diff --git a/scripts/build-appveyor.bat b/scripts/build-appveyor.bat
index b70da94cc..3c8b3d05b 100644
--- a/scripts/build-appveyor.bat
+++ b/scripts/build-appveyor.bat
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ SET PATH=C:\Program Files\7-Zip;%PATH%
 git submodule update --init deps/mapbox/variant
 IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
 
+
+::python bindings, including test data
+IF NOT EXIST bindings\python git clone --recursive https://github.com/mapnik/python-mapnik.git bindings/python
+IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
+
+CD bindings\python & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
+git fetch & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
+git pull & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
+CD ..\.. & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
+
 ::cloning mapnik-gyp
 if EXIST mapnik-gyp ECHO mapnik-gyp already cloned && GOTO MAPNIK_GYP_ALREADY_HERE
 CALL git clone https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik-gyp.git
diff --git a/scripts/build-local.bat b/scripts/build-local.bat
index e2a822f3d..306e10c86 100644
--- a/scripts/build-local.bat
+++ b/scripts/build-local.bat
@@ -33,14 +33,6 @@ SET msvs_toolset=14
 SET platform=x64
 SET APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER=%CD%
 
-IF NOT EXIST bindings\python git clone https://github.com/mapnik/python-mapnik.git bindings/python
-IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
-
-CD bindings\python & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
-git fetch & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
-git pull & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
-CD ..\.. & IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
-
 ECHO pulling test data
 CALL git submodule update --init
 IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR