diff --git a/source/dub/recipe/io.d b/source/dub/recipe/io.d
index 0cec7e5..435cc0b 100644
--- a/source/dub/recipe/io.d
+++ b/source/dub/recipe/io.d
@@ -43,3 +43,49 @@
 	else assert(false, "readPackageRecipe called with filename with unknown extension: "~filename);
 	return ret;
 }
+
+
+unittest { // issue #711 - configuration default target type not correct for SDL
+	import dub.compilers.buildsettings : TargetType;
+	auto inputs = [
+		"dub.sdl": "name \"test\"\nconfiguration \"a\" {\n}",
+		"dub.json": "{\"name\": \"test\", \"configurations\": [{\"name\": \"a\"}]}"
+	];
+	foreach (file, content; inputs) {
+		auto pr = parsePackageRecipe(content, file);
+		assert(pr.name == "test");
+		assert(pr.configurations.length == 1);
+		assert(pr.configurations[0].name == "a");
+		assert(pr.configurations[0].buildSettings.targetType == TargetType.library);
+	}
+}
+
+unittest { // issue #711 - configuration default target type not correct for SDL
+	import dub.compilers.buildsettings : TargetType;
+	auto inputs = [
+		"dub.sdl": "name \"test\"\ntargetType \"autodetect\"\nconfiguration \"a\" {\n}",
+		"dub.json": "{\"name\": \"test\", \"targetType\": \"autodetect\", \"configurations\": [{\"name\": \"a\"}]}"
+	];
+	foreach (file, content; inputs) {
+		auto pr = parsePackageRecipe(content, file);
+		assert(pr.name == "test");
+		assert(pr.configurations.length == 1);
+		assert(pr.configurations[0].name == "a");
+		assert(pr.configurations[0].buildSettings.targetType == TargetType.library);
+	}
+}
+
+unittest { // issue #711 - configuration default target type not correct for SDL
+	import dub.compilers.buildsettings : TargetType;
+	auto inputs = [
+		"dub.sdl": "name \"test\"\ntargetType \"executable\"\nconfiguration \"a\" {\n}",
+		"dub.json": "{\"name\": \"test\", \"targetType\": \"executable\", \"configurations\": [{\"name\": \"a\"}]}"
+	];
+	foreach (file, content; inputs) {
+		auto pr = parsePackageRecipe(content, file);
+		assert(pr.name == "test");
+		assert(pr.configurations.length == 1);
+		assert(pr.configurations[0].name == "a");
+		assert(pr.configurations[0].buildSettings.targetType == TargetType.executable);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/source/dub/recipe/sdl.d b/source/dub/recipe/sdl.d
index 8294fdd..dad1d85 100644
--- a/source/dub/recipe/sdl.d
+++ b/source/dub/recipe/sdl.d
@@ -57,10 +57,17 @@
 	// parse general build settings
 	parseBuildSettings(sdl, recipe.buildSettings, full_name);
 
+	// determine default target type for configurations
+	auto defttype = recipe.buildSettings.targetType;
+	if (defttype == TargetType.autodetect)
+		defttype = TargetType.library;
+
 	// parse configurations
 	recipe.configurations.length = configs.length;
-	foreach (i, n; configs)
+	foreach (i, n; configs) {
+		recipe.configurations[i].buildSettings.targetType = defttype;
 		parseConfiguration(n, recipe.configurations[i], full_name);
+	}
 
 	// finally parse all sub packages
 	recipe.subPackages.length = subpacks.length;