diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Compiler.Common/Executable.cs b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Compiler.Common/Executable.cs
index 33d3a887f..eab60e6ef 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Compiler.Common/Executable.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Compiler.Common/Executable.cs
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ namespace Microsoft.Dotnet.Cli.Compiler.Common
 
         public void MakeCompilationOutputRunnable()
         {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_context.RuntimeIdentifier))
+            {
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Can not make output runnable for framework {_context.TargetFramework}, because it doesn't have runtime target");
+            }
+
             var outputPath = _outputPaths.RuntimeOutputPath;
 
             CopyContentFiles(outputPath);
diff --git a/test/dotnet-build.Tests/BuildOutputTests.cs b/test/dotnet-build.Tests/BuildOutputTests.cs
index 778758180..dd6414771 100644
--- a/test/dotnet-build.Tests/BuildOutputTests.cs
+++ b/test/dotnet-build.Tests/BuildOutputTests.cs
@@ -68,10 +68,10 @@ namespace Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Builder.Tests
 
         [Theory]
         // global.json exists
-        [InlineData(true, null, null, "src/TestLibrary/bin/debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}/{rid}")]
-        [InlineData(true, "out", null, "src/TestLibrary/bin/debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}", "out")]
-        [InlineData(true, null, "build", "build/src/TestLibrary/bin/debug/{fw}", "build/src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}", "build/src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}/{rid}")]
-        [InlineData(true, "out", "build", "build/src/TestLibrary/bin/debug/{fw}", "build/src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}", "out")]
+        [InlineData(true, null, null, "src/TestLibrary/bin/Debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/Debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/Debug/{fw}/{rid}")]
+        [InlineData(true, "out", null, "src/TestLibrary/bin/Debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/Debug/{fw}", "out")]
+        [InlineData(true, null, "build", "build/src/TestLibrary/bin/Debug/{fw}", "build/src/TestApp/bin/Debug/{fw}", "build/src/TestApp/bin/Debug/{fw}/{rid}")]
+        [InlineData(true, "out", "build", "build/src/TestLibrary/bin/Debug/{fw}", "build/src/TestApp/bin/Debug/{fw}", "out")]
         //no global.json
         //[InlineData(false, null, null, "src/TestLibrary/bin/debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}/{rid}")]
         //[InlineData(false, "out", null, "src/TestLibrary/bin/debug/{fw}", "src/TestApp/bin/debug/{fw}", "out")]