diff --git a/core/builtins/build.gradle.kts b/core/builtins/build.gradle.kts
index 45ce4808a06..26c9104b016 100644
--- a/core/builtins/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/core/builtins/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import org.gradle.jvm.tasks.Jar
 import java.io.File
 
+plugins {
+    base
+}
+
 val builtinsSrc = fileFrom(rootDir, "core", "builtins", "src")
 val builtinsNative = fileFrom(rootDir, "core", "builtins", "native")
 // TODO: rewrite dependent projects on using build results instead of the fixed location
@@ -8,17 +12,22 @@ val builtinsSerialized = File(rootProject.extra["distDir"].toString(), "builtins
 
 val builtins by configurations.creating
 
-val serialize = task<Exec>("serialize") {
+val clean by tasks.getting {
+    doLast {
+        delete(builtinsSerialized)
+    }
+}
+
+val serialize by tasks.creating(JavaExec::class) {
     val outDir = builtinsSerialized
     val inDirs = arrayOf(builtinsSrc, builtinsNative)
+    inDirs.forEach { inputs.dir(it) }
     outputs.dir(outDir)
-    inputs.files(*inDirs)
-    commandLine(
-        "java", "-cp",
-        rootProject.buildscript.configurations["bootstrapCompilerClasspath"].asPath,
-        "org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.builtins.RunKt",
-        "$outDir", *inDirs
-    )
+
+    classpath(rootProject.buildscript.configurations["bootstrapCompilerClasspath"])
+    main = "org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.builtins.RunKt"
+    jvmArgs("-Didea.io.use.nio2=true")
+    args(outDir, *inDirs)
 }
 
 val builtinsJar by task<Jar> {
@@ -28,4 +37,9 @@ val builtinsJar by task<Jar> {
     destinationDir = File(buildDir, "libs")
 }
 
+
+val assemble by tasks.getting {
+    dependsOn(serialize)
+}
+
 artifacts.add(builtins.name, builtinsJar)