diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 87d6d18a8..ddb730fbf 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ type Project struct {
 	Checksum    Checksum  `yaml:",omitempty"`
 	Dockers     []Docker  `yaml:",omitempty"`
 	Changelog   Changelog `yaml:",omitempty"`
+	Dist        string    `yaml:",omitempty"`
 
 	// this is a hack ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 	SingleBuild Build `yaml:"build,omitempty"`
@@ -231,9 +232,6 @@ type Project struct {
 	// should be set if using github enterprise
 	GitHubURLs GitHubURLs `yaml:"github_urls,omitempty"`
 
-	// test only property indicating the path to the dist folder
-	Dist string `yaml:"-"`
-
 	// Capture all undefined fields and should be empty after loading
 	XXX map[string]interface{} `yaml:",inline"`
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go b/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go
index 29ce9844d..8fd1bf97a 100644
--- a/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go
+++ b/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ func (Pipe) Description() string {
 
 // Run the pipe
 func (Pipe) Run(ctx *context.Context) error { // nolint: gocyclo
-	ctx.Config.Dist = "dist"
+	if ctx.Config.Dist == "" {
+		ctx.Config.Dist = "dist"
+	}
 	if ctx.Config.Release.NameTemplate == "" {
 		ctx.Config.Release.NameTemplate = ReleaseNameTemplate
 	}
diff --git a/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go b/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go
index 5b168ab11..0130a9aab 100644
--- a/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ func TestFillBasicData(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx.Config.Archive.NameTemplate,
 		ctx.Config.Builds[0].Ldflags,
 		ctx.Config.Archive.Files,
+		ctx.Config.Dist,
 	)
 }
 
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ func TestFillPartial(t *testing.T) {
 
 	var ctx = &context.Context{
 		Config: config.Project{
+			Dist: "disttt",
 			Release: config.Release{
 				GitHub: config.Repo{
 					Owner: "goreleaser",
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ func TestFillPartial(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotEmpty(t, ctx.Config.Dockers[0].Goarch)
 	assert.NotEmpty(t, ctx.Config.Dockers[0].Dockerfile)
 	assert.Empty(t, ctx.Config.Dockers[0].Goarm)
+	assert.Equal(t, "disttt", ctx.Config.Dist)
 }
 
 func TestFillSingleBuild(t *testing.T) {