diff --git a/internal/builders/golang/build.go b/internal/builders/golang/build.go
index bd6fd40d9c2..da5e04a8b8e 100644
--- a/internal/builders/golang/build.go
+++ b/internal/builders/golang/build.go
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ func (*Builder) WithDefaults(build config.Build) (config.Build, error) {
 	if build.GoBinary == "" {
 		build.GoBinary = "go"
 	}
+	if build.Command == "" {
+		build.Command = "build"
+	}
 	if build.Dir == "" {
 		build.Dir = "."
 	}
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ func withOverrides(ctx *context.Context, build config.Build, options api.Options
 }
 
 func buildGoBuildLine(ctx *context.Context, build config.Build, options api.Options, artifact *artifact.Artifact, env []string) ([]string, error) {
-	cmd := []string{build.GoBinary, "build"}
+	cmd := []string{build.GoBinary, build.Command}
 
 	details, err := withOverrides(ctx, build, options)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -255,6 +258,9 @@ func run(ctx *context.Context, command, env []string, dir string) error {
 }
 
 func checkMain(build config.Build) error {
+	if build.NoMainCheck {
+		return nil
+	}
 	main := build.Main
 	if build.UnproxiedMain != "" {
 		main = build.UnproxiedMain
diff --git a/internal/builders/golang/build_test.go b/internal/builders/golang/build_test.go
index cf54b0d3239..dac01ac152e 100644
--- a/internal/builders/golang/build_test.go
+++ b/internal/builders/golang/build_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,21 @@ func TestWithDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("command not set", func(t *testing.T) {
+		build, err := Default.WithDefaults(config.Build{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "build", build.Command)
+	})
+	t.Run("command set", func(t *testing.T) {
+		build, err := Default.WithDefaults(config.Build{
+			Command: "test",
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "test", build.Command)
+	})
+}
+
 // createFakeGoBinaryWithVersion creates a temporary executable with the
 // given name, which will output a go version string with the given version.
 //  The temporary directory created by this function will be placed in the PATH
@@ -301,6 +316,7 @@ func TestBuild(t *testing.T) {
 					"linux_mips64le_softfloat",
 				},
 				GoBinary: "go",
+				Command:  "build",
 				BuildDetails: config.BuildDetails{
 					Asmflags: []string{".=", "all="},
 					Gcflags:  []string{"all="},
@@ -479,6 +495,7 @@ func TestBuildCodeInSubdir(t *testing.T) {
 					runtimeTarget,
 				},
 				GoBinary: "go",
+				Command:  "build",
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -506,6 +523,7 @@ func TestBuildWithDotGoDir(t *testing.T) {
 				Binary:   "foo",
 				Targets:  []string{runtimeTarget},
 				GoBinary: "go",
+				Command:  "build",
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -534,6 +552,7 @@ func TestBuildFailed(t *testing.T) {
 					runtimeTarget,
 				},
 				GoBinary: "go",
+				Command:  "build",
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -648,15 +667,7 @@ func TestRunPipeWithoutMainFunc(t *testing.T) {
 		folder := testlib.Mktmp(t)
 		writeMainWithoutMainFunc(t, folder)
 		config := config.Project{
-			Builds: []config.Build{
-				{
-					Binary: "no-main",
-					Hooks:  config.BuildHookConfig{},
-					Targets: []string{
-						runtimeTarget,
-					},
-				},
-			},
+			Builds: []config.Build{{Binary: "no-main"}},
 		}
 		ctx := context.New(config)
 		ctx.Git.CurrentTag = "5.6.7"
@@ -703,6 +714,28 @@ func TestRunPipeWithoutMainFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestBuildTests(t *testing.T) {
+	folder := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	writeTest(t, folder)
+	config := config.Project{
+		Builds: []config.Build{{
+			Binary:  "foo.test",
+			Command: "test",
+			BuildDetails: config.BuildDetails{
+				Flags: []string{"-c"},
+			},
+		}},
+	}
+	ctx := context.New(config)
+	ctx.Git.CurrentTag = "5.6.7"
+	ctx.Config.Builds[0].NoMainCheck = true
+	build, err := Default.WithDefaults(config.Builds[0])
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, Default.Build(ctx, build, api.Options{
+		Target: runtimeTarget,
+	}))
+}
+
 func TestRunPipeWithProxiedRepo(t *testing.T) {
 	folder := testlib.Mktmp(t)
 	out, err := exec.Command("git", "clone", "https://github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser", "-b", "v0.161.1", "--depth=1", ".").CombinedOutput()
@@ -744,6 +777,7 @@ import _ "github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser"
 					runtimeTarget,
 				},
 				GoBinary: "go",
+				Command:  "build",
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -771,6 +805,7 @@ func TestRunPipeWithMainFuncNotInMainGoFile(t *testing.T) {
 					runtimeTarget,
 				},
 				GoBinary: "go",
+				Command:  "build",
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -925,6 +960,7 @@ func TestBuildModTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 				ModTimestamp: fmt.Sprintf("%d", modTime.Unix()),
 				GoBinary:     "go",
+				Command:      "build",
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -977,7 +1013,7 @@ func TestBuildGoBuildLine(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx.Git.Commit = "aaa"
 
 		line, err := buildGoBuildLine(ctx, config.Builds[0], api.Options{
-			Path:   "foo",
+			Path:   config.Builds[0].Binary,
 			Goos:   "linux",
 			Goarch: "amd64",
 		}, &artifact.Artifact{}, []string{})
@@ -995,7 +1031,9 @@ func TestBuildGoBuildLine(t *testing.T) {
 				Tags:     []string{"tag1", "tag2"},
 				Ldflags:  []string{"ldflag1", "ldflag2"},
 			},
+			Binary:   "foo",
 			GoBinary: "go",
+			Command:  "build",
 		}, []string{
 			"go", "build",
 			"-flag1", "-flag2",
@@ -1031,6 +1069,8 @@ func TestBuildGoBuildLine(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			GoBinary: "go",
+			Binary:   "foo",
+			Command:  "build",
 		}, []string{
 			"go", "build",
 			"-flag3",
@@ -1046,9 +1086,23 @@ func TestBuildGoBuildLine(t *testing.T) {
 		requireEqualCmd(t, config.Build{
 			Main:     ".",
 			GoBinary: "go",
+			Command:  "build",
+			Binary:   "foo",
 		}, strings.Fields("go build -o foo ."))
 	})
 
+	t.Run("test", func(t *testing.T) {
+		requireEqualCmd(t, config.Build{
+			Main:     ".",
+			GoBinary: "go",
+			Command:  "test",
+			Binary:   "foo.test",
+			BuildDetails: config.BuildDetails{
+				Flags: []string{"-c"},
+			},
+		}, strings.Fields("go test -c -o foo.test ."))
+	})
+
 	t.Run("ldflags1", func(t *testing.T) {
 		requireEqualCmd(t, config.Build{
 			Main: ".",
@@ -1056,6 +1110,8 @@ func TestBuildGoBuildLine(t *testing.T) {
 				Ldflags: []string{"-s -w -X main.version={{.Version}} -X main.commit={{.Commit}} -X main.builtBy=goreleaser"},
 			},
 			GoBinary: "go",
+			Command:  "build",
+			Binary:   "foo",
 		}, []string{
 			"go", "build",
 			"-ldflags=-s -w -X main.version=1.2.3 -X main.commit=aaa -X main.builtBy=goreleaser",
@@ -1070,6 +1126,8 @@ func TestBuildGoBuildLine(t *testing.T) {
 				Ldflags: []string{"-s -w", "-X main.version={{.Version}}"},
 			},
 			GoBinary: "go",
+			Binary:   "foo",
+			Command:  "build",
 		}, []string{"go", "build", "-ldflags=-s -w -X main.version=1.2.3", "-o", "foo", "."})
 	})
 }
@@ -1260,6 +1318,20 @@ func writeGoodMain(t *testing.T, folder string) {
 	))
 }
 
+func writeTest(t *testing.T, folder string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(
+		filepath.Join(folder, "main_test.go"),
+		[]byte("package main\nimport\"testing\"\nfunc TestFoo(t *testing.T) {t.Log(\"OK\")}"),
+		0o644,
+	))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(
+		filepath.Join(folder, "go.mod"),
+		[]byte("module foo\n"),
+		0o666,
+	))
+}
+
 func assertContainsError(t *testing.T, err error, s string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	require.Error(t, err)
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index f8e38f86d10..f3720dce37e 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -312,7 +312,9 @@ type Build struct {
 	ModTimestamp    string          `yaml:"mod_timestamp,omitempty"`
 	Skip            bool            `yaml:"skip,omitempty"`
 	GoBinary        string          `yaml:"gobinary,omitempty"`
+	Command         string          `yaml:"command,omitempty"`
 	NoUniqueDistDir bool            `yaml:"no_unique_dist_dir,omitempty"`
+	NoMainCheck     bool            `yaml:"no_main_check,omitempty"`
 	UnproxiedMain   string          `yaml:"-"` // used by gomod.proxy
 	UnproxiedDir    string          `yaml:"-"` // used by gomod.proxy
 
diff --git a/www/docs/customization/build.md b/www/docs/customization/build.md
index 128334ceeb9..c2c8ca08dca 100644
--- a/www/docs/customization/build.md
+++ b/www/docs/customization/build.md
@@ -125,11 +125,20 @@ builds:
       - darwin_arm64
       - linux_arm_6
 
-    # Set a specific go binary to use when building. It is safe to ignore
-    # this option in most cases.
+    # Set a specific go binary to use when building.
+    # It is safe to ignore this option in most cases.
+    #
     # Default is "go"
     gobinary: "go1.13.4"
 
+    # Sets the command to run to build.
+    # Can be useful if you want to build tests, for example,
+    # in which case you can set this to "test".
+    # It is safe to ignore this option in most cases.
+    #
+    # Default is "build".
+    command: test
+
     # Set the modified timestamp on the output binary, typically
     # you would do this to ensure a build was reproducible. Pass
     # empty string to skip modifying the output.
@@ -158,6 +167,12 @@ builds:
     # Defaults to `false`.
     no_unique_dist_dir: true
 
+    # By default, GoReleaser will check if the main filepath has a main function.
+    # This can be used to skip that check, in case you're building tests, for example.
+    #
+    # Defaults to `false`.
+    no_main_check: true
+
     # Builder allows you to use a different build implementation.
     # This is a GoReleaser Pro feature.
     # Valid options are: `go` and `prebuilt`.