diff --git a/apps/heft/src/cli/HeftActionRunner.ts b/apps/heft/src/cli/HeftActionRunner.ts
index 5ee37a193c3..8fff0cd5d89 100644
--- a/apps/heft/src/cli/HeftActionRunner.ts
+++ b/apps/heft/src/cli/HeftActionRunner.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,35 @@ export function initializeHeft(
   terminal.writeVerboseLine('');
 }
 
+let _cliAbortSignal: AbortSignal | undefined;
+export function ensureCliAbortSignal(terminal: ITerminal): AbortSignal {
+  if (!_cliAbortSignal) {
+    // Set up the ability to terminate the build via Ctrl+C and have it exit gracefully if pressed once,
+    // less gracefully if pressed a second time.
+    const cliAbortController: AbortController = new AbortController();
+    _cliAbortSignal = cliAbortController.signal;
+    const cli: ReadlineInterface = createInterface(process.stdin, undefined, undefined, true);
+    let forceTerminate: boolean = false;
+    cli.on('SIGINT', () => {
+      cli.close();
+
+      if (forceTerminate) {
+        terminal.writeErrorLine(`Forcibly terminating.`);
+        process.exit(1);
+      } else {
+        terminal.writeLine(
+          Colors.yellow(Colors.bold(`Canceling... Press Ctrl+C again to forcibly terminate.`))
+        );
+      }
+
+      forceTerminate = true;
+      cliAbortController.abort();
+    });
+  }
+
+  return _cliAbortSignal;
+}
+
 export async function runWithLoggingAsync(
   fn: () => Promise<OperationStatus>,
   action: IHeftAction,
@@ -272,7 +301,7 @@ export class HeftActionRunner {
 
     const executionManager: OperationExecutionManager = new OperationExecutionManager(operations);
 
-    const cliAbortSignal: AbortSignal = this._createCliAbortSignal();
+    const cliAbortSignal: AbortSignal = ensureCliAbortSignal(this._terminal);
 
     try {
       await _startLifecycleAsync(this._internalHeftSession);
@@ -300,33 +329,6 @@ export class HeftActionRunner {
     }
   }
 
-  private _createCliAbortSignal(): AbortSignal {
-    // Set up the ability to terminate the build via Ctrl+C and have it exit gracefully if pressed once,
-    // less gracefully if pressed a second time.
-    const cliAbortController: AbortController = new AbortController();
-    const cliAbortSignal: AbortSignal = cliAbortController.signal;
-    const cli: ReadlineInterface = createInterface(process.stdin, undefined, undefined, true);
-    const terminal: ITerminal = this._terminal;
-    let forceTerminate: boolean = false;
-    cli.on('SIGINT', () => {
-      cli.close();
-
-      if (forceTerminate) {
-        terminal.writeErrorLine(`Forcibly terminating.`);
-        process.exit(1);
-      } else {
-        terminal.writeLine(
-          Colors.yellow(Colors.bold(`Canceling build... Press Ctrl+C again to forcibly terminate.`))
-        );
-      }
-
-      forceTerminate = true;
-      cliAbortController.abort();
-    });
-
-    return cliAbortSignal;
-  }
-
   private _createWatchLoop(executionManager: OperationExecutionManager): WatchLoop {
     const { _terminal: terminal } = this;
     const watchLoop: WatchLoop = new WatchLoop({
diff --git a/apps/heft/src/cli/actions/CleanAction.ts b/apps/heft/src/cli/actions/CleanAction.ts
index c76bf852c66..db0a7db7a7b 100644
--- a/apps/heft/src/cli/actions/CleanAction.ts
+++ b/apps/heft/src/cli/actions/CleanAction.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import type { HeftTaskSession } from '../../pluginFramework/HeftTaskSession';
 import { Constants } from '../../utilities/Constants';
 import { definePhaseScopingParameters, expandPhases } from './RunAction';
 import { deleteFilesAsync, type IDeleteOperation } from '../../plugins/DeleteFilesPlugin';
-import { initializeHeft, runWithLoggingAsync } from '../HeftActionRunner';
+import { ensureCliAbortSignal, initializeHeft, runWithLoggingAsync } from '../HeftActionRunner';
 
 export class CleanAction extends CommandLineAction implements IHeftAction {
   public readonly watch: boolean = false;
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export class CleanAction extends CommandLineAction implements IHeftAction {
 
   protected async onExecute(): Promise<void> {
     const { heftConfiguration } = this._internalHeftSession;
-    const abortSignal: AbortSignal = new AbortSignal();
+    const abortSignal: AbortSignal = ensureCliAbortSignal(this._terminal);
 
     initializeHeft(heftConfiguration, this._terminal, this._verboseFlag.value);
     await runWithLoggingAsync(
diff --git a/common/changes/@rushstack/heft/fix-heft-clean_2023-09-26-20-16.json b/common/changes/@rushstack/heft/fix-heft-clean_2023-09-26-20-16.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2a6be3d1d50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/changes/@rushstack/heft/fix-heft-clean_2023-09-26-20-16.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "@rushstack/heft",
+      "comment": "Fix an issue where `heft clean` would crash with `ERR_ILLEGAL_CONSTRUCTOR`.",
+      "type": "patch"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "@rushstack/heft"
+}
\ No newline at end of file