diff --git a/build_scripts/build_usd.py b/build_scripts/build_usd.py
index 3cdc458a74..dcb74d21ff 100644
--- a/build_scripts/build_usd.py
+++ b/build_scripts/build_usd.py
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ def RunCMake(context, force, extraArgs = None):
 
     # On Windows, we need to explicitly specify the generator to ensure we're
     # building a 64-bit project. (Surely there is a better way to do this?)
+    # TODO: figure out exactly what "vcvarsall.bat x64" sets to force x64
     if generator is None and Windows():
         if IsVisualStudio2017OrGreater():
             generator = "Visual Studio 15 2017 Win64"
@@ -217,31 +218,43 @@ def RunCMake(context, force, extraArgs = None):
     if MacOS():
         osx_rpath = "-DCMAKE_MACOSX_RPATH=ON"
 
+    # Note: we use -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release for single-configuration
+    #       generators (Ninja, make), and --config Relase for multi-configuration
+    #       generators (Visual Studio); technically we don't need BOTH at the same
+    #       time, but specifying both is simpler than branching
     with CurrentWorkingDirectory(buildDir):
         Run('cmake '
             '-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="{instDir}" '
             '-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="{depsInstDir}" '
+            '-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release '
             '{osx_rpath} '
             '{generator} '
             '{extraArgs} '
             '"{srcDir}"'
             .format(instDir=instDir,
                     depsInstDir=context.instDir,
+                    cmakeBuildType=cmakeBuildType,
                     srcDir=srcDir,
                     osx_rpath=(osx_rpath or ""),
                     generator=(generator or ""),
                     extraArgs=(" ".join(extraArgs) if extraArgs else "")))
         Run("cmake --build . --config Release --target install -- {multiproc}"
-            .format(multiproc=("/M:{procs}" if Windows() else "-j{procs}")
-                               .format(procs=context.numJobs)))
+            .format(multiproc=("/M:{procs}"
+                               if generator and "Visual Studio" in generator
+                               else "-j{procs}")
+                              .format(procs=context.numJobs),
+                    buildConfig=buildConfig))
 
-def PatchFile(filename, patches):
+def PatchFile(filename, patches, multiLineMatches=False):
     """Applies patches to the specified file. patches is a list of tuples
     (old string, new string)."""
-    oldLines = open(filename, 'r').readlines()
+    if multiLineMatches:
+        oldLines = [open(filename, 'r').read()]
+    else:
+        oldLines = open(filename, 'r').readlines()
     newLines = oldLines
-    for (oldLine, newLine) in patches:
-        newLines = [s.replace(oldLine, newLine) for s in newLines]
+    for (oldString, newString) in patches:
+        newLines = [s.replace(oldString, newString) for s in newLines]
     if newLines != oldLines:
         PrintInfo("Patching file {filename} (original in {oldFilename})..."
                   .format(filename=filename, oldFilename=filename + ".old"))
@@ -646,6 +659,34 @@ def InstallOpenEXR(context, force, buildArgs):
 
     ilmbaseSrcDir = os.path.join(srcDir, "IlmBase")
     with CurrentWorkingDirectory(ilmbaseSrcDir):
+        # openexr 2.2 has a bug with Ninja:
+        # https://github.com/openexr/openexr/issues/94
+        # https://github.com/openexr/openexr/pull/142
+        # Fix commit here:
+        # https://github.com/openexr/openexr/commit/8eed7012c10f1a835385d750fd55f228d1d35df9
+        # Merged here:
+        # https://github.com/openexr/openexr/commit/b206a243a03724650b04efcdf863c7761d5d5d5b
+        if context.cmakeGenerator == "Ninja":
+            PatchFile(
+                os.path.join('Half', 'CMakeLists.txt'),
+                [
+                    ("TARGET eLut POST_BUILD",
+                     "OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/eLut.h"),
+                    ("  COMMAND eLut > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/eLut.h",
+                     "  COMMAND eLut ARGS > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/eLut.h\n"
+                        "  DEPENDS eLut"),
+                    ("TARGET toFloat POST_BUILD",
+                     "OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/toFloat.h"),
+                    ("  COMMAND toFloat > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/toFloat.h",
+                     "  COMMAND toFloat ARGS > ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/toFloat.h\n"
+                        "  DEPENDS toFloat"),
+
+                    ("  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/eLut.h\n"
+                         "  OBJECT_DEPENDS\n"
+                         "  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/toFloat.h\n",
+                     '  "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/eLut.h;${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/toFloat.h"\n'),
+                ],
+                multiLineMatches=True)
         RunCMake(context, force, buildArgs)
 
     openexrSrcDir = os.path.join(srcDir, "OpenEXR")
@@ -806,7 +847,17 @@ def InstallOpenSubdiv(context, force, buildArgs):
         # Add on any user-specified extra arguments.
         extraArgs += buildArgs
 
-        RunCMake(context, force, extraArgs)
+        oldGenerator = context.cmakeGenerator
+    
+        # OpenSubdiv seems to error when building on windows w/ Ninja...
+        # ...so just use the default generator (ie, VisualStudio on windows)
+        # until someone can sort it out
+        if oldGenerator == "Ninja" and Windows():
+            context.cmakeGenerator = None
+        try:
+            RunCMake(context, force, extraArgs)
+        finally:
+            context.cmakeGenerator = oldGenerator
 
 OPENSUBDIV = Dependency("OpenSubdiv", InstallOpenSubdiv, 
                         "include/opensubdiv/version.h")