diff --git a/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_dotnet-test.shade b/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_dotnet-test.shade
index b11efad620..99cdce363e 100644
--- a/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_dotnet-test.shade
+++ b/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_dotnet-test.shade
@@ -10,9 +10,13 @@ dotnet-test
 
 projectFile=''
     Required. Path to the test project.json to execute
-
+    
+configuration=''
+    Optional. The configuration to build in. Defaults to 'Debug'.
 */}
 
+default configuration = 'Debug'
+
 @{
     var projectText = File.ReadAllText(projectFile);
     var project = (JsonObject)Json.Deserialize(projectText);
@@ -25,13 +29,7 @@ projectFile=''
         var projectFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(projectFile);
         var projectName = Path.GetFileName(projectFolder);
 
-        var noParallelTestProjects = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
-        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(NO_PARALLEL_TEST_PROJECTS))
-        {
-            noParallelTestProjects.UnionWith(NO_PARALLEL_TEST_PROJECTS.Split((char)','));
-        }
-
-        var testArgs = noParallelTestProjects.Contains(projectName) ? " -parallel none" : "";
+        var testArgs = "--configuration " + configuration;
 
         var configs = project.ValueAsJsonObject("frameworks");
         IEnumerable<string> targetFrameworks = configs == null?
diff --git a/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_k-standard-goals.shade b/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_k-standard-goals.shade
index e1c5977720..891e16aa80 100644
--- a/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_k-standard-goals.shade
+++ b/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_k-standard-goals.shade
@@ -180,8 +180,8 @@ default NUGET_FEED = 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json'
 #xunit-test target='test' if='Directory.Exists("test")'
   @{
     var projectFiles = Files.Include("test/**/project.json").Exclude("**/bin/*/app/project.json").ToList();
-    projectFiles.ForEach(projectFile => XunitTest(projectFile, testParallel: false));
-    projectFiles.ForEach(projectFile => DotnetTest(projectFile, testParallel: false));
+    projectFiles.ForEach(projectFile => XunitTest(projectFile, testParallel: false, configuration: Configuration));
+    projectFiles.ForEach(projectFile => DotnetTest(projectFile, testParallel: false, configuration: Configuration));
     projectFiles.ForEach(projectFile => DnxTest(projectFile, testParallel: false));
   }
 
@@ -357,11 +357,14 @@ macro name="DotnetPack" projectFile='string' dotnetPackOutputDir='string' config
 
 macro name="DotnetPublish" projectFile='string' outputFolder='string' framework='string'
     dotnet-publish
+    
+macro name="DotnetPublish" projectFile='string' outputFolder='string' framework='string' configuration='string'
+    dotnet-publish
 
-macro name="DotnetTest" projectFile='string' testParallel='bool'
+macro name="DotnetTest" projectFile='string' testParallel='bool' configuration='string'
     dotnet-test
 
-macro name="XunitTest" projectFile='string' testParallel='bool'
+macro name="XunitTest" projectFile='string' testParallel='bool' configuration='string'
     xunit-test
 
 macro name='Dnx' command='string' dnxDir='string' dnvmUse='string'
diff --git a/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_xunit-test.shade b/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_xunit-test.shade
index 3e187d56ff..d54c12605f 100644
--- a/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_xunit-test.shade
+++ b/KoreBuild-dotnet/build/_xunit-test.shade
@@ -12,8 +12,12 @@ xunit-test
 projectFile=''
     Required. Path to the test project.json to execute
 
+configuration=''
+    Optional. The configuration to build in. Defaults to 'Debug'.
 */}
 
+default configuration = 'Debug'
+
 @{
     if (!string.Equals(KOREBUILD_TEST_SKIPMONO, "1") && !string.Equals(KOREBUILD_TEST_SKIPMONO, "true"))
     {
@@ -52,7 +56,7 @@ projectFile=''
                 }
 
                 var publishFolder = Path.Combine(projectFolder, "obj", "testPublish-" + framework);
-                DotnetPublish(projectFile, publishFolder, framework);
+                DotnetPublish(projectFile, publishFolder, framework, configuration);
 
                 var runnerExe = "xunit.console.exe";
                 string runnerFullPath;