diff --git a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_cmake.cmake b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_cmake.cmake
index 9f75c5e071348d..ce534b7aa9b4c1 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_cmake.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/vcpkg_configure_cmake.cmake
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@
 ## * [poco](https://github.com/Microsoft/vcpkg/blob/master/ports/poco/portfile.cmake)
 ## * [opencv](https://github.com/Microsoft/vcpkg/blob/master/ports/opencv/portfile.cmake)
 function(vcpkg_configure_cmake)
-    cmake_parse_arguments(_csc
+    # parse parameters such that semicolons in arguments to OPTIONS don't get erased
+    cmake_parse_arguments(PARSE_ARGV 0 _csc
         "PREFER_NINJA;DISABLE_PARALLEL_CONFIGURE;NO_CHARSET_FLAG"
         "SOURCE_PATH;GENERATOR"
         "OPTIONS;OPTIONS_DEBUG;OPTIONS_RELEASE"
-        ${ARGN}
     )
 
     if(NOT VCPKG_PLATFORM_TOOLSET)