'built kernel successfully',
                           build_end - build_start)
 
+def config_and_build_tests(linux: kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree,
+                          request: KunitBuildRequest) -> KunitResult:
+       config_result = config_tests(linux, request)
+       if config_result.status != KunitStatus.SUCCESS:
+               return config_result
+
+       return build_tests(linux, request)
+
 def _list_tests(linux: kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree, request: KunitExecRequest) -> List[str]:
        args = ['kunit.action=list']
        if request.kernel_args:
                                            make_options=cli_args.make_options,
                                            jobs=cli_args.jobs,
                                            alltests=cli_args.alltests)
-               result = build_tests(linux, request)
+               result = config_and_build_tests(linux, request)
                kunit_parser.print_with_timestamp((
                        'Elapsed time: %.3fs\n') % (
                                result.elapsed_time))
 
 
        def test_build_passes_args_pass(self):
                kunit.main(['build'], self.linux_source_mock)
-               self.assertEqual(self.linux_source_mock.build_reconfig.call_count, 0)
+               self.assertEqual(self.linux_source_mock.build_reconfig.call_count, 1)
                self.linux_source_mock.build_kernel.assert_called_once_with(False, 8, '.kunit', None)
                self.assertEqual(self.linux_source_mock.run_kernel.call_count, 0)