diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/makestep.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/makestep.cpp
index 524ba5548a53678a5c7f88ca91a5db06260e5835..a5eb910e6021aceddbd8f9f3df7f259e31ca6553 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/makestep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/makestep.cpp
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ bool MakeStep::fromMap(const QVariantMap &map)
 bool MakeStep::init()
 {
     CMakeBuildConfiguration *bc = cmakeBuildConfiguration();
+    if (!bc)
+        bc = static_cast<CMakeBuildConfiguration *>(target()->activeBuildConfiguration());
 
     QString arguments = Utils::QtcProcess::joinArgs(m_buildTargets);
     Utils::QtcProcess::addArgs(&arguments, additionalArguments());