diff --git a/nuget/Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.targets b/nuget/Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.targets
index 7f27cd3c4..84464b624 100644
--- a/nuget/Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.targets
+++ b/nuget/Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.targets
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
             <_FilesToDelete Include="$(GeneratedFilesDir)**"/>
             <_FilesToDelete Include="$(CppWinRTMergedDir)**"/>
             <_FilesToDelete Include="$(CppWinRTUnmergedDir)**"/>
-            <_FilesToDelete Include="$(CppWinRTProjectWinMD)"/>
+            <_FilesToDelete Include="$(CppWinRTProjectWinMD)" Condition="'$(CppWinRTGenerateWindowsMetadata)' == 'true'"/>
         </ItemGroup>
         <Delete Files="@(_FilesToDelete)"/>
     </Target>