diff --git a/lib/controllers/prepare-controller.ts b/lib/controllers/prepare-controller.ts
index 850c0483a2..9b1110644a 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/prepare-controller.ts
+++ b/lib/controllers/prepare-controller.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export class PrepareController extends EventEmitter {
 		this.$logger.info("Preparing project...");
 
 		if (this.$mobileHelper.isAndroidPlatform(prepareData.platform)) {
-			this.$projectConfigService.writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
+			await this.$projectConfigService.writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
 				projectData.projectDir,
 				this.$projectDataService.getRuntimePackage(
 					projectData.projectDir,
diff --git a/lib/definitions/project.d.ts b/lib/definitions/project.d.ts
index 668ad56330..5f092ae1f7 100644
--- a/lib/definitions/project.d.ts
+++ b/lib/definitions/project.d.ts
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ interface IProjectConfigService {
 	writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
 		projectDir: string,
 		runtimePackage: IBasePluginData
-	): void;
+	): Promise<void>;
 }
 
 interface IAssetItem {
diff --git a/lib/services/project-config-service.ts b/lib/services/project-config-service.ts
index fb957e1054..ca218f008d 100644
--- a/lib/services/project-config-service.ts
+++ b/lib/services/project-config-service.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import {
 import { cache } from "../common/decorators";
 import { IOptions } from "../declarations";
 import semver = require("semver/preload");
+import { ICleanupService } from "../definitions/cleanup-service";
 
 export class ProjectConfigService implements IProjectConfigService {
 	private forceUsingNewConfig: boolean = false;
@@ -39,7 +40,8 @@ export class ProjectConfigService implements IProjectConfigService {
 		private $fs: IFileSystem,
 		private $logger: ILogger,
 		private $injector: IInjector,
-		private $options: IOptions
+		private $options: IOptions,
+		private $cleanupService: ICleanupService
 	) {}
 
 	public setForceUsingNewConfig(force: boolean) {
@@ -329,7 +331,7 @@ export default {
 		// return Object.assign({}, ...additionalData, NSConfig);
 	}
 
-	public writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
+	public async writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
 		projectDir: string,
 		runtimePackage: IBasePluginData
 	) {
@@ -370,6 +372,9 @@ You may add \`nsconfig.json\` to \`.gitignore\` as the CLI will regenerate it as
 			appPath: this.getValue("appPath"),
 			appResourcesPath: this.getValue("appResourcesPath"),
 		});
+
+		// mark the file for cleanup after the CLI exits
+		await this.$cleanupService.addCleanupDeleteAction(nsConfigPath);
 	}
 
 	// todo: move into config manipulation
diff --git a/test/project-service.ts b/test/project-service.ts
index 8e8828c588..5c986a4865 100644
--- a/test/project-service.ts
+++ b/test/project-service.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ describe("projectService", () => {
 				ensureValidName: async () => opts.projectName,
 			});
 			testInjector.register("projectConfigService", ProjectConfigService);
+			testInjector.register("cleanupService", {});
 			testInjector.register("projectTemplatesService", {
 				prepareTemplate: async () => ({
 					templateName: constants.RESERVED_TEMPLATE_NAMES["default"],
@@ -170,6 +171,7 @@ describe("projectService", () => {
 			testInjector.register("projectData", {});
 			testInjector.register("projectNameService", {});
 			testInjector.register("projectConfigService", ProjectConfigService);
+			testInjector.register("cleanupService", {});
 			testInjector.register("projectTemplatesService", {});
 			testInjector.register("staticConfig", {});
 			testInjector.register("projectHelper", {});
diff --git a/test/services/project-config-service.ts b/test/services/project-config-service.ts
index f73faa51f9..5bb7f775ce 100644
--- a/test/services/project-config-service.ts
+++ b/test/services/project-config-service.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ const createTestInjector = (
 	testInjector.register("logger", LoggerStub);
 	testInjector.register("injector", testInjector);
 	testInjector.register("projectConfigService", ProjectConfigService);
+	testInjector.register("cleanupService", {});
 
 	return testInjector;
 };
diff --git a/test/services/project-data-service.ts b/test/services/project-data-service.ts
index 6cb033e9e5..01c7c6c820 100644
--- a/test/services/project-data-service.ts
+++ b/test/services/project-data-service.ts
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ const createTestInjector = (
 	});
 
 	testInjector.register("options", {});
+	testInjector.register("cleanupService", {});
 
 	return testInjector;
 };
diff --git a/test/stubs.ts b/test/stubs.ts
index 697af8918f..7cc7c9759b 100644
--- a/test/stubs.ts
+++ b/test/stubs.ts
@@ -636,10 +636,10 @@ export class ProjectConfigServiceStub implements IProjectConfigService {
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
+	async writeLegacyNSConfigIfNeeded(
 		projectDir: string,
 		runtimePackage: IBasePluginData
-	): void {}
+	): Promise<void> {}
 }
 
 export class AndroidPluginBuildServiceStub