diff --git a/Sources/ProjectSpec/ProjectSpec.swift b/Sources/ProjectSpec/ProjectSpec.swift
index 6d329a72..1d06a811 100644
--- a/Sources/ProjectSpec/ProjectSpec.swift
+++ b/Sources/ProjectSpec/ProjectSpec.swift
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public struct ProjectSpec {
         public var indentWidth: UInt?
         public var xcodeVersion: String?
         public var deploymentTarget: DeploymentTarget
+        public var defaultConfigurationName: String?
 
         public enum SettingPresets: String {
             case all
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@ public struct ProjectSpec {
             usesTabs: Bool? = nil,
             xcodeVersion: String? = nil,
             deploymentTarget: DeploymentTarget = .init(),
-            disabledValidations: [ValidationType] = []
+            disabledValidations: [ValidationType] = [],
+            defaultConfigurationName: String? = nil
         ) {
             self.carthageBuildPath = carthageBuildPath
             self.carthageExecutablePath = carthageExecutablePath
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ public struct ProjectSpec {
             self.xcodeVersion = xcodeVersion
             self.deploymentTarget = deploymentTarget
             self.disabledValidations = disabledValidations
+            self.defaultConfigurationName = defaultConfigurationName
         }
 
         public static func == (lhs: ProjectSpec.Options, rhs: ProjectSpec.Options) -> Bool {
@@ -217,5 +220,6 @@ extension ProjectSpec.Options: JSONObjectConvertible {
         tabWidth = (jsonDictionary.json(atKeyPath: "tabWidth") as Int?).flatMap(UInt.init)
         deploymentTarget = jsonDictionary.json(atKeyPath: "deploymentTarget") ?? DeploymentTarget()
         disabledValidations = jsonDictionary.json(atKeyPath: "disabledValidations") ?? []
+        defaultConfigurationName = jsonDictionary.json(atKeyPath: "defaultConfigurationName")
     }
 }
diff --git a/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidation.swift b/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidation.swift
index 70110b53..22628c0e 100644
--- a/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidation.swift
+++ b/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidation.swift
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ extension ProjectSpec {
             }
         }
 
+        if let configName = options.defaultConfigurationName {
+            if !configs.contains(where: { $0.name == configName }) {
+                errors.append(.missingDefaultConfigurationName(configName: configName))
+            }
+        }
+
         for settings in settingGroups.values {
             errors += validateSettings(settings)
         }
diff --git a/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidationError.swift b/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidationError.swift
index 117c8644..32bab93f 100644
--- a/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidationError.swift
+++ b/Sources/ProjectSpec/SpecValidationError.swift
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ public struct SpecValidationError: Error, CustomStringConvertible {
         case invalidFileGroup(String)
         case invalidConfigFileConfig(String)
         case missingConfigForTargetScheme(target: String, configType: ConfigType)
+        case missingDefaultConfigurationName(configName: String)
 
         public var description: String {
             switch self {
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ public struct SpecValidationError: Error, CustomStringConvertible {
                 return "Config file has invalid config \(config.quoted)"
             case let .missingConfigForTargetScheme(target, configType):
                 return "Target \(target.quoted) is missing a config of type \(configType.rawValue) to generate its scheme"
+            case let .missingDefaultConfigurationName(name):
+                return "Default configuration \(name) doesn't exist"
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/Sources/XcodeGenKit/PBXProjGenerator.swift b/Sources/XcodeGenKit/PBXProjGenerator.swift
index 78c1333f..e0f0b28f 100644
--- a/Sources/XcodeGenKit/PBXProjGenerator.swift
+++ b/Sources/XcodeGenKit/PBXProjGenerator.swift
@@ -70,11 +70,12 @@ public class PBXProjGenerator {
             )
         }
 
+        let configName = spec.options.defaultConfigurationName ?? buildConfigs.first?.object.name ?? ""
         let buildConfigList = createObject(
             id: spec.name,
             XCConfigurationList(
                 buildConfigurations: buildConfigs.map { $0.reference },
-                defaultConfigurationName: buildConfigs.first?.object.name ?? ""
+                defaultConfigurationName: configName
             )
         )
 
diff --git a/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectGeneratorTests.swift b/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectGeneratorTests.swift
index a8c5a435..36757c52 100644
--- a/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectGeneratorTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectGeneratorTests.swift
@@ -96,6 +96,20 @@ func projectGeneratorTests() {
                     try expect(XCodeVersion.parse(version)) == expected
                 }
             }
+
+            $0.it("uses the default configuration name") {
+                let options = ProjectSpec.Options(defaultConfigurationName: "Bconfig")
+                let spec = ProjectSpec(basePath: "", name: "test", configs: [Config(name: "Aconfig"), Config(name: "Bconfig")], targets: [framework], options: options)
+                let pbxProject = try getPbxProj(spec)
+
+                guard let projectConfigListReference = pbxProject.objects.projects.values.first?.buildConfigurationList,
+                    let defaultConfigurationName = pbxProject.objects.configurationLists[projectConfigListReference]?.defaultConfigurationName
+                else {
+                    throw failure("Default configuration name not found")
+                }
+
+                try expect(defaultConfigurationName) == "Bconfig"
+            }
         }
 
         $0.describe("Config") {
diff --git a/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectSpecTests.swift b/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectSpecTests.swift
index fcac1c02..7bed6d88 100644
--- a/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectSpecTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/XcodeGenKitTests/ProjectSpecTests.swift
@@ -167,6 +167,12 @@ func projectSpecTests() {
                 )]
                 try spec.validate()
             }
+
+            $0.it("validates missing default configurations") {
+                var spec = baseSpec
+                spec.options = ProjectSpec.Options(defaultConfigurationName: "foo")
+                try expectValidationError(spec, .missingDefaultConfigurationName(configName: "foo"))
+            }
         }
     }
 }