diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.CoreCLR.targets b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.CoreCLR.targets
index 705237961ab..a74ffe62b34 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.CoreCLR.targets
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.CoreCLR.targets
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ This file contains the CoreCLR-specific MSBuild logic for .NET for Android.
   </PropertyGroup>
   <!-- Properties for $(OutputType)=Exe (Android Applications) -->
   <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(AndroidApplication)' == 'true' ">
-    <!-- Default to R2R Composite for CoreCLR Release mode -->
-    <PublishReadyToRun Condition=" '$(PublishReadyToRun)' == '' and '$(Configuration)' == 'Release' ">true</PublishReadyToRun>
+    <!-- Default to R2R Composite for CoreCLR Release mode or when publishing -->
+    <PublishReadyToRun Condition=" '$(PublishReadyToRun)' == '' and ('$(Configuration)' == 'Release' or '$(_IsPublishing)' == 'true') ">true</PublishReadyToRun>
     <PublishReadyToRunComposite Condition=" '$(PublishReadyToRunComposite)' == '' and '$(PublishReadyToRun)' == 'true' ">true</PublishReadyToRunComposite>
     <_IsPublishing Condition=" '$(_IsPublishing)' == '' and '$(PublishReadyToRun)' == 'true' ">true</_IsPublishing>
     <AllowReadyToRunWithoutRuntimeIdentifier Condition=" '$(PublishReadyToRun)' == 'true' and '$(RuntimeIdentifiers)' != '' ">true</AllowReadyToRunWithoutRuntimeIdentifier>
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tests/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tests/BuildTest2.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tests/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tests/BuildTest2.cs
index 759d6a2f855..99c7012d309 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tests/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tests/BuildTest2.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tests/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tests/BuildTest2.cs
@@ -150,6 +150,36 @@ public void BasicApplicationPublishReadyToRun ([Values] bool isComposite, [Value
 				$"ReadyToRun image not found in {assemblyName}.dll! ManagedNativeHeaderDirectory should not be empty!");
 		}
 
+		[Test]
+		public void PublishReadyToRunCustomConfiguration ([Values ("android-arm64")] string rid)
+		{
+			var proj = new XamarinAndroidApplicationProject (releaseConfigurationName: "CustomRelease") {
+				IsRelease = true, // Uses "CustomRelease" as the configuration, not "Release"
+			};
+
+			proj.SetRuntime (AndroidRuntime.CoreCLR);
+			proj.SetProperty ("RuntimeIdentifier", rid);
+			proj.SetProperty ("AndroidEnableAssemblyCompression", "false");
+			proj.SetProperty ("_IsPublishing", "true"); // Simulates `dotnet publish`
+
+			var b = CreateApkBuilder ();
+			Assert.IsTrue (b.Build (proj), "Build should have succeeded.");
+
+			var assemblyName = proj.ProjectName;
+			var apk = Path.Combine (Root, b.ProjectDirectory, proj.OutputPath, rid, $"{proj.PackageName}-Signed.apk");
+			FileAssert.Exists (apk);
+
+			var helper = new ArchiveAssemblyHelper (apk, true);
+			var abi = MonoAndroidHelper.RidToAbi (rid);
+			Assert.IsTrue (helper.Exists ($"assemblies/{abi}/{assemblyName}.dll"), $"{assemblyName}.dll should exist in apk!");
+
+			using var stream = helper.ReadEntry ($"assemblies/{assemblyName}.dll");
+			stream.Position = 0;
+			using var peReader = new System.Reflection.PortableExecutable.PEReader (stream);
+			Assert.IsTrue (peReader.PEHeaders.CorHeader.ManagedNativeHeaderDirectory.Size > 0,
+				$"ReadyToRun image not found in {assemblyName}.dll! ManagedNativeHeaderDirectory should not be empty!");
+		}
+
 		[Test]
 		public void NativeAOT ()
 		{