diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfigurationProvider.java b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfigurationProvider.java
index 3be804388aa..e9ec4ddbe2a 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfigurationProvider.java
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.cmake.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/cmake/core/internal/CMakeBuildConfigurationProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2016 QNX Software Systems and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2016, 2019 QNX Software Systems and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
@@ -126,12 +126,17 @@ public class CMakeBuildConfigurationProvider implements ICBuildConfigurationProv
 			}
 		}
 		String name = configName.toString();
-		int i = 0;
-		while (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
-			name = configName.toString() + '.' + (++i);
+		IBuildConfiguration config = null;
+		// reuse any IBuildConfiguration with the same name for the project
+		// so adding the CBuildConfiguration will override the old one stored
+		// by the CBuildConfigurationManager
+		if (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
+			config = project.getBuildConfig(this.getId() + '/' + name);
+		}
+		if (config == null) {
+			config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		}
 
-		IBuildConfiguration config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		CMakeBuildConfiguration cmakeConfig = new CMakeBuildConfiguration(config, name, toolChain, file, launchMode);
 		configManager.addBuildConfiguration(config, cmakeConfig);
 		return cmakeConfig;
diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.core.autotools.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/autotools/core/AutotoolsBuildConfigurationProvider.java b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.core.autotools.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/autotools/core/AutotoolsBuildConfigurationProvider.java
index ae4f6087d1f..ae2a48d7780 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.core.autotools.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/autotools/core/AutotoolsBuildConfigurationProvider.java
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.core.autotools.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/autotools/core/AutotoolsBuildConfigurationProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2017 Intel Corporation and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2017, 2019 Intel Corporation and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
@@ -111,12 +111,17 @@ public class AutotoolsBuildConfigurationProvider implements ICBuildConfiguration
 			}
 		}
 		String name = configName.toString();
-		int i = 0;
-		while (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
-			name = configName.toString() + '.' + (++i);
+		IBuildConfiguration config = null;
+		// reuse any IBuildConfiguration with the same name for the project
+		// so adding the CBuildConfiguration will override the old one stored
+		// by the CBuildConfigurationManager
+		if (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
+			config = project.getBuildConfig(this.getId() + '/' + name);
+		}
+		if (config == null) {
+			config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		}
 
-		IBuildConfiguration config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		AutotoolsBuildConfiguration autotoolsConfig = new AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(config, name, toolChain,
 				launchMode);
 		configManager.addBuildConfiguration(config, autotoolsConfig);
diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/make/core/MakefileBuildConfigurationProvider.java b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/make/core/MakefileBuildConfigurationProvider.java
index 1b12ceeb1d3..64c34e34c2d 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/make/core/MakefileBuildConfigurationProvider.java
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/make/core/MakefileBuildConfigurationProvider.java
@@ -95,12 +95,16 @@ public class MakefileBuildConfigurationProvider implements ICBuildConfigurationP
 			}
 		}
 		String name = configName.toString();
-		int i = 0;
-		while (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
-			name = configName.toString() + '.' + (++i);
+		IBuildConfiguration config = null;
+		// reuse any IBuildConfiguration with the same name for the project
+		// so adding the CBuildConfiguration will override the old one stored
+		// by the CBuildConfigurationManager
+		if (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
+			config = project.getBuildConfig(this.getId() + '/' + name);
+		}
+		if (config == null) {
+			config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		}
-
-		IBuildConfiguration config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		StandardBuildConfiguration makeConfig = new StandardBuildConfiguration(config, name, toolChain, launchMode);
 		configManager.addBuildConfiguration(config, makeConfig);
 		return makeConfig;
diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.meson.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/meson/core/MesonBuildConfigurationProvider.java b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.meson.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/meson/core/MesonBuildConfigurationProvider.java
index b0e35455777..87959aa19b3 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.meson.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/meson/core/MesonBuildConfigurationProvider.java
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.meson.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/meson/core/MesonBuildConfigurationProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2016, 2018 QNX Software Systems and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2016, 2019 QNX Software Systems and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
@@ -129,12 +129,17 @@ public class MesonBuildConfigurationProvider implements ICBuildConfigurationProv
 			}
 		}
 		String name = configName.toString();
-		int i = 0;
-		while (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
-			name = configName.toString() + '.' + (++i);
+		IBuildConfiguration config = null;
+		// reuse any IBuildConfiguration with the same name for the project
+		// so adding the CBuildConfiguration will override the old one stored
+		// by the CBuildConfigurationManager
+		if (configManager.hasConfiguration(this, project, name)) {
+			config = project.getBuildConfig(this.getId() + '/' + name);
+		}
+		if (config == null) {
+			config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		}
 
-		IBuildConfiguration config = configManager.createBuildConfiguration(this, project, name, monitor);
 		MesonBuildConfiguration mesonConfig = new MesonBuildConfiguration(config, name, toolChain, file, launchMode);
 		configManager.addBuildConfiguration(config, mesonConfig);
 		return mesonConfig;