diff --git a/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake b/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
index 753c0523c8..c1df616dad 100644
--- a/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
+++ b/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ mark_as_advanced(CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE)
 option(VCPKG_VERBOSE "Enables messages from the VCPKG toolchain for debugging purposes." OFF)
 mark_as_advanced(VCPKG_VERBOSE)
 
+include(CMakeDependentOption)
+
 function(_vcpkg_get_directory_name_of_file_above OUT DIRECTORY FILENAME)
     set(_vcpkg_get_dir_candidate ${DIRECTORY})
     while(IS_DIRECTORY ${_vcpkg_get_dir_candidate} AND NOT DEFINED _vcpkg_get_dir_out)
@@ -43,15 +45,26 @@ elseif(VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE AND NOT _VCPKG_MANIFEST_DIR)
         "disable manifests by turning off VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE.")
 endif()
 
-if(VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE)
-    option(VCPKG_MANIFEST_INSTALL
-[[
+if(NOT DEFINED _INTERNAL_CHECK_VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE)
+    set(_INTERNAL_CHECK_VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE "${VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE}"
+        CACHE INTERNAL "Making sure VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE doesn't change")
+endif()
+
+if(NOT VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE STREQUAL _INTERNAL_CHECK_VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR [[
+vcpkg manifest mode was enabled for a build directory where it was initially disabled.
+This is not supported. Please delete the build directory and reconfigure.
+]])
+endif()
+
+CMAKE_DEPENDENT_OPTION(VCPKG_MANIFEST_INSTALL [[
 Install the dependencies listed in your manifest:
     If this is off, you will have to manually install your dependencies.
     See https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg/tree/master/docs/specifications/manifests.md for more info.
 ]]
-        ON)
-endif()
+    ON
+    "VCPKG_MANIFEST_MODE"
+    OFF)
 
 # Determine whether the toolchain is loaded during a try-compile configuration
 get_property(_CMAKE_IN_TRY_COMPILE GLOBAL PROPERTY IN_TRY_COMPILE)