diff --git a/src/build_config.zig b/src/build_config.zig
index 27575c79d..5b457061b 100644
--- a/src/build_config.zig
+++ b/src/build_config.zig
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ const apprt = @import("apprt.zig");
 pub const artifact = Artifact.detect();
 
 /// The runtime to back exe artifacts with.
-pub const app_runtime = std.meta.stringToEnum(
-    apprt.Runtime,
-    std.meta.tagName(options.app_runtime),
-).?;
+pub const app_runtime: apprt.Runtime = switch (artifact) {
+    .lib => .none,
+    else => std.meta.stringToEnum(apprt.Runtime, std.meta.tagName(options.app_runtime)).?,
+};
 
 /// Whether our devmode UI is enabled or not. This requires imgui to be
 /// compiled.