diff --git a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.bat b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.bat
index 7658156be1d..48d510100e2 100644
--- a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.bat
+++ b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.bat
@@ -29,44 +29,55 @@ powershell -Command "Add-Type -Assembly 'System.IO.Compression.FileSystem'; [Sys
 @rem set absolute path to OpenSSL with forward slashes
 set OPENSSL_DIR=%cd:\=/%/OpenSSL-Win32
 
-cd third_party/zlib
-mkdir cmake
-cd cmake
-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% ..
+@rem Install c-ares
+mkdir third_party\cares\cares\cmake\build
+pushd third_party\cares\cares\cmake\build
+cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% ..\..
 cmake --build . --config Release --target install || goto :error
-cd ../../..
+popd
 
-cd third_party/protobuf/cmake
-mkdir build
-cd build
+@rem Install protobuf
+mkdir third_party\protobuf\cmake\build
+pushd third_party\protobuf\cmake\build
 cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% -DZLIB_ROOT=%INSTALL_DIR% -Dprotobuf_MSVC_STATIC_RUNTIME=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=OFF ..
 cmake --build . --config Release --target install || goto :error
-cd ../../../..
+popd
 
-cd third_party/cares/cares
-mkdir cmake
-cd cmake
-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% ..
+@rem Install zlib
+mkdir third_party\zlib\cmake\build
+pushd third_party\zlib\cmake\build
+cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% ..\..
 cmake --build . --config Release --target install || goto :error
-cd ../../../..
+popd
 
-@rem OpenSSL-Win32 and OpenSSL-Win64 can be downloaded from https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html
-cd cmake
-mkdir build
-cd build
-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=%OPENSSL_DIR% -DZLIB_ROOT=%INSTALL_DIR% -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DgRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_CARES_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_SSL_PROVIDER=package -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../.. || goto :error
+@rem Just before installing gRPC, wipe out contents of all the submodules to simulate
+@rem a standalone build from an archive
+git submodule deinit --all --force
+
+@rem Install gRPC
+mkdir cmake\build
+pushd cmake\build
+cmake ^
+  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ^
+  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% ^
+  -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=%OPENSSL_DIR% ^
+  -DZLIB_ROOT=%INSTALL_DIR% ^
+  -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON ^
+  -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF ^
+  -DgRPC_CARES_PROVIDER=package ^
+  -DgRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER=package ^
+  -DgRPC_SSL_PROVIDER=package ^
+  -DgRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER=package ^
+  ../.. || goto :error
 cmake --build . --config Release --target install || goto :error
-cd ../..
+popd
 
 @rem Build helloworld example using cmake
-cd examples/cpp/helloworld
-mkdir cmake
-cd cmake
-mkdir build
-cd build
+mkdir examples\cpp\helloworld\cmake\build
+pushd examples\cpp\helloworld\cmake\build
 cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%INSTALL_DIR% -DOPENSSL_ROOT_DIR=%OPENSSL_DIR% -DZLIB_ROOT=%INSTALL_DIR% ../.. || goto :error
 cmake --build . --config Release || goto :error
-cd ../../../../..
+popd
 
 goto :EOF
 
diff --git a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.sh b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.sh
index a73cbdf1f0b..457b65ffcb3 100755
--- a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.sh
+++ b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake.sh
@@ -24,33 +24,25 @@ apt-get update
 apt-get install -t jessie-backports -y libssl-dev
 
 # Install c-ares
-cd third_party/cares/cares
-git fetch origin
-git checkout cares-1_15_0
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
+mkdir -p "third_party/cares/cares/cmake/build"
+pushd "third_party/cares/cares/cmake/build"
 cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
 make -j4 install
-cd ../../../../..
-rm -rf third_party/cares/cares  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
-
-# Install zlib
-cd third_party/zlib
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
-cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
-make -j4 install
-cd ../../../..
-rm -rf third_party/zlib  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
+popd
 
 # Install protobuf
-cd third_party/protobuf
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
+mkdir -p "third_party/protobuf/cmake/build"
+pushd "third_party/protobuf/cmake/build"
 cmake -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
 make -j4 install
-cd ../../../..
-rm -rf third_party/protobuf  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
+popd
+
+# Install zlib
+mkdir -p "third_party/zlib/cmake/build"
+pushd "third_party/zlib/cmake/build"
+cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
+make -j4 install
+popd
 
 # Just before installing gRPC, wipe out contents of all the submodules to simulate
 # a standalone build from an archive
@@ -58,15 +50,23 @@ rm -rf third_party/protobuf  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
 git submodule foreach 'cd $toplevel; rm -rf $name'
 
 # Install gRPC
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
-cmake -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DgRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_CARES_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_SSL_PROVIDER=package -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
+mkdir -p "cmake/build"
+pushd "cmake/build"
+cmake \
+  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+  -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON \
+  -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
+  -DgRPC_CARES_PROVIDER=package \
+  -DgRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER=package \
+  -DgRPC_SSL_PROVIDER=package \
+  -DgRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER=package \
+  ../..
 make -j4 install
-cd ../..
+popd
 
 # Build helloworld example using cmake
-cd examples/cpp/helloworld
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
+mkdir -p "examples/cpp/helloworld/cmake/build"
+pushd "examples/cpp/helloworld/cmake/build"
 cmake ../..
 make
+popd
diff --git a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake_pkgconfig.sh b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake_pkgconfig.sh
index e78b1997cf7..6f98f3e72c4 100755
--- a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake_pkgconfig.sh
+++ b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test_cmake_pkgconfig.sh
@@ -24,33 +24,25 @@ apt-get update
 apt-get install -t jessie-backports -y libssl-dev pkg-config
 
 # Install c-ares
-cd third_party/cares/cares
-git fetch origin
-git checkout cares-1_15_0
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
+mkdir -p "third_party/cares/cares/cmake/build"
+pushd "third_party/cares/cares/cmake/build"
 cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
 make -j4 install
-cd ../../../../..
-rm -rf third_party/cares/cares  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
-
-# Install zlib
-cd third_party/zlib
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
-cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
-make -j4 install
-cd ../../../..
-rm -rf third_party/zlib  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
+popd
 
 # Install protobuf
-cd third_party/protobuf
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
+mkdir -p "third_party/protobuf/cmake/build"
+pushd "third_party/protobuf/cmake/build"
 cmake -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
 make -j4 install
-cd ../../../..
-rm -rf third_party/protobuf  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
+popd
+
+# Install zlib
+mkdir -p "third_party/zlib/cmake/build"
+pushd "third_party/zlib/cmake/build"
+cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../..
+make -j4 install
+popd
 
 # Just before installing gRPC, wipe out contents of all the submodules to simulate
 # a standalone build from an archive
@@ -58,11 +50,20 @@ rm -rf third_party/protobuf  # wipe out to prevent influencing the grpc build
 git submodule foreach 'cd $toplevel; rm -rf $name'
 
 # Install gRPC
-mkdir -p cmake/build
-cd cmake/build
-cmake -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DgRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_CARES_PROVIDER=package -DgRPC_SSL_PROVIDER=package -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local/grpc ../..
+mkdir -p "cmake/build"
+pushd "cmake/build"
+cmake \
+  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local/grpc \
+  -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON \
+  -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
+  -DgRPC_CARES_PROVIDER=package \
+  -DgRPC_PROTOBUF_PROVIDER=package \
+  -DgRPC_SSL_PROVIDER=package \
+  -DgRPC_ZLIB_PROVIDER=package \
+  ../..
 make -j4 install
-cd ../..
+popd
 
 # Build helloworld example using Makefiles and pkg-config
 cd examples/cpp/helloworld