diff --git a/build/gulpfile.editor.js b/build/gulpfile.editor.js
index 3fc992bd9c4..e9bb8cddf52 100644
--- a/build/gulpfile.editor.js
+++ b/build/gulpfile.editor.js
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@ var BUNDLED_FILE_HEADER = [
 
 const languages = i18n.defaultLanguages.concat([]);  // i18n.defaultLanguages.concat(process.env.VSCODE_QUALITY !== 'stable' ? i18n.extraLanguages : []);
 
-gulp.task('clean-editor-src', util.rimraf('out-editor-src'));
-gulp.task('extract-editor-src', ['clean-editor-src'], function () {
+gulp.task('extract-editor-src', util.task.series(util.rimraf('out-editor-src'), function () {
 	console.log(`If the build fails, consider tweaking shakeLevel below to a lower value.`);
 	const apiusages = monacoapi.execute().usageContent;
 	const extrausages = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'build', 'monaco', 'monaco.usage.recipe')).toString();
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@ gulp.task('extract-editor-src', ['clean-editor-src'], function () {
 		importIgnorePattern: /(^vs\/css!)|(promise-polyfill\/polyfill)/,
 		destRoot: path.join(root, 'out-editor-src')
 	});
-});
+}));
 
 // Full compile, including nls and inline sources in sourcemaps, for build
 gulp.task('clean-editor-build', util.rimraf('out-editor-build'));
diff --git a/build/gulpfile.vscode.js b/build/gulpfile.vscode.js
index 0bf3c4a38d9..e81b0925f64 100644
--- a/build/gulpfile.vscode.js
+++ b/build/gulpfile.vscode.js
@@ -197,12 +197,11 @@ function getElectron(arch) {
 	};
 }
 
-gulp.task('clean-electron', util.rimraf('.build/electron'));
-gulp.task('electron', ['clean-electron'], getElectron(process.arch));
-gulp.task('electron-ia32', ['clean-electron'], getElectron('ia32'));
-gulp.task('electron-x64', ['clean-electron'], getElectron('x64'));
-gulp.task('electron-arm', ['clean-electron'], getElectron('arm'));
-gulp.task('electron-arm64', ['clean-electron'], getElectron('arm64'));
+gulp.task('electron', util.task.series(util.rimraf('.build/electron'), getElectron(process.arch)));
+gulp.task('electron-ia32', util.task.series(util.rimraf('.build/electron'), getElectron('ia32')));
+gulp.task('electron-x64', util.task.series(util.rimraf('.build/electron'), getElectron('x64')));
+gulp.task('electron-arm', util.task.series(util.rimraf('.build/electron'), getElectron('arm')));
+gulp.task('electron-arm64', util.task.series(util.rimraf('.build/electron'), getElectron('arm64')));
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/build/gulpfile.vscode.win32.js b/build/gulpfile.vscode.win32.js
index 7973743d77d..3b3a21c1b69 100644
--- a/build/gulpfile.vscode.win32.js
+++ b/build/gulpfile.vscode.win32.js
@@ -124,11 +124,8 @@ function archiveWin32Setup(arch) {
 	};
 }
 
-gulp.task('clean-vscode-win32-ia32-archive', util.rimraf(zipDir('ia32')));
-gulp.task('vscode-win32-ia32-archive', ['clean-vscode-win32-ia32-archive'], archiveWin32Setup('ia32'));
-
-gulp.task('clean-vscode-win32-x64-archive', util.rimraf(zipDir('x64')));
-gulp.task('vscode-win32-x64-archive', ['clean-vscode-win32-x64-archive'], archiveWin32Setup('x64'));
+gulp.task('vscode-win32-ia32-archive', util.task.series(util.rimraf(zipDir('ia32')), archiveWin32Setup('ia32')));
+gulp.task('vscode-win32-x64-archive', util.task.series(util.rimraf(zipDir('x64')), archiveWin32Setup('x64')));
 
 function copyInnoUpdater(arch) {
 	return () => {
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 882d7f84147..71e1618ae43 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -14,13 +14,11 @@ const path = require('path');
 const compilation = require('./build/lib/compilation');
 
 // Fast compile for development time
-gulp.task('clean-client', util.rimraf('out'));
-gulp.task('compile-client', ['clean-client'], compilation.compileTask('src', 'out', false));
-gulp.task('watch-client', ['clean-client'], compilation.watchTask('out', false));
+gulp.task('compile-client', util.task.series(util.rimraf('out'), compilation.compileTask('src', 'out', false)));
+gulp.task('watch-client', util.task.series(util.rimraf('out'), compilation.watchTask('out', false)));
 
 // Full compile, including nls and inline sources in sourcemaps, for build
-gulp.task('clean-client-build', util.rimraf('out-build'));
-gulp.task('compile-client-build', ['clean-client-build'], compilation.compileTask('src', 'out-build', true));
+gulp.task('compile-client-build', util.task.series(util.rimraf('out-build'), compilation.compileTask('src', 'out-build', true)));
 
 // Default
 gulp.task('default', ['compile']);