diff --git a/pip/cmdoptions.py b/pip/cmdoptions.py

index 8ed3d91..01b2104 100644

--- a/pip/cmdoptions.py

+++ b/pip/cmdoptions.py

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ To be consistent, all options will follow this design.

 """

 import copy

 from optparse import OptionGroup, SUPPRESS_HELP, Option

-from pip.locations import build_prefix, default_log_file

+from pip.locations import default_log_file

 def make_option_group(group, parser):

@@ -297,10 +297,8 @@ build_dir = OptionMaker(

     '-b', '--build', '--build-dir', '--build-directory',

     dest='build_dir',

     metavar='dir',

-    default=build_prefix,

-    help='Directory to unpack packages into and build in. '

-    'The default in a virtualenv is "<venv path>/build". '

-    'The default for global installs is "<OS temp dir>/pip_build_<username>".')

+    help='Directory to unpack packages into and build in.',

+)

 install_options = OptionMaker(

     '--install-option',

diff --git a/pip/commands/install.py b/pip/commands/install.py

index cbf22a0..cb7d0db 100644

--- a/pip/commands/install.py

+++ b/pip/commands/install.py

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from pip.basecommand import Command

 from pip.index import PackageFinder

 from pip.exceptions import InstallationError, CommandError, PreviousBuildDirError

 from pip import cmdoptions

+from pip.util import BuildDirectory

 class InstallCommand(Command):

@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ class InstallCommand(Command):

         if (

             options.no_install or

             options.no_download or

-            (options.build_dir != build_prefix) or

+            options.build_dir or

             options.no_clean

         ):

             logger.deprecated('1.7', 'DEPRECATION: --no-install, --no-download, --build, '

@@ -197,7 +198,16 @@ class InstallCommand(Command):

         if options.download_dir:

             options.no_install = True

             options.ignore_installed = True

-        options.build_dir = os.path.abspath(options.build_dir)

+

+        # If we have --no-install or --no-download and no --build we use the

+        # legacy static build dir

+        if (options.build_dir is None

+                and (options.no_install or options.no_download)):

+            options.build_dir = build_prefix

+

+        if options.build_dir:

+            options.build_dir = os.path.abspath(options.build_dir)

+

         options.src_dir = os.path.abspath(options.src_dir)

         install_options = options.install_options or []

         if options.use_user_site:

@@ -246,73 +256,75 @@ class InstallCommand(Command):

         finder = self._build_package_finder(options, index_urls, session)

-        requirement_set = RequirementSet(

-            build_dir=options.build_dir,

-            src_dir=options.src_dir,

-            download_dir=options.download_dir,

-            download_cache=options.download_cache,

-            upgrade=options.upgrade,

-            as_egg=options.as_egg,

-            ignore_installed=options.ignore_installed,

-            ignore_dependencies=options.ignore_dependencies,

-            force_reinstall=options.force_reinstall,

-            use_user_site=options.use_user_site,

-            target_dir=temp_target_dir,

-            session=session,

-            pycompile=options.compile,

-        )

-        for name in args:

-            requirement_set.add_requirement(

-                InstallRequirement.from_line(name, None))

-        for name in options.editables:

-            requirement_set.add_requirement(

-                InstallRequirement.from_editable(name, default_vcs=options.default_vcs))

-        for filename in options.requirements:

-            for req in parse_requirements(filename, finder=finder, options=options, session=session):

-                requirement_set.add_requirement(req)

-        if not requirement_set.has_requirements:

-            opts = {'name': self.name}

-            if options.find_links:

-                msg = ('You must give at least one requirement to %(name)s '

-                       '(maybe you meant "pip %(name)s %(links)s"?)' %

-                       dict(opts, links=' '.join(options.find_links)))

-            else:

-                msg = ('You must give at least one requirement '

-                       'to %(name)s (see "pip help %(name)s")' % opts)

-            logger.warn(msg)

-            return

-

-        try:

-            if not options.no_download:

-                requirement_set.prepare_files(finder, force_root_egg_info=self.bundle, bundle=self.bundle)

-            else:

-                requirement_set.locate_files()

-

-            if not options.no_install and not self.bundle:

-                requirement_set.install(

-                    install_options,

-                    global_options,

-                    root=options.root_path,

-                    strip_file_prefix=options.strip_file_prefix)

-                installed = ' '.join([req.name for req in

-                                      requirement_set.successfully_installed])

-                if installed:

-                    logger.notify('Successfully installed %s' % installed)

-            elif not self.bundle:

-                downloaded = ' '.join([req.name for req in

-                                       requirement_set.successfully_downloaded])

-                if downloaded:

-                    logger.notify('Successfully downloaded %s' % downloaded)

-            elif self.bundle:

-                requirement_set.create_bundle(self.bundle_filename)

-                logger.notify('Created bundle in %s' % self.bundle_filename)

-        except PreviousBuildDirError:

-            options.no_clean = True

-            raise

-        finally:

-            # Clean up

-            if (not options.no_clean) and ((not options.no_install) or options.download_dir):

-                requirement_set.cleanup_files(bundle=self.bundle)

+        build_delete = (not (options.no_clean or options.build_dir))

+        with BuildDirectory(options.build_dir, delete=build_delete) as build_dir:

+            requirement_set = RequirementSet(

+                build_dir=build_dir,

+                src_dir=options.src_dir,

+                download_dir=options.download_dir,

+                download_cache=options.download_cache,

+                upgrade=options.upgrade,

+                as_egg=options.as_egg,

+                ignore_installed=options.ignore_installed,

+                ignore_dependencies=options.ignore_dependencies,

+                force_reinstall=options.force_reinstall,

+                use_user_site=options.use_user_site,

+                target_dir=temp_target_dir,

+                session=session,

+                pycompile=options.compile,

+            )

+            for name in args:

+                requirement_set.add_requirement(

+                    InstallRequirement.from_line(name, None))

+            for name in options.editables:

+                requirement_set.add_requirement(

+                    InstallRequirement.from_editable(name, default_vcs=options.default_vcs))

+            for filename in options.requirements:

+                for req in parse_requirements(filename, finder=finder, options=options, session=session):

+                    requirement_set.add_requirement(req)

+            if not requirement_set.has_requirements:

+                opts = {'name': self.name}

+                if options.find_links:

+                    msg = ('You must give at least one requirement to %(name)s '

+                           '(maybe you meant "pip %(name)s %(links)s"?)' %

+                           dict(opts, links=' '.join(options.find_links)))

+                else:

+                    msg = ('You must give at least one requirement '

+                           'to %(name)s (see "pip help %(name)s")' % opts)

+                logger.warn(msg)

+                return

+

+            try:

+                if not options.no_download:

+                    requirement_set.prepare_files(finder, force_root_egg_info=self.bundle, bundle=self.bundle)

+                else:

+                    requirement_set.locate_files()

+

+                if not options.no_install and not self.bundle:

+                    requirement_set.install(

+                        install_options,

+                        global_options,

+                        root=options.root_path,

+                        strip_file_prefix=options.strip_file_prefix)

+                    installed = ' '.join([req.name for req in

+                                          requirement_set.successfully_installed])

+                    if installed:

+                        logger.notify('Successfully installed %s' % installed)

+                elif not self.bundle:

+                    downloaded = ' '.join([req.name for req in

+                                           requirement_set.successfully_downloaded])

+                    if downloaded:

+                        logger.notify('Successfully downloaded %s' % downloaded)

+                elif self.bundle:

+                    requirement_set.create_bundle(self.bundle_filename)

+                    logger.notify('Created bundle in %s' % self.bundle_filename)

+            except PreviousBuildDirError:

+                options.no_clean = True

+                raise

+            finally:

+                # Clean up

+                if (not options.no_clean) and ((not options.no_install) or options.download_dir):

+                    requirement_set.cleanup_files(bundle=self.bundle)

         if options.target_dir:

             if not os.path.exists(options.target_dir):

diff --git a/pip/commands/wheel.py b/pip/commands/wheel.py

index 6527063..a96631a 100644

--- a/pip/commands/wheel.py

+++ b/pip/commands/wheel.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from pip.index import PackageFinder

 from pip.log import logger

 from pip.exceptions import CommandError, PreviousBuildDirError

 from pip.req import InstallRequirement, RequirementSet, parse_requirements

-from pip.util import normalize_path

+from pip.util import BuildDirectory, normalize_path

 from pip.wheel import WheelBuilder

 from pip import cmdoptions

@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ class WheelCommand(Command):

                         "--extra-index-url is suggested.")

             index_urls += options.mirrors

+        if options.build_dir:

+            options.build_dir = os.path.abspath(options.build_dir)

+

         session = self._build_session(options)

         finder = PackageFinder(find_links=options.find_links,

@@ -137,59 +140,60 @@ class WheelCommand(Command):

                                session=session,

                             )

-        options.build_dir = os.path.abspath(options.build_dir)

-        requirement_set = RequirementSet(

-            build_dir=options.build_dir,

-            src_dir=None,

-            download_dir=None,

-            download_cache=options.download_cache,

-            ignore_dependencies=options.ignore_dependencies,

-            ignore_installed=True,

-            session=session,

-            wheel_download_dir=options.wheel_dir

-        )

-

-        # make the wheelhouse

-        if not os.path.exists(options.wheel_dir):

-            os.makedirs(options.wheel_dir)

-

-        #parse args and/or requirements files

-        for name in args:

-            requirement_set.add_requirement(

-                InstallRequirement.from_line(name, None))

-

-        for filename in options.requirements:

-            for req in parse_requirements(

-                filename,

-                finder=finder,

-                options=options,

-                session=session):

-                if req.editable:

-                    logger.notify("ignoring %s" % req.url)

-                    continue

-                requirement_set.add_requirement(req)

-

-        #fail if no requirements

-        if not requirement_set.has_requirements:

-            opts = {'name': self.name}

-            msg = ('You must give at least one requirement '

-                   'to %(name)s (see "pip help %(name)s")' % opts)

-            logger.error(msg)

-            return

+        build_delete = (not (options.no_clean or options.build_dir))

+        with BuildDirectory(options.build_dir, delete=build_delete) as build_dir:

+            requirement_set = RequirementSet(

+                build_dir=build_dir,

+                src_dir=None,

+                download_dir=None,

+                download_cache=options.download_cache,

+                ignore_dependencies=options.ignore_dependencies,

+                ignore_installed=True,

+                session=session,

+                wheel_download_dir=options.wheel_dir

+            )

-        try:

-            #build wheels

-            wb = WheelBuilder(

-                requirement_set,

-                finder,

-                options.wheel_dir,

-                build_options = options.build_options or [],

-                global_options = options.global_options or []

-                )

-            wb.build()

-        except PreviousBuildDirError:

-            options.no_clean = True

-            raise

-        finally:

-            if not options.no_clean:

-                requirement_set.cleanup_files()

+            # make the wheelhouse

+            if not os.path.exists(options.wheel_dir):

+                os.makedirs(options.wheel_dir)

+

+            #parse args and/or requirements files

+            for name in args:

+                requirement_set.add_requirement(

+                    InstallRequirement.from_line(name, None))

+

+            for filename in options.requirements:

+                for req in parse_requirements(

+                    filename,

+                    finder=finder,

+                    options=options,

+                    session=session):

+                    if req.editable:

+                        logger.notify("ignoring %s" % req.url)

+                        continue

+                    requirement_set.add_requirement(req)

+

+            #fail if no requirements

+            if not requirement_set.has_requirements:

+                opts = {'name': self.name}

+                msg = ('You must give at least one requirement '

+                       'to %(name)s (see "pip help %(name)s")' % opts)

+                logger.error(msg)

+                return

+

+            try:

+                #build wheels

+                wb = WheelBuilder(

+                    requirement_set,

+                    finder,

+                    options.wheel_dir,

+                    build_options = options.build_options or [],

+                    global_options = options.global_options or []

+                    )

+                wb.build()

+            except PreviousBuildDirError:

+                options.no_clean = True

+                raise

+            finally:

+                if not options.no_clean:

+                    requirement_set.cleanup_files()

diff --git a/pip/util.py b/pip/util.py

index f459bb2..f5edeeb 100644

--- a/pip/util.py

+++ b/pip/util.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import zipfile

 import tarfile

 import subprocess

 import textwrap

+import tempfile

 from pip.exceptions import InstallationError, BadCommand, PipError

 from pip.backwardcompat import(WindowsError, string_types, raw_input,

@@ -718,3 +719,35 @@ def is_prerelease(vers):

     parsed = version._normalized_key(normalized)

     return any([any([y in set(["a", "b", "c", "rc", "dev"]) for y in x]) for x in parsed])

+

+

+class BuildDirectory(object):

+

+    def __init__(self, name=None, delete=None):

+        # If we were not given an explicit directory, and we were not given an

+        # explicit delete option, then we'll default to deleting.

+        if name is None and delete is None:

+            delete = True

+

+        if name is None:

+            name = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="pip-build-")

+            # If we were not given an explicit directory, and we were not given

+            # an explicit delete option, then we'll default to deleting.

+            if delete is None:

+                delete = True

+

+        self.name = name

+        self.delete = delete

+

+    def __repr__(self):

+        return "<{} {!r}>".format(self.__class__.__name__, self.name)

+

+    def __enter__(self):

+        return self.name

+

+    def __exit__(self, exc, value, tb):

+        self.cleanup()

+

+    def cleanup(self):

+        if self.delete:

+            rmtree(self.name)