diff --git a/cmd/apiserver-boot/boot/build/build_executables.go b/cmd/apiserver-boot/boot/build/build_executables.go
index 0d9e508eeb..52b2281bae 100644
--- a/cmd/apiserver-boot/boot/build/build_executables.go
+++ b/cmd/apiserver-boot/boot/build/build_executables.go
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ func RunBuildExecutables(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 }
 
 func BazelBuild(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	if GenerateForBuild {
+		log.Printf("regenerating generated code.  To disable regeneration, run with --generate=false.")
+		RunGenerate(cmd, args)
+	}
+
 	if Gazelle {
 		c := exec.Command("gazelle", "update",
 			"-go_prefix", util.Repo, "-external", "vendored", "pkg", "cmd")
@@ -92,11 +97,6 @@ func BazelBuild(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if GenerateForBuild {
-		log.Printf("regenerating generated code.  To disable regeneration, run with --generate=false.")
-		RunGenerate(cmd, args)
-	}
-
 	c := exec.Command("bazel", "build",
 		filepath.Join("cmd", "apiserver"),
 		filepath.Join("cmd", "controller-manager"))