diff --git a/src/SourceBuild/content/test/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests.csproj b/src/SourceBuild/content/test/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests.csproj
index ea6e53b20..80f1717e7 100644
--- a/src/SourceBuild/content/test/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests.csproj
+++ b/src/SourceBuild/content/test/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests/Microsoft.DotNet.SourceBuild.SmokeTests.csproj
@@ -3,41 +3,29 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
-
     <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
-    <IsTestProject>true</IsTestProject>
+    <DefaultExcludesInProjectFolder>$(DefaultExcludesInProjectFolder);assets/**/*</DefaultExcludesInProjectFolder>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.FileSystemGlobbing" Version="7.0.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="17.5.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="xunit" Version="2.5.1" />
-    <PackageReference Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio" Version="2.5.1">
-      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
-      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
-    </PackageReference>
+    <PackageReference Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio" Version="2.5.1" />
 
     <!-- Pin transitive package versions -->
     <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.1" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <Content Include="assets/**">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-    </Content>
+    <Content Include="assets/**"
+             CopyToOutputDirectory="Always" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
-    <Compile Remove="assets/**" />
-    <EmbeddedResource Remove="assets/**" />
-    <None Remove="assets/**" />
+    <Content Include="..\..\packages\smoke-test-prereqs\*"
+             CopyToOutputDirectory="Always"
+             Link="assets\smoke-tests\prereq-packages\%(Filename)%(Extension)" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <SmokeTestPrereqs Include="..\..\packages\smoke-test-prereqs\*" />
-  </ItemGroup>
-
-  <Target Name="CopySmokeTestPrereqs" BeforeTargets="Build">
-    <Copy SourceFiles="@(SmokeTestPrereqs)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)\assets\smoke-tests\prereq-packages" />
-  </Target>
 </Project>