diff --git a/bioconda_utils/build.py b/bioconda_utils/build.py
index ef2ff0ccd8..f2a76c9d8e 100644
--- a/bioconda_utils/build.py
+++ b/bioconda_utils/build.py
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ def build_recipes(
     anaconda_upload=False,
     mulled_upload_target=None,
     check_channels=None,
+    latest_only=False,
 ):
     """
     Build one or many bioconda packages.
@@ -244,11 +245,15 @@ def build_recipes(
 
     logger.info('blacklist: %s', ', '.join(sorted(blacklist)))
 
+    get_recipes = utils.get_recipes
+    if latest_only:
+        get_recipes = utils.get_latest_recipes
+
     if packages == "*":
         packages = ["*"]
     recipes = []
     for package in packages:
-        for recipe in utils.get_recipes(recipe_folder, package):
+        for recipe in get_recipes(recipe_folder, package):
             if os.path.relpath(recipe, recipe_folder) in blacklist:
                 logger.debug('blacklisted: %s', recipe)
                 continue
diff --git a/bioconda_utils/cli.py b/bioconda_utils/cli.py
index 739b85d517..c7d35fd860 100644
--- a/bioconda_utils/cli.py
+++ b/bioconda_utils/cli.py
@@ -331,6 +331,8 @@ def lint(recipe_folder, config, packages="*", cache=None, list_funcs=False,
      in a docker container. Has no effect otherwise.''')
 @arg('--anaconda-upload', action='store_true', help='''After building recipes, upload
      them to Anaconda. This requires $ANACONDA_TOKEN to be set.''')
+@arg('--latest-only', action='store_true', help='''Build only latest version
+     of each recipe.''')
 def build(recipe_folder,
           config,
           packages="*",
@@ -345,6 +347,7 @@ def build(recipe_folder,
           conda_build_version=docker_utils.DEFAULT_CONDA_BUILD_VERSION,
           anaconda_upload=False,
           mulled_upload_target=None,
+          latest_only=False,
     ):
     setup_logger(loglevel)
 
@@ -402,6 +405,7 @@ def build(recipe_folder,
         docker_builder=docker_builder,
         anaconda_upload=anaconda_upload,
         mulled_upload_target=mulled_upload_target,
+        latest_only=latest_only,
     )
     exit(0 if success else 1)
 
diff --git a/bioconda_utils/utils.py b/bioconda_utils/utils.py
index 347eaa548f..97198ba2b6 100644
--- a/bioconda_utils/utils.py
+++ b/bioconda_utils/utils.py
@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@
 from jsonschema import validate
 import datetime
 import tempfile
-from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+from distutils.version import LooseVersion, StrictVersion
 import time
 import threading
 
 from conda_build.exceptions import UnableToParse
 from conda_build import api
 from conda_build.metadata import MetaData
+from conda.version import VersionOrder
 import yaml
 from jinja2 import Environment, PackageLoader, select_autoescape
 
@@ -382,6 +383,38 @@ def get_recipes(recipe_folder, package="*"):
                        glob.glob(os.path.join(path, "*", "meta.yaml")))
 
 
+def get_latest_recipes(recipe_folder, package="*"):
+    """
+    Generator of recipes.
+
+    Finds (possibly nested) directories containing a `meta.yaml` file and returns
+    the latest version of each recipe.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    recipe_folder : str
+        Top-level dir of the recipes
+
+    package : str or iterable
+        Pattern or patterns to restrict the results.
+    """
+    if isinstance(package, str):
+        package = [package]
+    for p in package:
+        path = os.path.join(recipe_folder, p)
+        main_recipe = os.path.join(path, "meta.yaml")
+        if os.path.exists(main_recipe):
+            yield os.path.dirname(main_recipe)
+        else:
+            get_version = lambda p: VersionOrder(os.path.basename(p))
+            sorted_versions = sorted(
+                map(os.path.dirname,
+                    glob.glob(os.path.join(path, "*", "meta.yaml"))),
+                key=get_version)
+            if sorted_versions:
+                yield sorted_versions[-1]
+
+
 def get_channel_repodata(channel='bioconda', platform=None):
     """
     Returns the parsed JSON repodata for a channel from conda.anaconda.org.