diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py
index 5953650df75..f8aeba18fd7 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ def extra_options(extra_vars=None):
         extra_vars.update({
             'srcdir': [None, "Source directory location to provide to cmake command", CUSTOM],
             'separate_build_dir': [False, "Perform build in a separate directory", CUSTOM],
+            'create_installdir_before_configure': [False, "Create or clean the install directory prior to running cmake", CUSTOM],
         })
         return extra_vars
 
@@ -60,6 +61,11 @@ def configure_step(self, srcdir=None, builddir=None):
         if builddir is not None:
             self.log.nosupport("CMakeMake.configure_step: named argument 'builddir' (should be 'srcdir')", "2.0")
 
+        if self.cfg['create_installdir_before_configure']:
+            self.log.info("Cleaning and creating the install directory. Setting keeppreviousinstall to True.")
+            self.make_installdir()
+            self.cfg['keeppreviousinstall'] = True
+
         # Set the search paths for CMake
         include_paths = os.pathsep.join(self.toolchain.get_variable("CPPFLAGS", list))
         library_paths = os.pathsep.join(self.toolchain.get_variable("LDFLAGS", list))