diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0eee7121025b60..0735845f41db4f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -64,10 +64,9 @@
     "uiFramework:createComponent": "cd packages/kbn-ui-framework && yarn createComponent",
     "uiFramework:documentComponent": "cd packages/kbn-ui-framework && yarn documentComponent",
     "kbn:watch": "node scripts/kibana --dev --logging.json=false",
-    "build:refs": "tsc -b tsconfig.refs.json",
     "build:types": "tsc --p tsconfig.types.json",
     "docs:acceptApiChanges": "node --max-old-space-size=6144 scripts/check_published_api_changes.js --accept",
-    "kbn:bootstrap": "yarn build:refs && node scripts/register_git_hook",
+    "kbn:bootstrap": "node scripts/build_ts_refs && node scripts/register_git_hook",
     "spec_to_console": "node scripts/spec_to_console",
     "backport-skip-ci": "backport --prDescription \"[skip-ci]\"",
     "storybook": "node scripts/storybook",
diff --git a/scripts/build_ts_refs.js b/scripts/build_ts_refs.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..29fd66bab4ca99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build_ts_refs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
+ * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright
+ * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
+ * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+ * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+require('../src/setup_node_env');
+require('../src/dev/typescript/build_refs').runBuildRefs();
diff --git a/src/dev/typescript/build_refs.ts b/src/dev/typescript/build_refs.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..cbb596c185f8b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dev/typescript/build_refs.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
+ * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright
+ * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
+ * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+ * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+
+import execa from 'execa';
+import { run, ToolingLog } from '@kbn/dev-utils';
+
+export async function buildRefs(log: ToolingLog) {
+  try {
+    log.info('Building TypeScript projects refs...');
+    await execa(require.resolve('typescript/bin/tsc'), ['-b', 'tsconfig.refs.json']);
+  } catch (e) {
+    log.error(e);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+export async function runBuildRefs() {
+  run(async ({ log }) => {
+    await buildRefs(log);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/dev/typescript/run_type_check_cli.ts b/src/dev/typescript/run_type_check_cli.ts
index baec29f98383f6..e1fca23274a5aa 100644
--- a/src/dev/typescript/run_type_check_cli.ts
+++ b/src/dev/typescript/run_type_check_cli.ts
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ import getopts from 'getopts';
 
 import { execInProjects } from './exec_in_projects';
 import { filterProjectsByFlag } from './projects';
+import { buildRefs } from './build_refs';
 
-export function runTypeCheckCli() {
+export async function runTypeCheckCli() {
   const extraFlags: string[] = [];
   const opts = getopts(process.argv.slice(2), {
     boolean: ['skip-lib-check', 'help'],
@@ -79,6 +80,8 @@ export function runTypeCheckCli() {
     process.exit();
   }
 
+  await buildRefs(log);
+
   const tscArgs = [
     // composite project cannot be used with --noEmit
     ...['--composite', 'false'],