diff --git a/build/_k-build.shade b/build/_k-build.shade
index 089712163a..b94e8ccada 100644
--- a/build/_k-build.shade
+++ b/build/_k-build.shade
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ k-build
 projectFile='' 
     Required. Path to the project.json to build.
 
+configuration=''
+    Optional. The configuration to build in. Defaults to 'debug'.
 */}
 
+default configuration = 'debug'
 var projectFolder='${Path.GetDirectoryName(projectFile)}'
 var projectName='${Path.GetFileName(projectFolder)}'
-var projectBin='${Path.Combine(projectFolder, "bin")}'
+var projectBin='${Path.Combine(projectFolder, "bin", configuration)}'
 
 directory delete="${projectBin}"
 exec program='cmd' commandline='/C kpm build ${projectFolder}' if='!IsMono'
diff --git a/build/_k-standard-goals.shade b/build/_k-standard-goals.shade
index dc6aacc86e..fc99ce870a 100644
--- a/build/_k-standard-goals.shade
+++ b/build/_k-standard-goals.shade
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ default BASE_DIR='${Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()}'
 default TARGET_DIR='${Path.Combine(BASE_DIR, "artifacts")}'
 default BUILD_DIR='${Path.Combine(TARGET_DIR, "build")}'
 default TEST_DIR='${Path.Combine(TARGET_DIR, "test")}'
-default Configuration='Release'
-
+default Configuration='${E("Configuration")}'
+    
 @{
   if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(E("K_BUILD_VERSION")))
   {
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ default Configuration='Release'
   {
     E("K_AUTHOR", AUTHORS);
   }
+  if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(Configuration))
+  {
+    Configuration = "debug";
+    E("Configuration", Configuration);
+  }
 }
 
 #repo-initialize target='initialize'
@@ -32,7 +37,7 @@ default Configuration='Release'
   k-clean each='var projectFile in Files.Include("src/**/project.json")'
 
 #build-compile target='compile'
-  k-build each='var projectFile in Files.Include("src/**/project.json")'
+  k-build each='var projectFile in Files.Include("src/**/project.json")' configuration='${Configuration}'
   @{
     foreach (var nupkg in Files.Include(Path.Combine(BUILD_DIR, "*/*.nupkg"))) 
     {