diff --git a/nvdaHelper/liblouis/sconscript b/nvdaHelper/liblouis/sconscript
index c4ee7c2bf4c..fc23a6e8e0f 100644
--- a/nvdaHelper/liblouis/sconscript
+++ b/nvdaHelper/liblouis/sconscript
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def getLouisVersion():
 
 
 # Liblouis is build with Clang, as Microsoft Visual C++ is unable to build C99 code.
-clangDirs = glob.glob(os.path.join(find_vc_pdir(env, env.get("MSVC_VERSION")), r"Tools\Llvm\bin"))
+clangDirs = glob.glob(os.path.join(find_vc_pdir(env.get("MSVC_VERSION"), env), r"Tools\Llvm\bin"))
 if len(clangDirs) == 0:
 	raise RuntimeError(
 		"Could not find the Clang compiler. "
diff --git a/nvdaHelper/localWin10/sconscript b/nvdaHelper/localWin10/sconscript
index f0be1ff6d40..e6dc98a9101 100644
--- a/nvdaHelper/localWin10/sconscript
+++ b/nvdaHelper/localWin10/sconscript
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ localWin10Lib = env.SharedLibrary(
 msvc = env.get("MSVC_VERSION")
 vcRedistDirs = glob.glob(
 	os.path.join(
-		find_vc_pdir(env, msvc), rf"Redist\MSVC\{msvc[:2]}*\x86\Microsoft.VC{msvc.replace('.', '')}.CRT"
+		find_vc_pdir(msvc, env), rf"Redist\MSVC\{msvc[:2]}*\x86\Microsoft.VC{msvc.replace('.', '')}.CRT"
 	)
 )
 if len(vcRedistDirs) == 0:
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index eedac0e2773..5921004ba45 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # NVDA's build system is SCons
-SCons==4.5.2
+SCons==4.8.1
 
 # NVDA's runtime dependencies
 comtypes==1.4.6
diff --git a/user_docs/en/changes.md b/user_docs/en/changes.md
index 2c2a81428c4..c43baa54376 100644
--- a/user_docs/en/changes.md
+++ b/user_docs/en/changes.md
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Add-ons will need to be re-tested and have their manifest updated.
   * Updated Ruff to 0.6.3. (#17102)
   * Updated Comtypes to 1.4.6. (#17061, @LeonarddeR)
   * Updated wxPython to 4.2.2. (#17181, @dpy013)
+  * Updated SCons to 4.8.1. (#17254)
   * Updated sphinx to 8.1.2 and sphinx-rtd-theme to 3.0.1. (#17284, @josephsl)
 * `ui.browseableMessage` may now be called with options to present a button for copying to clipboard, and/or a button for closing the window. (#17018, @XLTechie)
 * Several additions to identify link types (#16994, @LeonarddeR, @nvdaes)