",
     "superb": "^4.0.0",
     "tiged": "^2.12.0",
diff --git a/packages/nuxi/src/commands/build.ts b/packages/nuxi/src/commands/build.ts
index 084eb637fb..b142869b56 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/src/commands/build.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxi/src/commands/build.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import consola from 'consola'
 
 import { writeTypes } from '../utils/prepare'
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
+import { clearDir } from '../utils/fs'
 import { defineNuxtCommand } from './index'
 
 export default defineNuxtCommand({
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ export default defineNuxtCommand({
 
     const nuxt = await loadNuxt({ rootDir })
 
+    await clearDir(nuxt.options.buildDir)
+
     await writeTypes(nuxt)
 
     nuxt.hook('error', (err) => {
diff --git a/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts b/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts
index 662c0fc9ee..00df9bfa6c 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { createServer, createLoadingHandler } from '../utils/server'
 import { showBanner } from '../utils/banner'
 import { writeTypes } from '../utils/prepare'
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
+import { clearDir } from '../utils/fs'
 import { defineNuxtCommand } from './index'
 
 export default defineNuxtCommand({
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ export default defineNuxtCommand({
           await currentNuxt.close()
         }
         const newNuxt = await loadNuxt({ rootDir, dev: true, ready: false })
+        await clearDir(newNuxt.options.buildDir)
         prepare(newNuxt)
         currentNuxt = newNuxt
         await currentNuxt.ready()
diff --git a/packages/nuxi/src/utils/fs.ts b/packages/nuxi/src/utils/fs.ts
index e646b35211..9597b1911b 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/src/utils/fs.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxi/src/utils/fs.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { promises as fsp } from 'fs'
+import { promisify } from 'util'
+import rimraf from 'rimraf'
 
 // Check if a file exists
 export async function exists (path: string) {
@@ -9,3 +11,8 @@ export async function exists (path: string) {
     return false
   }
 }
+
+export async function clearDir (path: string) {
+  await promisify(rimraf)(path)
+  await fsp.mkdir(path, { recursive: true })
+}
diff --git a/packages/nuxi/src/utils/prepare.ts b/packages/nuxi/src/utils/prepare.ts
index 67e7b6a122..9aa0f317fb 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/src/utils/prepare.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxi/src/utils/prepare.ts
@@ -76,9 +76,16 @@ export const writeTypes = async (nuxt: Nuxt) => {
 
   consola.success('Generated', cyan(relative(process.cwd(), declarationPath)))
 
-  const tsConfigPath = resolve(nuxt.options.buildDir, 'tsconfig.json')
-  await fsp.mkdir(nuxt.options.buildDir, { recursive: true })
-  await fsp.writeFile(tsConfigPath, JSON.stringify(tsConfig, null, 2))
+  async function writeFile () {
+    const tsConfigPath = resolve(nuxt.options.buildDir, 'tsconfig.json')
+    await fsp.writeFile(tsConfigPath, JSON.stringify(tsConfig, null, 2))
+  }
+
+  // This is needed for Nuxt 2 which clears the build directory again before building
+  // https://github.com/nuxt/nuxt.js/blob/dev/packages/builder/src/builder.js#L144
+  nuxt.hook('builder:prepared', writeFile)
+
+  await writeFile()
 }
 
 function renderAttrs (obj: Record<string, string>) {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt3/package.json b/packages/nuxt3/package.json
index 12c9314ca9..6405714e85 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt3/package.json
+++ b/packages/nuxt3/package.json
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
     "chokidar": "^3.5.2",
     "consola": "^2.15.3",
     "defu": "^5.0.0",
-    "fs-extra": "^10.0.0",
     "globby": "^11.0.4",
     "hash-sum": "^2.0.0",
     "hookable": "^5.0.0",
@@ -45,7 +44,6 @@
     "vue-router": "^4.0.12"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/fs-extra": "^9.0.13",
     "@types/hash-sum": "^1.0.0",
     "unbuild": "latest",
     "vue-meta": "next"
diff --git a/packages/nuxt3/src/core/builder.ts b/packages/nuxt3/src/core/builder.ts
index b1e47bf921..5d5cac6cb1 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt3/src/core/builder.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt3/src/core/builder.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 import chokidar from 'chokidar'
 import { Nuxt } from '@nuxt/kit'
-import fse from 'fs-extra'
 import { createApp, generateApp } from './app'
 
 export async function build (nuxt: Nuxt) {
-  //  Clear buildDir once
-  await fse.emptyDir(nuxt.options.buildDir)
-
   const app = createApp(nuxt)
   await generateApp(nuxt, app)
 
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 266b12df90..6cc80d85c3 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -3386,6 +3386,16 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@types/glob@npm:*":
+  version: 7.1.4
+  resolution: "@types/glob@npm:7.1.4"
+  dependencies:
+    "@types/minimatch": "*"
+    "@types/node": "*"
+  checksum: 6911a956448f5eddea1e4371f814bf92072e8ceedba83de6ce2a6745938a6f0327376e1c0072fa0d7b3b73d84e255aafda53c1dff148225cfe542a8cc5d54b02
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@types/hash-sum@npm:^1.0.0":
   version: 1.0.0
   resolution: "@types/hash-sum@npm:1.0.0"
@@ -3457,7 +3467,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"@types/minimatch@npm:^3.0.3":
+"@types/minimatch@npm:*, @types/minimatch@npm:^3.0.3":
   version: 3.0.5
   resolution: "@types/minimatch@npm:3.0.5"
   checksum: c41d136f67231c3131cf1d4ca0b06687f4a322918a3a5adddc87ce90ed9dbd175a3610adee36b106ae68c0b92c637c35e02b58c8a56c424f71d30993ea220b92
@@ -3566,6 +3576,16 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@types/rimraf@npm:^3":
+  version: 3.0.2
+  resolution: "@types/rimraf@npm:3.0.2"
+  dependencies:
+    "@types/glob": "*"
+    "@types/node": "*"
+  checksum: b47fa302f46434cba704d20465861ad250df79467d3d289f9d6490d3aeeb41e8cb32dd80bd1a8fd833d1e185ac719fbf9be12e05ad9ce9be094d8ee8f1405347
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@types/semver@npm:^7":
   version: 7.3.8
   resolution: "@types/semver@npm:7.3.8"
@@ -13685,6 +13705,7 @@ fsevents@~2.3.2:
     "@nuxt/kit": 3.0.0
     "@types/clear": ^0
     "@types/mri": ^1.1.1
+    "@types/rimraf": ^3
     chokidar: ^3.5.2
     clear: ^0.1.0
     clipboardy: ^3.0.0
@@ -13701,6 +13722,7 @@ fsevents@~2.3.2:
     p-debounce: ^4.0.0
     pathe: ^0.2.0
     pkg-types: ^0.2.1
+    rimraf: ^3.0.2
     scule: ^0.2.1
     superb: ^4.0.0
     tiged: ^2.12.0
@@ -13781,7 +13803,6 @@ fsevents@~2.3.2:
     "@nuxt/nitro": 3.0.0
     "@nuxt/vite-builder": 3.0.0
     "@nuxt/webpack-builder": 3.0.0
-    "@types/fs-extra": ^9.0.13
     "@types/hash-sum": ^1.0.0
     "@vue/reactivity": 3.2.20
     "@vue/shared": 3.2.20
@@ -13789,7 +13810,6 @@ fsevents@~2.3.2:
     chokidar: ^3.5.2
     consola: ^2.15.3
     defu: ^5.0.0
-    fs-extra: ^10.0.0
     globby: ^11.0.4
     hash-sum: ^2.0.0
     hookable: ^5.0.0