diff --git a/cmd/builder/go.mod b/cmd/builder/go.mod
index 6cd220292f8..2debe350db6 100644
--- a/cmd/builder/go.mod
+++ b/cmd/builder/go.mod
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ require (
 )
 
 require (
+	github.com/benbjohnson/clock v1.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.5.1 // indirect
 	github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.0.0 // indirect
diff --git a/cmd/builder/go.sum b/cmd/builder/go.sum
index b423b8d01ef..1f3e9051454 100644
--- a/cmd/builder/go.sum
+++ b/cmd/builder/go.sum
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sso v1.4.2/go.mod h1:NBvT9R1MEF+Ud6ApJKM0G+
 github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts v1.7.2/go.mod h1:8EzeIqfWt2wWT4rJVu3f21TfrhJ8AEMzVybRNSb/b4g=
 github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.8.0/go.mod h1:SObp3lf9smib00L/v3U2eAKG8FyQ7iLrJnQiAmR5n+E=
 github.com/benbjohnson/clock v1.1.0 h1:Q92kusRqC1XV2MjkWETPvjJVqKetz1OzxZB7mHJLju8=
+github.com/benbjohnson/clock v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J11/hYXuz8f4ySSvYwY0FKfm+ezbsZBKZxNJlLklBHA=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v0.0.0-20180321164747-3a771d992973/go.mod h1:Dwedo/Wpr24TaqPxmxbtue+5NUziq4I4S80YR8gNf3Q=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.0/go.mod h1:KWe93zE9D1o94FZ5RNwFwVgaQK1VOXiVxmqh+CedLV8=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1/go.mod h1:G2ZrVWU2WbWT9wwq4/hrbKbnv/1ERSJQ0ibhJ6rlkpw=
diff --git a/cmd/builder/internal/builder/config_test.go b/cmd/builder/internal/builder/config_test.go
index c64c6d63211..69c3b0b5658 100644
--- a/cmd/builder/internal/builder/config_test.go
+++ b/cmd/builder/internal/builder/config_test.go
@@ -20,9 +20,14 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/knadh/koanf"
+	"github.com/knadh/koanf/parsers/yaml"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
+	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
+
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/cmd/builder/internal/config"
 )
 
 func TestParseModules(t *testing.T) {
@@ -141,6 +146,26 @@ func TestNewDefaultConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, cfg.Validate())
 }
 
+func TestNewBuiltinConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	k := koanf.New(".")
+
+	require.NoError(t, k.Load(config.DefaultProvider(), yaml.Parser()))
+
+	cfg := Config{Logger: zaptest.NewLogger(t)}
+
+	require.NoError(t, k.UnmarshalWithConf("", &cfg, koanf.UnmarshalConf{Tag: "mapstructure"}))
+	assert.NoError(t, cfg.ParseModules())
+	assert.NoError(t, cfg.Validate())
+
+	// Unlike the config initialized in NewDefaultConfig(), we expect
+	// the builtin default to be practically useful, so there must be
+	// a set of modules present.
+	assert.NotZero(t, len(cfg.Receivers))
+	assert.NotZero(t, len(cfg.Exporters))
+	assert.NotZero(t, len(cfg.Extensions))
+	assert.NotZero(t, len(cfg.Processors))
+}
+
 func TestSkipGoValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := Config{
 		Distribution: Distribution{
diff --git a/cmd/builder/test/test.sh b/cmd/builder/test/test.sh
index c0b35afed49..434102ea46f 100755
--- a/cmd/builder/test/test.sh
+++ b/cmd/builder/test/test.sh
@@ -25,11 +25,7 @@ test_build_config() {
 
     echo "Starting test '${test}' at `date`" >> "${out}/test.log"
 
-    if [ -z "$build_config" ] ; then
-        go run . --go "${GOBIN}" --output-path "${out}" --name otelcol-built-test > "${out}/builder.log" 2>&1
-    else
-        go run . --go "${GOBIN}" --config "$build_config" --output-path "${out}" --name otelcol-built-test > "${out}/builder.log" 2>&1
-    fi
+    go run . --go "${GOBIN}" --config "$build_config" --output-path "${out}" --name otelcol-built-test > "${out}/builder.log" 2>&1
 
     if [ $? != 0 ]; then
         echo "❌ FAIL ${test}. Failed to compile the test ${test}. Build logs:"
@@ -112,9 +108,6 @@ echo "Running the tests in ${base}"
 
 failed=false
 
-# Test that an empty build configuration builds a working default collector.
-test_build_config "default"
-
 for test in $tests
 do
     test_build_config "$test" "./test/${test}.builder.yaml"