diff --git a/eng/pipelines/runtime-linker-tests.yml b/eng/pipelines/runtime-linker-tests.yml
index 64c4a55c772fdf..d88a886833a4a6 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/runtime-linker-tests.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/runtime-linker-tests.yml
@@ -77,3 +77,7 @@ jobs:
       nameSuffix: Runtime_Release
       buildArgs: -s mono+libs -c $(_BuildConfig)
       extraStepsTemplate: /eng/pipelines/libraries/execute-trimming-tests-steps.yml
+      dependsOn:
+      - mono_browser_offsets
+      monoCrossAOTTargetOS:
+      - Browser
diff --git a/src/mono/wasm/build/WasmApp.targets b/src/mono/wasm/build/WasmApp.targets
index e43e1cc6b0be2c..c58cd825d6fd46 100644
--- a/src/mono/wasm/build/WasmApp.targets
+++ b/src/mono/wasm/build/WasmApp.targets
@@ -194,15 +194,13 @@
     </ItemGroup>
   </Target>
 
-  <Target Name="_BeforeWasmBuildApp">
+  <Target Name="_BeforeWasmBuildApp" DependsOnTargets="_SetWasmBuildNativeDefaults">
     <Error Condition="'$(IntermediateOutputPath)' == ''" Text="%24(IntermediateOutputPath) property needs to be set" />
     <Error Condition="!Exists('$(MicrosoftNetCoreAppRuntimePackRidDir)')" Text="MicrosoftNetCoreAppRuntimePackRidDir=$(MicrosoftNetCoreAppRuntimePackRidDir) doesn't exist" />
     <Error Condition="@(WasmAssembliesToBundle->Count()) == 0" Text="WasmAssembliesToBundle item is empty. No assemblies to process" />
 
     <PropertyGroup>
       <WasmGenerateAppBundle Condition="'$(WasmGenerateAppBundle)' == ''">true</WasmGenerateAppBundle>
-      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == ''">false</WasmBuildNative>
-      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(RunAOTCompilation)' == 'true'">true</WasmBuildNative>
       <WasmNativeDebugSymbols Condition="'$(WasmNativeDebugSymbols)' == ''">true</WasmNativeDebugSymbols>
       <WasmAppDir Condition="'$(WasmAppDir)' == ''">$(OutputPath)AppBundle\</WasmAppDir>
       <WasmMainAssemblyFileName Condition="'$(WasmMainAssemblyFileName)' == ''">$(TargetFileName)</WasmMainAssemblyFileName>
@@ -224,6 +222,34 @@
     </ItemGroup>
   </Target>
 
+  <Target Name="_SetWasmBuildNativeDefaults">
+    <PropertyGroup>
+      <_IsEMSDKMissing Condition="'$(EMSDK_PATH)' == '' or !Exists('$(EMSDK_PATH)')">true</_IsEMSDKMissing>
+    </PropertyGroup>
+
+    <!-- if already set, maybe by a user projects, then a missing emsdk is an error -->
+    <Error Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == 'true' and '$(_IsEMSDKMissing)' == 'true'"
+           Text="Cannot find emscripten sdk, required for building native files. %24(EMSDK_PATH)=$(EMSDK_PATH)" />
+
+    <Error Condition="'$(RunAOTCompilation)' == 'true' and '$(_IsEMSDKMissing)' == 'true'"
+           Text="Cannot find emscripten sdk, required for AOT'ing assemblies. %24(EMSDK_PATH)=$(EMSDK_PATH)" />
+
+    <PropertyGroup>
+      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(RunAOTCompilation)' == 'true'">true</WasmBuildNative>
+      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == '' and '$(PublishTrimmed)' != 'true'">false</WasmBuildNative>
+      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == '' and '$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">true</WasmBuildNative>
+      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == ''">false</WasmBuildNative>
+    </PropertyGroup>
+
+    <!-- If we want to default to true, and sdk is missing, then just warn, and set it to false -->
+    <Warning Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == 'true' and '$(_IsEMSDKMissing)' == 'true'"
+             Text="Cannot find emscripten sdk, required for building native files. %24(EMSDK_PATH)=$(EMSDK_PATH). Skipping native relinking" />
+
+    <PropertyGroup>
+      <WasmBuildNative Condition="'$(WasmBuildNative)' == 'true' and '$(_IsEMSDKMissing)' == 'true'">false</WasmBuildNative>
+    </PropertyGroup>
+  </Target>
+
   <Target Name="_WasmCoreBuild" BeforeTargets="WasmBuildApp" DependsOnTargets="$(WasmBuildAppDependsOn)" />
 
   <Target Name="_WasmGenerateAppBundle" Condition="'$(WasmGenerateAppBundle)' == 'true'">
@@ -278,8 +304,8 @@
     </ReadLinesFromFile>
 
     <PropertyGroup>
+      <EmccFlags>$(_DefaultEmccFlags) $(EmccFlags)</EmccFlags>
       <EmccFlags Condition="'$(_WasmDevel)' == 'true'">-O0 $(EmccFlags)</EmccFlags>
-      <EmccFlags>$(EmccFlags) $(_DefaultEmccFlags) $(EmccFlags)</EmccFlags>
       <EmccFlags>$(EmccFlags) -s DISABLE_EXCEPTION_CATCHING=0</EmccFlags>
       <EmccFlags Condition="'$(RunAOTCompilation)' == 'true'">$(EmccFlags) -DENABLE_AOT=1 -DDRIVER_GEN=1</EmccFlags>
       <EmccFlags Condition="'$(InvariantGlobalization)' == 'true'">$(EmccFlags) -DINVARIANT_GLOBALIZATION=1</EmccFlags>
diff --git a/src/tests/BuildWasmApps/Wasm.Build.Tests/WasmBuildAppTest.cs b/src/tests/BuildWasmApps/Wasm.Build.Tests/WasmBuildAppTest.cs
index c6ff9aa45d312f..29b31eea76d748 100644
--- a/src/tests/BuildWasmApps/Wasm.Build.Tests/WasmBuildAppTest.cs
+++ b/src/tests/BuildWasmApps/Wasm.Build.Tests/WasmBuildAppTest.cs
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ public static int Main()
 
             string projectName = $"invariant_{invariantGlobalization?.ToString() ?? "unset"}";
             BuildProject(projectName, config, aot: aot, extraProperties: extraProperties,
-                        hasIcudt: invariantGlobalization == null || invariantGlobalization.Value == false);
+                        hasIcudt: invariantGlobalization == null || invariantGlobalization.Value == false,
+                        dotnetWasmFromRuntimePack: !(aot || config == "Release"));
 
             RunAndTestWasmApp(projectName, config, isAOT: aot, expectedExitCode: 42,
                                 test: output => Assert.Contains("Hello, World!", output));
@@ -265,7 +266,7 @@ public void TopLevelWithArgs(string config, bool aot, string[] args)
         void TestMain(string projectName, string programText, string config, bool aot)
         {
             File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_tempDir, "Program.cs"), programText);
-            BuildProject(projectName, config, aot: aot);
+            BuildProject(projectName, config, aot: aot, dotnetWasmFromRuntimePack: !(aot || config == "Release"));
             RunAndTestWasmApp(projectName, config, isAOT: aot, expectedExitCode: 42,
                                 test: output => Assert.Contains("Hello, World!", output));
         }
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ void TestMainWithArgs(string projectName, string programFormatString, string con
             string programText = programFormatString.Replace("##CODE##", code);
 
             File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_tempDir, "Program.cs"), programText);
-            BuildProject(projectName, config, aot: aot);
+            BuildProject(projectName, config, aot: aot, dotnetWasmFromRuntimePack: !(aot || config == "Release"));
             RunAndTestWasmApp(projectName, config, isAOT: aot, expectedExitCode: 42 + args.Length, args: string.Join(' ', args),
                 test: output =>
                 {