diff --git a/internal/pipe/build/build.go b/internal/pipe/build/build.go
index 50cee81fe..cd382ec64 100644
--- a/internal/pipe/build/build.go
+++ b/internal/pipe/build/build.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func buildWithDefaults(ctx *context.Context, build config.Build) config.Build {
 		build.Binary = ctx.Config.ProjectName
 	}
 	if build.ID == "" {
-		build.ID = build.Binary
+		build.ID = ctx.Config.ProjectName
 	}
 	for k, v := range build.Env {
 		build.Env[k] = os.ExpandEnv(v)
diff --git a/internal/pipe/build/build_test.go b/internal/pipe/build/build_test.go
index eb99ddc1f..301e79b66 100644
--- a/internal/pipe/build/build_test.go
+++ b/internal/pipe/build/build_test.go
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ func TestDefaultEmptyBuild(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	assert.NoError(t, Pipe{}.Default(ctx))
 	var build = ctx.Config.Builds[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Config.ProjectName, build.ID)
 	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Config.ProjectName, build.Binary)
 	assert.Equal(t, ".", build.Main)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"linux", "darwin"}, build.Goos)
@@ -238,6 +239,25 @@ func TestDefaultEmptyBuild(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "-s -w -X main.version={{.Version}} -X main.commit={{.Commit}} -X main.date={{.Date}} -X main.builtBy=goreleaser", build.Ldflags[0])
 }
 
+func TestDefaultBuildID(t *testing.T) {
+	var ctx = &context.Context{
+		Config: config.Project{
+			ProjectName: "foo",
+			Builds: []config.Build{
+				{
+					Binary: "{{.Env.FOO}}",
+				},
+				{
+					Binary: "bar",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	assert.EqualError(t, Pipe{}.Default(ctx), "found 2 items with the ID 'foo', please fix your config")
+	var build = ctx.Config.Builds[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Config.ProjectName, build.ID)
+}
+
 func TestSeveralBuildsWithTheSameID(t *testing.T) {
 	var ctx = &context.Context{
 		Config: config.Project{
diff --git a/internal/pipe/defaults/defaults_test.go b/internal/pipe/defaults/defaults_test.go
index e78b5fe13..2637e424b 100644
--- a/internal/pipe/defaults/defaults_test.go
+++ b/internal/pipe/defaults/defaults_test.go
@@ -68,9 +68,13 @@ func TestFillPartial(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			Builds: []config.Build{
-				{Binary: "testreleaser"},
+				{
+					ID:     "build1",
+					Binary: "testreleaser",
+				},
 				{Goos: []string{"linux"}},
 				{
+					ID:     "build3",
 					Binary: "another",
 					Ignore: []config.IgnoredBuild{
 						{Goos: "darwin", Goarch: "amd64"},