diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/context_runner.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/context_runner.dart
index 86c8ab5..780747e 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/context_runner.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/context_runner.dart
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
       KernelCompiler: () => const KernelCompiler(),
       Logger: () => platform.isWindows ? WindowsStdoutLogger() : StdoutLogger(),
       OperatingSystemUtils: () => OperatingSystemUtils(),
+      PlistBuddy: () => const PlistBuddy(),
       SimControl: () => SimControl(),
       Stdio: () => const Stdio(),
       Usage: () => Usage(),
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/mac.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/mac.dart
index 294d785..224c4df 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/mac.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/mac.dart
@@ -32,9 +32,57 @@
 const int kXcodeRequiredVersionMinor = 0;
 
 IMobileDevice get iMobileDevice => context[IMobileDevice];
-
+PlistBuddy get plistBuddy => context[PlistBuddy];
 Xcode get xcode => context[Xcode];
 
+class PlistBuddy {
+  const PlistBuddy();
+
+  static const String path = '/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy';
+
+  Future<ProcessResult> run(List<String> args) => processManager.run(<String>[path]..addAll(args));
+}
+
+/// A property list is a key-value representation commonly used for
+/// configuration on macOS/iOS systems.
+class PropertyList {
+  const PropertyList(this.plistPath);
+
+  final String plistPath;
+
+  /// Prints the specified key, or returns null if not present.
+  Future<String> read(String key) async {
+    final ProcessResult result = await _runCommand('Print $key');
+    if (result.exitCode == 0)
+      return result.stdout.trim();
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /// Adds [key]. Has no effect if the key already exists.
+  Future<void> addString(String key, String value) async {
+    await _runCommand('Add $key string $value');
+  }
+
+  /// Updates [key] with the new [value]. Has no effect if the key does not exist.
+  Future<void> update(String key, String value) async {
+    await _runCommand('Set $key $value');
+  }
+
+  /// Deletes [key].
+  Future<void> delete(String key) async {
+    await _runCommand('Delete $key');
+  }
+
+  /// Deletes the content of the property list and creates a new root of the specified type.
+  Future<void> clearToDict() async {
+    await _runCommand('Clear dict');
+  }
+
+  Future<ProcessResult> _runCommand(String command) async {
+    return await plistBuddy.run(<String>['-c', command, plistPath]);
+  }
+}
+
 class IMobileDevice {
   const IMobileDevice();
 
@@ -181,6 +229,41 @@
   }
 }
 
+/// Sets the Xcode system.
+///
+/// Xcode 10 added a new (default) build system with better performance and
+/// stricter checks. Flutter apps without plugins build fine under the new
+/// system, but it causes build breakages in projects with CocoaPods enabled.
+/// This affects Flutter apps with plugins.
+///
+/// Once Flutter has been updated to be fully compliant with the new build
+/// system, this can be removed.
+//
+// TODO(cbracken): remove when https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/20685 is fixed.
+Future<void> setXcodeWorkspaceBuildSystem({
+  @required File workspaceSettings,
+  @required bool modern,
+}) async {
+  final PropertyList plist = PropertyList(workspaceSettings.path);
+  if (!workspaceSettings.existsSync()) {
+    workspaceSettings.parent.createSync(recursive: true);
+    await plist.clearToDict();
+  }
+
+  const String kBuildSystemType = 'BuildSystemType';
+  if (modern) {
+    printTrace('Using new Xcode build system.');
+    await plist.delete(kBuildSystemType);
+  } else {
+    printTrace('Using legacy Xcode build system.');
+    if (await plist.read(kBuildSystemType) == null) {
+      await plist.addString(kBuildSystemType, 'Original');
+    } else {
+      await plist.update(kBuildSystemType, 'Original');
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 Future<XcodeBuildResult> buildXcodeProject({
   BuildableIOSApp app,
   BuildInfo buildInfo,
@@ -195,6 +278,12 @@
   if (!_checkXcodeVersion())
     return XcodeBuildResult(success: false);
 
+  // TODO(cbracken) remove when https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/20685 is fixed.
+  await setXcodeWorkspaceBuildSystem(
+    workspaceSettings: app.project.xcodeWorkspaceSharedSettings,
+    modern: false,
+  );
+
   final XcodeProjectInfo projectInfo = xcodeProjectInterpreter.getInfo(app.project.directory.path);
   if (!projectInfo.targets.contains('Runner')) {
     printError('The Xcode project does not define target "Runner" which is needed by Flutter tooling.');
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/project.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/project.dart
index 6f11e05..6f41908 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/project.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/project.dart
@@ -186,6 +186,15 @@
   /// The '.pbxproj' file of the host app.
   File get xcodeProjectInfoFile => xcodeProject.childFile('project.pbxproj');
 
+  /// Xcode workspace directory of the host app.
+  Directory get xcodeWorkspace => directory.childDirectory('$_hostAppBundleName.xcworkspace');
+
+  /// Xcode workspace shared data directory for the host app.
+  Directory get xcodeWorkspaceSharedData => xcodeWorkspace.childDirectory('xcshareddata');
+
+  /// Xcode workspace shared workspace settings file for the host app.
+  File get xcodeWorkspaceSharedSettings => xcodeWorkspaceSharedData.childFile('WorkspaceSettings.xcsettings');
+
   /// The product bundle identifier of the host app, or null if not set or if
   /// iOS tooling needed to read it is not installed.
   String get productBundleIdentifier {
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/ios/mac_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/ios/mac_test.dart
index 8e3ccc3..cce5111 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/ios/mac_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/ios/mac_test.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import 'dart:async';
 
 import 'package:file/file.dart';
+import 'package:file/memory.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/file_system.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/io.dart' show ProcessException, ProcessResult;
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/ios/mac.dart';
@@ -21,6 +22,63 @@
 class MockXcodeProjectInterpreter extends Mock implements XcodeProjectInterpreter {}
 
 void main() {
+  group('PropertyList', () {
+    MockProcessManager mockProcessManager;
+    MemoryFileSystem fs;
+    File workspaceSettingsFile;
+
+    setUp(() {
+      mockProcessManager = MockProcessManager();
+      fs = MemoryFileSystem();
+      workspaceSettingsFile = fs.file('WorkspaceSettings.xcsettings');
+    });
+
+    testUsingContext('creates dict-based plist if settings file does not exist', () async {
+      workspaceSettingsFile.parent.createSync(recursive: true);
+      when(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Print BuildSystemType', workspaceSettingsFile.path]))
+        .thenAnswer((_) => Future<ProcessResult>.value(ProcessResult(1, 1, '', '')));
+      await setXcodeWorkspaceBuildSystem(workspaceSettings: workspaceSettingsFile, modern: false);
+      verify(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Clear dict', workspaceSettingsFile.path]));
+      verify(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Add BuildSystemType string Original', workspaceSettingsFile.path]));
+    }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
+      FileSystem: () => fs,
+      ProcessManager: () => mockProcessManager,
+    });
+
+    testUsingContext('writes legacy build mode settings if requested and not present', () async {
+      workspaceSettingsFile.createSync();
+      when(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Print BuildSystemType', workspaceSettingsFile.path]))
+        .thenAnswer((_) => Future<ProcessResult>.value(ProcessResult(1, 1, '', '')));
+      await setXcodeWorkspaceBuildSystem(workspaceSettings: workspaceSettingsFile, modern: false);
+      verify(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Add BuildSystemType string Original', workspaceSettingsFile.path]));
+    }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
+      FileSystem: () => fs,
+      ProcessManager: () => mockProcessManager,
+    });
+
+    testUsingContext('updates legacy build mode setting if requested and existing setting is present', () async {
+      workspaceSettingsFile.createSync();
+      when(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Print BuildSystemType', workspaceSettingsFile.path]))
+        .thenAnswer((_) => Future<ProcessResult>.value(ProcessResult(1, 0, 'FancyNewOne', '')));
+      await setXcodeWorkspaceBuildSystem(workspaceSettings: workspaceSettingsFile, modern: false);
+      verify(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Set BuildSystemType Original', workspaceSettingsFile.path]));
+    }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
+      FileSystem: () => fs,
+      ProcessManager: () => mockProcessManager,
+    });
+
+    testUsingContext('deletes legacy build mode setting if modern build mode requested', () async {
+      workspaceSettingsFile.createSync();
+      when(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Print BuildSystemType', workspaceSettingsFile.path]))
+        .thenAnswer((_) => Future<ProcessResult>.value(ProcessResult(1, 0, 'Original', '')));
+      await setXcodeWorkspaceBuildSystem(workspaceSettings: workspaceSettingsFile, modern: true);
+      verify(mockProcessManager.run(<String>[PlistBuddy.path, '-c', 'Delete BuildSystemType', workspaceSettingsFile.path]));
+    }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
+      FileSystem: () => fs,
+      ProcessManager: () => mockProcessManager,
+    });
+  });
+
   group('IMobileDevice', () {
     final FakePlatform osx = FakePlatform.fromPlatform(const LocalPlatform())
       ..operatingSystem = 'macos';