diff --git a/src/lime/tools/HXProject.hx b/src/lime/tools/HXProject.hx
index 9dd9fb7bb..9c1d38084 100644
--- a/src/lime/tools/HXProject.hx
+++ b/src/lime/tools/HXProject.hx
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ class HXProject extends Script
 	public var templatePaths:Array<String>;
 	@:isVar public var window(get, set):WindowData;
 	public var windows:Array<WindowData>;
+	public var projectFilePath:String;
 
 	private var needRerun:Bool;
 
@@ -740,6 +741,11 @@ class HXProject extends Script
 				launchStoryboard.merge(project.launchStoryboard);
 			}
 
+			if (projectFilePath == null)
+			{
+				projectFilePath = project.projectFilePath;
+			}
+
 			languages = ArrayTools.concatUnique(languages, project.languages, true);
 			libraries = ArrayTools.concatUnique(libraries, project.libraries, true);
 
diff --git a/tools/CommandLineTools.hx b/tools/CommandLineTools.hx
index d6248e174..f28d71fc1 100644
--- a/tools/CommandLineTools.hx
+++ b/tools/CommandLineTools.hx
@@ -1720,6 +1720,11 @@ class CommandLineTools
 					return null;
 				}
 			}
+
+			if (project != null)
+			{
+				project.projectFilePath = projectFile;
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (project != null && project.needRerun && !project.targetFlags.exists("norerun"))
diff --git a/tools/platforms/AndroidPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/AndroidPlatform.hx
index 2509e2b89..407e4461f 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/AndroidPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/AndroidPlatform.hx
@@ -294,7 +294,12 @@ class AndroidPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/FlashPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/FlashPlatform.hx
index 19b4812d5..21828d2a3 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/FlashPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/FlashPlatform.hx
@@ -174,7 +174,12 @@ class FlashPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/HTML5Platform.hx b/tools/platforms/HTML5Platform.hx
index 97198ebf4..94d8a45f2 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/HTML5Platform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/HTML5Platform.hx
@@ -213,7 +213,12 @@ class HTML5Platform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/IOSPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/IOSPlatform.hx
index e03754c3a..33197d9a3 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/IOSPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/IOSPlatform.hx
@@ -456,7 +456,12 @@ class IOSPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/" + project.app.file + "/haxe/Build.hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/LinuxPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/LinuxPlatform.hx
index d032080f1..4ee5a9161 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/LinuxPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/LinuxPlatform.hx
@@ -362,7 +362,12 @@ class LinuxPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx
index 4f80be65a..2545bdc43 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/MacPlatform.hx
@@ -341,7 +341,12 @@ class MacPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/TVOSPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/TVOSPlatform.hx
index 54aae23b7..e0273b3b3 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/TVOSPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/TVOSPlatform.hx
@@ -371,7 +371,12 @@ class TVOSPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/" + project.app.file + "/haxe/Build.hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/WebAssemblyPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/WebAssemblyPlatform.hx
index 69fbdb2f2..a8130365c 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/WebAssemblyPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/WebAssemblyPlatform.hx
@@ -359,7 +359,12 @@ class WebAssemblyPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}
diff --git a/tools/platforms/WindowsPlatform.hx b/tools/platforms/WindowsPlatform.hx
index 46433c6e9..7a754c849 100644
--- a/tools/platforms/WindowsPlatform.hx
+++ b/tools/platforms/WindowsPlatform.hx
@@ -593,7 +593,12 @@ class WindowsPlatform extends PlatformTarget
 	{
 		var path = targetDirectory + "/haxe/" + buildType + ".hxml";
 
-		if (FileSystem.exists(path))
+		// try to use the existing .hxml file. however, if the project file was
+		// modified more recently than the .hxml, then the .hxml cannot be
+		// considered valid anymore. it may cause errors in editors like vscode.
+		if (FileSystem.exists(path)
+			&& (project.projectFilePath == null || !FileSystem.exists(project.projectFilePath)
+				|| (FileSystem.stat(path).mtime.getTime() > FileSystem.stat(project.projectFilePath).mtime.getTime())))
 		{
 			return File.getContent(path);
 		}