diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.cpp
index ec3c1e2f490..059f6ac1e06 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include <projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h>
 #include <projectexplorer/buildmanager.h>
+#include <projectexplorer/buildsystem.h>
 #include <projectexplorer/project.h>
 #include <projectexplorer/projectexplorer.h>
 #include <projectexplorer/projectexplorersettings.h>
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@
 #include <QFutureInterface>
 #include <QLabel>
 #include <QLoggingCategory>
+#include <QPointer>
 #include <QProcess>
 #include <QPushButton>
 #include <QTimer>
@@ -317,6 +319,7 @@ void TestRunner::resetInternalPointers()
 void TestRunner::prepareToRunTests(TestRunMode mode)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(!m_executingTests, return);
+    m_skipTargetsCheck = false;
     m_runMode = mode;
     ProjectExplorer::Internal::ProjectExplorerSettings projectExplorerSettings =
         ProjectExplorerPlugin::projectExplorerSettings();
@@ -448,6 +451,15 @@ int TestRunner::precheckTestConfigurations()
     return testCaseCount;
 }
 
+void TestRunner::onBuildSystemUpdated()
+{
+    Target *target = SessionManager::startupTarget();
+    if (QTC_GUARD(target))
+        disconnect(target, &Target::buildSystemUpdated, this, &TestRunner::onBuildSystemUpdated);
+    m_skipTargetsCheck = true;
+    runOrDebugTests();
+}
+
 void TestRunner::runTests()
 {
     QList<TestConfiguration *> toBeRemoved;
@@ -619,8 +631,34 @@ void TestRunner::debugTests()
         AutotestPlugin::popupResultsPane();
 }
 
+static bool executablesEmpty()
+{
+    Target *target = SessionManager::startupTarget();
+    const QList<RunConfiguration *> configs = target->runConfigurations();
+    QTC_ASSERT(!configs.isEmpty(), return false);
+    if (auto execAspect = configs.first()->aspect<ExecutableAspect>())
+        return execAspect->executable().isEmpty();
+    return false;
+}
+
 void TestRunner::runOrDebugTests()
 {
+    if (!m_skipTargetsCheck) {
+        if (executablesEmpty()) {
+            m_skipTargetsCheck = true;
+            Target * target = SessionManager::startupTarget();
+            QTimer::singleShot(5000, this, [this, target = QPointer<Target>(target)]() {
+                if (target) {
+                    disconnect(target, &Target::buildSystemUpdated,
+                               this, &TestRunner::onBuildSystemUpdated);
+                }
+                runOrDebugTests();
+            });
+            connect(target, &Target::buildSystemUpdated, this, &TestRunner::onBuildSystemUpdated);
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
     switch (m_runMode) {
     case TestRunMode::Run:
     case TestRunMode::RunWithoutDeploy:
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.h b/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.h
index 4dfb744a256..a33f6248e1a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testrunner.h
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ private:
     void runOrDebugTests();
     void reportResult(ResultType type, const QString &description);
     explicit TestRunner(QObject *parent = nullptr);
+    bool postponeTestRunWithEmptyExecutable(ProjectExplorer::Project *project);
+    void onBuildSystemUpdated();
 
     QFutureWatcher<TestResultPtr> m_futureWatcher;
     QFutureInterface<TestResultPtr> *m_fakeFutureInterface = nullptr;
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ private:
     QMetaObject::Connection m_finishDebugConnect;
     // temporarily used for handling of switching the current target
     QMetaObject::Connection m_targetConnect;
+    bool m_skipTargetsCheck = false;
 };
 
 class RunConfigurationSelectionDialog : public QDialog