diff --git a/cmd/aem/vendor.go b/cmd/aem/vendor.go
index b4913e1d..48ddc26e 100644
--- a/cmd/aem/vendor.go
+++ b/cmd/aem/vendor.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (c *CLI) vendorPrepareCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Short:   "Prepare vendor tools",
 		Aliases: []string{"prep", "download", "dw"},
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			changed, err := c.aem.VendorManager().PrepareWithChanged()
+			changed, err := c.aem.VendorManager().PrepareWithChanged(false)
 			if err != nil {
 				c.Error(err)
 				return
diff --git a/pkg/base.go b/pkg/base.go
index d6671f3c..31e45a35 100644
--- a/pkg/base.go
+++ b/pkg/base.go
@@ -38,3 +38,7 @@ func (o *BaseOpts) PrepareWithChanged() (bool, error) {
 	}
 	return changed, nil
 }
+
+func (o *BaseOpts) HasLibs() bool {
+	return pathx.Exists(o.LibDir)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/project.go b/pkg/project.go
index 34c90e0e..9002df8f 100644
--- a/pkg/project.go
+++ b/pkg/project.go
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func (p Project) InitWithChanged() (bool, error) {
 		return changed, err
 	}
 
-	vendorPrepared, err := p.aem.VendorManager().PrepareWithChanged()
+	vendorPrepared, err := p.aem.VendorManager().PrepareWithChanged(true)
 	changed = changed || vendorPrepared
 	if err != nil {
 		return changed, err
diff --git a/pkg/vendor_manager.go b/pkg/vendor_manager.go
index 2be9d19a..45e82b56 100644
--- a/pkg/vendor_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/vendor_manager.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func (vm *VendorManager) InstanceJar() (string, error) {
 	return vm.quickstart.FindDistFile()
 }
 
-func (vm *VendorManager) PrepareWithChanged() (bool, error) {
+func (vm *VendorManager) PrepareWithChanged(requireLibs bool) (bool, error) {
 	changed := false
 
 	javaChanged, err := vm.javaManager.PrepareWithChanged()
@@ -39,15 +39,17 @@ func (vm *VendorManager) PrepareWithChanged() (bool, error) {
 		return changed, err
 	}
 
-	sdk, err := vm.quickstart.IsDistSDK()
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	if sdk {
-		sdkChanged, err := vm.sdk.PrepareWithChanged()
-		changed = changed || sdkChanged
+	if requireLibs || vm.aem.baseOpts.HasLibs() {
+		sdk, err := vm.quickstart.IsDistSDK()
 		if err != nil {
-			return changed, err
+			return false, err
+		}
+		if sdk {
+			sdkChanged, err := vm.sdk.PrepareWithChanged()
+			changed = changed || sdkChanged
+			if err != nil {
+				return changed, err
+			}
 		}
 	}