diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/cli/compile.py b/lib/python/qmk/cli/compile.py
index 95118e66878..9e7629906f3 100755
--- a/lib/python/qmk/cli/compile.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/cli/compile.py
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@
 
 You can compile a keymap already in the repo or using a QMK Configurator export.
 """
-from subprocess import DEVNULL
-
 from argcomplete.completers import FilesCompleter
+
 from milc import cli
 
 import qmk.path
 from qmk.decorators import automagic_keyboard, automagic_keymap
-from qmk.commands import compile_configurator_json, create_make_command, parse_configurator_json
+from qmk.commands import compile_configurator_json, create_make_command, parse_configurator_json, build_environment
 from qmk.keyboard import keyboard_completer, keyboard_folder
 from qmk.keymap import keymap_completer
 
@@ -31,48 +30,32 @@ def compile(cli):
 
     If a keyboard and keymap are provided this command will build a firmware based on that.
     """
-    if cli.args.clean and not cli.args.filename and not cli.args.dry_run:
-        if cli.config.compile.keyboard and cli.config.compile.keymap:
-            command = create_make_command(cli.config.compile.keyboard, cli.config.compile.keymap, 'clean')
-            cli.run(command, capture_output=False, stdin=DEVNULL)
-
     # Build the environment vars
-    envs = {}
-    for env in cli.args.env:
-        if '=' in env:
-            key, value = env.split('=', 1)
-            envs[key] = value
-        else:
-            cli.log.warning('Invalid environment variable: %s', env)
+    envs = build_environment(cli.args.env)
 
     # Determine the compile command
-    command = None
+    commands = []
 
     if cli.args.filename:
         # If a configurator JSON was provided generate a keymap and compile it
         user_keymap = parse_configurator_json(cli.args.filename)
-        command = compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, parallel=cli.config.compile.parallel, **envs)
+        commands = [compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, parallel=cli.config.compile.parallel, clean=cli.args.clean, **envs)]
 
-    else:
-        if cli.config.compile.keyboard and cli.config.compile.keymap:
-            # Generate the make command for a specific keyboard/keymap.
-            command = create_make_command(cli.config.compile.keyboard, cli.config.compile.keymap, parallel=cli.config.compile.parallel, **envs)
+    elif cli.config.compile.keyboard and cli.config.compile.keymap:
+        # Generate the make command for a specific keyboard/keymap.
+        if cli.args.clean:
+            commands.append(create_make_command(cli.config.compile.keyboard, cli.config.compile.keymap, 'clean', **envs))
+        commands.append(create_make_command(cli.config.compile.keyboard, cli.config.compile.keymap, parallel=cli.config.compile.parallel, **envs))
 
-        elif not cli.config.compile.keyboard:
-            cli.log.error('Could not determine keyboard!')
-        elif not cli.config.compile.keymap:
-            cli.log.error('Could not determine keymap!')
-
-    # Compile the firmware, if we're able to
-    if command:
-        cli.log.info('Compiling keymap with {fg_cyan}%s', ' '.join(command))
-        if not cli.args.dry_run:
-            cli.echo('\n')
-            # FIXME(skullydazed/anyone): Remove text=False once milc 1.0.11 has had enough time to be installed everywhere.
-            compile = cli.run(command, capture_output=False, text=False)
-            return compile.returncode
-
-    else:
+    if not commands:
         cli.log.error('You must supply a configurator export, both `--keyboard` and `--keymap`, or be in a directory for a keyboard or keymap.')
-        cli.echo('usage: qmk compile [-h] [-b] [-kb KEYBOARD] [-km KEYMAP] [filename]')
+        cli.print_help()
         return False
+
+    cli.log.info('Compiling keymap with {fg_cyan}%s', ' '.join(commands[-1]))
+    if not cli.args.dry_run:
+        cli.echo('\n')
+        for command in commands:
+            ret = cli.run(command, capture_output=False)
+            if ret.returncode:
+                return ret.returncode
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/cli/flash.py b/lib/python/qmk/cli/flash.py
index c39f4b36d4c..40bfbdab568 100644
--- a/lib/python/qmk/cli/flash.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/cli/flash.py
@@ -3,15 +3,13 @@
 You can compile a keymap already in the repo or using a QMK Configurator export.
 A bootloader must be specified.
 """
-from subprocess import DEVNULL
-import sys
-
 from argcomplete.completers import FilesCompleter
+
 from milc import cli
 
 import qmk.path
 from qmk.decorators import automagic_keyboard, automagic_keymap
-from qmk.commands import compile_configurator_json, create_make_command, parse_configurator_json
+from qmk.commands import compile_configurator_json, create_make_command, parse_configurator_json, build_environment
 from qmk.keyboard import keyboard_completer, keyboard_folder
 from qmk.flashers import flasher
 
@@ -75,59 +73,40 @@ def flash(cli):
                 return False
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             cli.log.info('Ctrl-C was pressed, exiting...')
-            sys.exit(0)
+        return True
 
-    else:
-        if cli.args.clean and not cli.args.filename and not cli.args.dry_run:
-            if cli.config.flash.keyboard and cli.config.flash.keymap:
-                command = create_make_command(cli.config.flash.keyboard, cli.config.flash.keymap, 'clean')
-                cli.run(command, capture_output=False, stdin=DEVNULL)
+    if cli.args.bootloaders:
+        # Provide usage and list bootloaders
+        cli.print_help()
+        print_bootloader_help()
+        return False
 
-        # Build the environment vars
-        envs = {}
-        for env in cli.args.env:
-            if '=' in env:
-                key, value = env.split('=', 1)
-                envs[key] = value
-            else:
-                cli.log.warning('Invalid environment variable: %s', env)
+    # Build the environment vars
+    envs = build_environment(cli.args.env)
 
-        # Determine the compile command
-        command = ''
+    # Determine the compile command
+    commands = []
 
-        if cli.args.bootloaders:
-            # Provide usage and list bootloaders
-            cli.echo('usage: qmk flash [-h] [-b] [-n] [-kb KEYBOARD] [-km KEYMAP] [-bl BOOTLOADER] [filename]')
-            print_bootloader_help()
-            return False
+    if cli.args.filename:
+        # If a configurator JSON was provided generate a keymap and compile it
+        user_keymap = parse_configurator_json(cli.args.filename)
+        commands = [compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, cli.args.bootloader, parallel=cli.config.flash.parallel, clean=cli.args.clean, **envs)]
 
-        if cli.args.filename:
-            # Handle compiling a configurator JSON
-            user_keymap = parse_configurator_json(cli.args.filename)
-            keymap_path = qmk.path.keymap(user_keymap['keyboard'])
-            command = compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, cli.args.bootloader, parallel=cli.config.flash.parallel, **envs)
+    elif cli.config.flash.keyboard and cli.config.flash.keymap:
+        # Generate the make command for a specific keyboard/keymap.
+        if cli.args.clean:
+            commands.append(create_make_command(cli.config.flash.keyboard, cli.config.flash.keymap, 'clean', **envs))
+        commands.append(create_make_command(cli.config.flash.keyboard, cli.config.flash.keymap, cli.args.bootloader, parallel=cli.config.flash.parallel, **envs))
 
-            cli.log.info('Wrote keymap to {fg_cyan}%s/%s/keymap.c', keymap_path, user_keymap['keymap'])
+    if not commands:
+        cli.log.error('You must supply a configurator export, both `--keyboard` and `--keymap`, or be in a directory for a keyboard or keymap.')
+        cli.print_help()
+        return False
 
-        else:
-            if cli.config.flash.keyboard and cli.config.flash.keymap:
-                # Generate the make command for a specific keyboard/keymap.
-                command = create_make_command(cli.config.flash.keyboard, cli.config.flash.keymap, cli.args.bootloader, parallel=cli.config.flash.parallel, **envs)
-
-            elif not cli.config.flash.keyboard:
-                cli.log.error('Could not determine keyboard!')
-            elif not cli.config.flash.keymap:
-                cli.log.error('Could not determine keymap!')
-
-        # Compile the firmware, if we're able to
-        if command:
-            cli.log.info('Compiling keymap with {fg_cyan}%s', ' '.join(command))
-            if not cli.args.dry_run:
-                cli.echo('\n')
-                compile = cli.run(command, capture_output=False, stdin=DEVNULL)
-                return compile.returncode
-
-        else:
-            cli.log.error('You must supply a configurator export, both `--keyboard` and `--keymap`, or be in a directory for a keyboard or keymap.')
-            cli.echo('usage: qmk flash [-h] [-b] [-n] [-kb KEYBOARD] [-km KEYMAP] [-bl BOOTLOADER] [filename]')
-            return False
+    cli.log.info('Compiling keymap with {fg_cyan}%s', ' '.join(commands[-1]))
+    if not cli.args.dry_run:
+        cli.echo('\n')
+        for command in commands:
+            ret = cli.run(command, capture_output=False)
+            if ret.returncode:
+                return ret.returncode
diff --git a/lib/python/qmk/commands.py b/lib/python/qmk/commands.py
index 2ab506c710b..07826a48668 100644
--- a/lib/python/qmk/commands.py
+++ b/lib/python/qmk/commands.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def get_make_parallel_args(parallel=1):
     return parallel_args
 
 
-def compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, bootloader=None, parallel=1, **env_vars):
+def compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, bootloader=None, parallel=1, clean=False, **env_vars):
     """Convert a configurator export JSON file into a C file and then compile it.
 
     Args:
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ def compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, bootloader=None, parallel=1, **env_va
     # e.g.: qmk compile - < keyboards/clueboard/california/keymaps/default/keymap.json
     user_keymap["keymap"] = user_keymap.get("keymap", "default_json")
 
-    # Write the keymap.c file
     keyboard_filesafe = user_keymap['keyboard'].replace('/', '_')
     target = f'{keyboard_filesafe}_{user_keymap["keymap"]}'
     keyboard_output = Path(f'{KEYBOARD_OUTPUT_PREFIX}{keyboard_filesafe}')
@@ -137,8 +136,25 @@ def compile_configurator_json(user_keymap, bootloader=None, parallel=1, **env_va
     keymap_dir = keymap_output / 'src'
     keymap_json = keymap_dir / 'keymap.json'
 
+    if clean:
+        if keyboard_output.exists():
+            shutil.rmtree(keyboard_output)
+        if keymap_output.exists():
+            shutil.rmtree(keymap_output)
+
+    # begin with making the deepest folder in the tree
     keymap_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
-    keymap_json.write_text(json.dumps(user_keymap), encoding='utf-8')
+
+    # Compare minified to ensure consistent comparison
+    new_content = json.dumps(user_keymap, separators=(',', ':'))
+    if keymap_json.exists():
+        old_content = json.dumps(json.loads(keymap_json.read_text(encoding='utf-8')), separators=(',', ':'))
+        if old_content == new_content:
+            new_content = None
+
+    # Write the keymap.json file if different
+    if new_content:
+        keymap_json.write_text(new_content, encoding='utf-8')
 
     # Return a command that can be run to make the keymap and flash if given
     verbose = 'true' if cli.config.general.verbose else 'false'
@@ -210,6 +226,19 @@ def parse_configurator_json(configurator_file):
     return user_keymap
 
 
+def build_environment(args):
+    """Common processing for cli.args.env
+    """
+    envs = {}
+    for env in args:
+        if '=' in env:
+            key, value = env.split('=', 1)
+            envs[key] = value
+        else:
+            cli.log.warning('Invalid environment variable: %s', env)
+    return envs
+
+
 def in_virtualenv():
     """Check if running inside a virtualenv.
     Based on https://stackoverflow.com/a/1883251