diff --git a/tools/lisa-build-asset b/tools/lisa-build-asset
index 69627879b29115a21fad25dbe4c05d470e5a8980..d59d82deef834af8584b486bc4c0a83cebeaefec 100755
--- a/tools/lisa-build-asset
+++ b/tools/lisa-build-asset
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def get_env(asset=None, arch=None, build_dir=None, toolchain=None, recipe=None,
         'LISA_ASSET': asset,
         'LISA_ASSET_RECIPE': recipe,
         'LISA_ARCH_ASSETS': os.path.join(LISA_HOME, 'lisa', '_assets', 'binaries', arch),
-        'BUILD_DIR': os.path.abspath(build_dir),
+        'BUILD_DIR': os.path.abspath(build_dir) if build_dir is not None else None,
         'CROSS_COMPILE': toolchain + '-' if toolchain else None,
         'CONFIGURE_HOST': os.path.basename(toolchain) if toolchain else None,
         'USE_MUSL_LIB': '1' if use_musl else None,
@@ -156,31 +156,35 @@ def make_chroot(asset, arch, build_dir, recipe_dir, arch_chroot_dir):
     # List the required env variables.
     env_args = ('-k', ' '.join(env.keys())) if env else []
 
-    # Install the chroot.
-    subprocess.check_call(
-        [
-            'sudo', os.path.join(get_alpine_dir(), 'alpine-chroot-install'),
-            '-b', alpine_version,
-            '-d', arch_chroot_dir,
-            '-i', LISA_HOME,
-            '-a', QEMU_ARCH_NAMES.get(arch, arch),
-            *alpine_dependencies,
-            *env_args,
-        ],
-        cwd=build_dir,
-    )
+    def setup():
+        # Install the chroot.
+        subprocess.check_call(
+            [
+                'sudo', os.path.join(get_alpine_dir(), 'alpine-chroot-install'),
+                '-b', alpine_version,
+                '-d', arch_chroot_dir,
+                '-i', LISA_HOME,
+                '-a', QEMU_ARCH_NAMES.get(arch, arch),
+                *alpine_dependencies,
+                *env_args,
+            ],
+            cwd=build_dir,
+        )
 
-    def bind_mount(path):
-        # join() will ignore everything before an absolute path so make it
-        # relative first
-        rel = os.path.relpath(path, start='/')
-        path_ = os.path.join(arch_chroot_dir, rel)
-        subprocess.check_call(['sudo', 'mkdir', '-p', path_])
-        subprocess.check_call(['sudo', 'mount', '--bind', path, path_])
+        def bind_mount(path):
+            # join() will ignore everything before an absolute path so make it
+            # relative first
+            rel = os.path.relpath(path, start='/')
+            path_ = os.path.join(arch_chroot_dir, rel)
+            subprocess.check_call(['sudo', 'mkdir', '-p', path_])
+            subprocess.check_call(['sudo', 'mount', '--bind', path, path_])
 
-    bind_mount(build_dir)
+        bind_mount(build_dir)
 
     try:
+        # If setup fails, we still destroy the chroot so we give a chance to
+        # cleanup bind mounts.
+        setup()
         yield arch_chroot_dir
     finally:
         # Clean-up the chroot
@@ -227,8 +231,10 @@ def make(asset, arch, actions, build_dir, recipe_dir, toolchain=None, arch_chroo
 
 def make_asset(asset, arch_list, build_dir, recipe_dir, toolchains=None, native_build=False):
     if build_dir:
-        shutil.rmtree(build_dir, ignore_errors=True)
-        os.makedirs(build_dir, exist_ok=True)
+        # We do not want to empty an existing directory, as it might contain
+        # bind mounts and deleting that recursively may end up deleting e.g.
+        # LISA_HOME.
+        os.makedirs(build_dir, exist_ok=False)
         cm = nullcontext(build_dir)
     else:
         cm = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()