diff --git a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/KnownProperties.cs b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/KnownProperties.cs
index dd2c7c733c0..2d9fd7efcfa 100644
--- a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/KnownProperties.cs
+++ b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/KnownProperties.cs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ static class KnownProperties
 		public const string XABuildToolsPackagePrefix           = "XABuildToolsPackagePrefix";
 		public const string XABinRelativeInstallPrefix          = "XABinRelativeInstallPrefix";
 		public const string XAInstallPrefix                     = "XAInstallPrefix";
+		public const string XAPackagesDir                       = "XAPackagesDir";
 		public const string XAPlatformToolsVersion              = "XAPlatformToolsVersion";
 		public const string XAPlatformToolsPackagePrefix        = "XAPlatformToolsPackagePrefix";
 	}
diff --git a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/Properties.Defaults.cs.in b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/Properties.Defaults.cs.in
index 2d0bd087f0c..6e59af3ab6e 100644
--- a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/Properties.Defaults.cs.in
+++ b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/Application/Properties.Defaults.cs.in
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ namespace Xamarin.Android.Prepare
 			properties.Add (KnownProperties.XABuildToolsPackagePrefix,           StripQuotes ("@XABuildToolsPackagePrefix@"));
 			properties.Add (KnownProperties.XABinRelativeInstallPrefix,          StripQuotes (@"@XABinRelativeInstallPrefix@"));
 			properties.Add (KnownProperties.XAInstallPrefix,                     StripQuotes (@"@XAInstallPrefix@"));
+			properties.Add (KnownProperties.XAPackagesDir,                       StripQuotes (@"@XAPackagesDir@"));
 			properties.Add (KnownProperties.XAPlatformToolsVersion,              StripQuotes ("@XAPlatformToolsVersion@"));
 			properties.Add (KnownProperties.XAPlatformToolsPackagePrefix,        StripQuotes ("@XAPlatformToolsPackagePrefix@"));
 		}
diff --git a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/ConfigAndData/Configurables.cs b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/ConfigAndData/Configurables.cs
index 2d7289696c2..af2831a6dc8 100644
--- a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/ConfigAndData/Configurables.cs
+++ b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/ConfigAndData/Configurables.cs
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ public static partial class Paths
 
 			// not really configurables, merely convenience aliases for more frequently used paths that come from properties
 			public static string XAInstallPrefix                => ctx.Properties.GetRequiredValue (KnownProperties.XAInstallPrefix);
-			public static string XAPackagesDir                  = DetermineNugetPackagesDir (ctx);
+			public static string XAPackagesDir                  => ctx.Properties.GetRequiredValue (KnownProperties.XAPackagesDir);
 
 			static string GetNetcoreAppRuntimePath (Context ctx, string androidTarget)
 			{
@@ -276,17 +276,6 @@ static string GetNetcoreAppRuntimePath (Context ctx, string androidTarget)
 				);
 			}
 
-			static string DetermineNugetPackagesDir (Context ctx)
-			{
-				return Path.GetFullPath (
-					Path.Combine (
-						ctx.Properties.GetRequiredValue (KnownProperties.PkgXamarin_LibZipSharp),
-						"..",
-						".."
-					)
-				);
-			}
-
 			static string EnsureAndroidToolchainBinDirectories ()
 			{
 				if (androidToolchainBinDirectory != null)
diff --git a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/xaprepare.targets b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/xaprepare.targets
index 1afe7e363b1..4c8e3be8906 100644
--- a/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/xaprepare.targets
+++ b/build-tools/xaprepare/xaprepare/xaprepare.targets
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
       <Replacement Include="@XAPlatformToolsVersion@=$(XAPlatformToolsVersion)" />
       <Replacement Include="@XAInstallPrefix@=$(XAInstallPrefix)" />
       <Replacement Include="@XABinRelativeInstallPrefix@=$(_XABinRelativeInstallPrefix)" />
+      <Replacement Include="@XAPackagesDir@=$(XAPackagesDir)" />
       <Replacement Include="@XAPlatformToolsPackagePrefix@=$(XAPlatformToolsPackagePrefix)" />
     </ItemGroup>