diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/r/rust.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/r/rust.py
index ee66f6854e..777d962391 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/r/rust.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/r/rust.py
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
 
         self.cfg.update('configopts', "--sysconfdir=%s" % os.path.join(self.installdir, 'etc'))
 
+        # old llvm builds from CI get deleted after a certain time
+        self.cfg.update('configopts', "--set=llvm.download-ci-llvm=false")
+
         # don't use Ninja if it is not listed as a build dependency;
         # may be because Ninja requires Python, and Rust is a build dependency for cryptography
         # which may be included as an extension with Python