diff --git a/goldens/public-api/angular_devkit/architect/index.md b/goldens/public-api/angular_devkit/architect/index.md
index 1dc0c183e10e..2abd6489bcea 100644
--- a/goldens/public-api/angular_devkit/architect/index.md
+++ b/goldens/public-api/angular_devkit/architect/index.md
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ namespace strategy {
 export type Target = json.JsonObject & Target_2;
 
 // @public
-export function targetFromTargetString(str: string): Target;
+export function targetFromTargetString(specifier: string, abbreviatedProjectName?: string, abbreviatedTargetName?: string): Target;
 
 // @public
 export function targetStringFromTarget({ project, target, configuration }: Target): string;
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/api.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/api.ts
index f3ab909a3489..0b995013194d 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/api.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/api.ts
@@ -330,17 +330,22 @@ export function targetStringFromTarget({ project, target, configuration }: Targe
 }
 
 /**
- * Return a Target tuple from a string.
+ * Return a Target tuple from a specifier string.
+ * Supports abbreviated target specifiers (examples: `::`, `::development`, or `:build:production`).
  */
-export function targetFromTargetString(str: string): Target {
-  const tuple = str.split(/:/, 3);
+export function targetFromTargetString(
+  specifier: string,
+  abbreviatedProjectName?: string,
+  abbreviatedTargetName?: string,
+): Target {
+  const tuple = specifier.split(':', 3);
   if (tuple.length < 2) {
-    throw new Error('Invalid target string: ' + JSON.stringify(str));
+    throw new Error('Invalid target string: ' + JSON.stringify(specifier));
   }
 
   return {
-    project: tuple[0],
-    target: tuple[1],
+    project: tuple[0] || abbreviatedProjectName || '',
+    target: tuple[1] || abbreviatedTargetName || '',
     ...(tuple[2] !== undefined && { configuration: tuple[2] }),
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/options.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/options.ts
index 2102c9284a4e..3aa8983e57a9 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/options.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/options.ts
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ export async function normalizeOptions(
 
   const cacheOptions = normalizeCacheOptions(projectMetadata, workspaceRoot);
 
-  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
-  const buildTarget = targetFromTargetString(options.buildTarget ?? options.browserTarget!);
+  // Target specifier defaults to the current project's build target using a development configuration
+  const buildTargetSpecifier = options.buildTarget ?? options.browserTarget ?? `::development`;
+  const buildTarget = targetFromTargetString(buildTargetSpecifier, projectName, 'build');
 
   // Initial options to keep
   const {
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json
index 93ce53407a27..2d224e30a4a9 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     "buildTarget": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "A build builder target to serve in the format of `project:target[:configuration]`. You can also pass in more than one configuration name as a comma-separated list. Example: `project:target:production,staging`.",
-      "pattern": "^[^:\\s]+:[^:\\s]+(:[^\\s]+)?$"
+      "pattern": "^[^:\\s]*:[^:\\s]*(:[^\\s]+)?$"
     },
     "port": {
       "type": "number",
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/options.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/options.ts
index b65039ccb775..57bea269d9d6 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/options.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/options.ts
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ export async function normalizeOptions(
   const projectMetadata = await context.getProjectMetadata(projectName);
   const projectRoot = path.join(workspaceRoot, (projectMetadata.root as string | undefined) ?? '');
 
-  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
-  const buildTarget = targetFromTargetString(options.buildTarget ?? options.browserTarget!);
+  // Target specifier defaults to the current project's build target with no specified configuration
+  const buildTargetSpecifier = options.buildTarget ?? options.browserTarget ?? ':';
+  const buildTarget = targetFromTargetString(buildTargetSpecifier, projectName, 'build');
 
   const i18nOptions = createI18nOptions(projectMetadata);
 
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/schema.json b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/schema.json
index 22bb8c36b460..1b3943d8cee4 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/schema.json
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/src/builders/extract-i18n/schema.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     "buildTarget": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "A builder target to extract i18n messages in the format of `project:target[:configuration]`. You can also pass in more than one configuration name as a comma-separated list. Example: `project:target:production,staging`.",
-      "pattern": "^[^:\\s]+:[^:\\s]+(:[^\\s]+)?$"
+      "pattern": "^[^:\\s]*:[^:\\s]*(:[^\\s]+)?$"
     },
     "format": {
       "type": "string",