diff --git a/vcbuild.bat b/vcbuild.bat
index 86b2f1e3c9c550..72f20a48352b9a 100644
--- a/vcbuild.bat
+++ b/vcbuild.bat
@@ -152,10 +152,6 @@ goto next-arg
 
 :args-done
 
-if "%*"=="lint" (
-  goto lint-cpp
-)
-
 if defined build_release (
   set config=Release
   set package=1
@@ -178,6 +174,9 @@ set "npm_exe="%~dp0%node_exe%" %~dp0deps\npm\bin\npm-cli.js"
 if "%target_env%"=="vs2017" set "node_gyp_exe=%node_gyp_exe% --msvs_version=2017"
 if "%target_env%"=="vs2019" set "node_gyp_exe=%node_gyp_exe% --msvs_version=2019"
 
+:: skip building if the only argument received was lint
+if "%*"=="lint" if exist "%node_exe%" goto lint-cpp
+
 if "%config%"=="Debug"      set configure_flags=%configure_flags% --debug
 if defined nosnapshot       set configure_flags=%configure_flags% --without-snapshot
 if defined noetw            set configure_flags=%configure_flags% --without-etw& set noetw_msi_arg=/p:NoETW=1
@@ -641,7 +640,7 @@ if not defined lint_cpp goto lint-js
 if defined NODEJS_MAKE goto run-make-lint
 where make > NUL 2>&1 && make -v | findstr /C:"GNU Make" 1> NUL
 if "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="0" set "NODEJS_MAKE=make PYTHON=python" & goto run-make-lint
-where wsl > NUL 2>1
+where wsl > NUL 2>&1
 if "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="0" set "NODEJS_MAKE=wsl make" & goto run-make-lint
 echo Could not find GNU Make, needed for linting C/C++
 goto lint-js