diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/node/node-modules-architect-host.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/node/node-modules-architect-host.ts
index c70d303f2dfc..f1cd327136e2 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/node/node-modules-architect-host.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/node/node-modules-architect-host.ts
@@ -104,8 +104,11 @@ export class WorkspaceNodeModulesArchitectHost implements ArchitectHost<NodeModu
     if (targetSpec === undefined) {
       return null;
     }
-    if (target.configuration && !targetSpec['configurations']) {
-      throw new Error('Configuration not set in the workspace.');
+    if (
+      target.configuration
+      && !(targetSpec['configurations'] && targetSpec['configurations'][target.configuration])
+    ) {
+      throw new Error(`Configuration '${target.configuration}' is not set in the workspace.`);
     }
 
     return {
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/architect.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/architect.ts
index 941320afff3c..877b91e46a9a 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/architect.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/architect.ts
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@ export class Architect {
     options: json.JsonObject,
     scheduleOptions: ScheduleOptions = {},
   ): Promise<BuilderRun> {
-    if (!/^[^:]+:[^:]+$/.test(name)) {
+    // The below will match 'project:target:configuration'
+    if (!/^[^:]+:[^:]+(:[^:]+)?$/.test(name)) {
       throw new Error('Invalid builder name: ' + JSON.stringify(name));
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/index_spec.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/index_spec.ts
index 24a44e487d49..cac45b39de5e 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/architect/src/index_spec.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,15 @@ describe('architect', () => {
     await run.stop();
   });
 
+  it(`errors when target configuration doesn't exists`, async () => {
+    try {
+      await architect.scheduleBuilder('test:test:invalid', {});
+      throw new Error('should have thrown');
+    } catch (err) {
+      expect(err.message).toContain('Job name "test:test:invalid" does not exist.');
+    }
+  });
+
   it('errors when builder cannot be resolved', async () => {
     try {
       await architect.scheduleBuilder('non:existent', {});
diff --git a/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/unknown-configuration.ts b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/unknown-configuration.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..98257ee86e70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/legacy-cli/e2e/tests/commands/unknown-configuration.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { ng } from "../../utils/process";
+
+export default async function () {
+  try {
+    await ng('build', '--configuration', 'invalid');
+    throw new Error('should have failed.');
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (!error.message.includes(`Configuration 'invalid' is not set in the workspace`)) {
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+};