diff --git a/core/build.sh b/core/build.sh
index caaeafb929..c1ad0c3302 100755
--- a/core/build.sh
+++ b/core/build.sh
@@ -93,12 +93,6 @@ if builder_is_dep_build || builder_has_option --no-tests; then
   builder_remove_dep /developer/src/kmc
 fi
 
-if builder_is_debug_build; then
-  CONFIGURATION=debug
-else
-  CONFIGURATION=release
-fi
-
 # 'mac' target builds both x86_64 and arm architectures and
 # generates a 'fat' library from them.
 builder_describe_internal_dependency \
@@ -106,20 +100,20 @@ builder_describe_internal_dependency \
   build:mac build:mac-arm64
 
 builder_describe_outputs \
-  configure:x86             /core/build/x86/$CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
-  configure:x64             /core/build/x64/$CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
-  configure:mac             /core/build/mac/$CONFIGURATION/ \
-  configure:mac-x86_64      /core/build/mac-x86_64/$CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
-  configure:mac-arm64       /core/build/mac-arm64/$CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
-  configure:arch            /core/build/arch/$CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
-  configure:wasm            /core/build/wasm/$CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
-  build:x86                 /core/build/x86/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
-  build:x64                 /core/build/x64/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
-  build:mac                 /core/build/mac/$CONFIGURATION/libkmnkbp0.a \
-  build:mac-x86_64          /core/build/mac-x86_64/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
-  build:mac-arm64           /core/build/mac-arm64/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
-  build:arch                /core/build/arch/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
-  build:wasm                /core/build/wasm/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a
+  configure:x86             /core/build/x86/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
+  configure:x64             /core/build/x64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
+  configure:mac             /core/build/mac/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/ \
+  configure:mac-x86_64      /core/build/mac-x86_64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
+  configure:mac-arm64       /core/build/mac-arm64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
+  configure:arch            /core/build/arch/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
+  configure:wasm            /core/build/wasm/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/build.ninja \
+  build:x86                 /core/build/x86/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
+  build:x64                 /core/build/x64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
+  build:mac                 /core/build/mac/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/libkmnkbp0.a \
+  build:mac-x86_64          /core/build/mac-x86_64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
+  build:mac-arm64           /core/build/mac-arm64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
+  build:arch                /core/build/arch/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a \
+  build:wasm                /core/build/wasm/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a
 
 # Iterate through all possible targets; note that targets that cannot be built
 # on the current platform have already been excluded through the archtargets
@@ -129,7 +123,7 @@ targets=(wasm x86 x64 mac-x86_64 mac-arm64 arch)
 do_action() {
   local action_function=do_$1
   for target in "${targets[@]}"; do
-    MESON_PATH="$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/$target/$CONFIGURATION"
+    MESON_PATH="$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/$target/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION"
     $action_function $target
   done
 }
@@ -145,7 +139,7 @@ do_action configure
 # After we have built the necessary internal dependencies, then we can go
 # ahead and build a fat library for external consumption
 if builder_start_action configure:mac; then
-  mkdir -p "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac/$CONFIGURATION"
+  mkdir -p "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION"
   builder_finish_action success configure:mac
 fi
 
@@ -155,9 +149,9 @@ do_action build
 
 if builder_start_action build:mac; then
   lipo -create \
-    "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac-x86_64/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a" \
-    "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac-arm64/$CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a" \
-    -output "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac/$CONFIGURATION/libkmnkbp0.a"
+    "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac-x86_64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a" \
+    "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac-arm64/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/src/libkmnkbp0.a" \
+    -output "$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/mac/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION/libkmnkbp0.a"
   builder_finish_action success build:mac
 fi
 
@@ -170,7 +164,7 @@ if builder_start_action test:mac; then
   # assume that build:mac has run so both architectures will be
   # available
   target=mac-`uname -m`
-  MESON_PATH="$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/$target/$CONFIGURATION"
+  MESON_PATH="$KEYMAN_ROOT/core/build/$target/$BUILDER_CONFIGURATION"
   meson test -C "$MESON_PATH" "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
   builder_finish_action success test:mac
 fi
diff --git a/core/commands.inc.sh b/core/commands.inc.sh
index f3eda70e6d..2e5fb9e7b9 100644
--- a/core/commands.inc.sh
+++ b/core/commands.inc.sh
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ do_configure() {
   fi
 
   if [[ $target =~ ^(x86|x64)$ ]]; then
-    cmd //C build.bat $target $CONFIGURATION configure $BUILD_BAT_keyman_core_tests "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
+    cmd //C build.bat $target $BUILDER_CONFIGURATION configure $BUILD_BAT_keyman_core_tests "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
   else
     pushd "$THIS_SCRIPT_PATH" > /dev/null
     # Additional arguments are used by Linux build, e.g. -Dprefix=${INSTALLDIR}
-    meson setup "$MESON_PATH" $MESON_CROSS_FILE --werror --buildtype $CONFIGURATION $STANDARD_MESON_ARGS "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
+    meson setup "$MESON_PATH" $MESON_CROSS_FILE --werror --buildtype $BUILDER_CONFIGURATION $STANDARD_MESON_ARGS "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
     popd > /dev/null
   fi
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ do_build() {
   local target=$1
   builder_start_action build:$target || return 0
   if [[ $target =~ ^(x86|x64)$ ]]; then
-    cmd //C build.bat $target $CONFIGURATION build "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
+    cmd //C build.bat $target $BUILDER_CONFIGURATION build "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
   elif $MESON_LOW_VERSION; then
     pushd "$MESON_PATH" > /dev/null
     ninja
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ do_test() {
   local target=$1
   builder_start_action test:$target || return 0
   if [[ $target =~ ^(x86|x64)$ ]]; then
-    cmd //C build.bat $target $CONFIGURATION test "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
+    cmd //C build.bat $target $BUILDER_CONFIGURATION test "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
   else
     meson test -C "$MESON_PATH" "${builder_extra_params[@]}"
   fi
diff --git a/resources/build/build-utils.md b/resources/build/build-utils.md
index 5c3897e36b..16e1e7fce8 100644
--- a/resources/build/build-utils.md
+++ b/resources/build/build-utils.md
@@ -125,6 +125,10 @@ variable to ensure that we run the correct versions of npm package commands, so
 there is no need to hard-code path references or add script wrappers to
 package.json (`npm run <script>`).
 
+* `BUILDER_CONFIGURATION` will be set to `debug` if the `--debug` option is
+  passed in, or `release` otherwise, which corresponds to the output folder
+  names for many projects.
+
 Other environment variables and paths will probably be added over time.
 
 ## Split
diff --git a/resources/builder.inc.sh b/resources/builder.inc.sh
index 6a20d32fa2..65a8f929af 100755
--- a/resources/builder.inc.sh
+++ b/resources/builder.inc.sh
@@ -1344,6 +1344,13 @@ _builder_parse_expanded_parameters() {
     export _builder_deps_built=`mktemp`
   fi
 
+  if builder_is_debug_build; then
+    readonly BUILDER_CONFIGURATION=debug
+  else
+    readonly BUILDER_CONFIGURATION=release
+  fi
+
+
   # Now that we've successfully parsed options adhering to the _builder spec, we may activate our
   # action_failure and action_hanging traps.  (We don't want them active on scripts not yet using
   # said script.)