diff --git a/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py b/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py
index b3490271a103..787b6d4ad716 100755
--- a/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py
+++ b/tools/testing/kunit/kunit.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import kunit_parser
 KunitResult = namedtuple('KunitResult', ['status','result','elapsed_time'])
 
 KunitConfigRequest = namedtuple('KunitConfigRequest',
-				['build_dir', 'defconfig', 'make_options'])
+				['build_dir', 'make_options'])
 KunitBuildRequest = namedtuple('KunitBuildRequest',
 			       ['jobs', 'build_dir', 'alltests',
 				'make_options'])
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ KunitExecRequest = namedtuple('KunitExecRequest',
 KunitParseRequest = namedtuple('KunitParseRequest',
 			       ['raw_output', 'input_data'])
 KunitRequest = namedtuple('KunitRequest', ['raw_output','timeout', 'jobs',
-					   'build_dir', 'defconfig',
-					   'alltests', 'make_options'])
+					   'build_dir', 'alltests',
+					   'make_options'])
 
 KernelDirectoryPath = sys.argv[0].split('tools/testing/kunit/')[0]
 
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ def config_tests(linux: kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree,
 	kunit_parser.print_with_timestamp('Configuring KUnit Kernel ...')
 
 	config_start = time.time()
-	if request.defconfig:
-		create_default_kunitconfig()
+	create_default_kunitconfig()
 	success = linux.build_reconfig(request.build_dir, request.make_options)
 	config_end = time.time()
 	if not success:
@@ -131,7 +130,6 @@ def run_tests(linux: kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree,
 	run_start = time.time()
 
 	config_request = KunitConfigRequest(request.build_dir,
-					    request.defconfig,
 					    request.make_options)
 	config_result = config_tests(linux, config_request)
 	if config_result.status != KunitStatus.SUCCESS:
@@ -177,11 +175,6 @@ def add_common_opts(parser):
 			    help='Run all KUnit tests through allyesconfig',
 			    action='store_true')
 
-def add_config_opts(parser):
-	parser.add_argument('--defconfig',
-			    help='Uses a default .kunitconfig.',
-			    action='store_true')
-
 def add_build_opts(parser):
 	parser.add_argument('--jobs',
 			    help='As in the make command, "Specifies  the number of '
@@ -210,7 +203,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 	# The 'run' command will config, build, exec, and parse in one go.
 	run_parser = subparser.add_parser('run', help='Runs KUnit tests.')
 	add_common_opts(run_parser)
-	add_config_opts(run_parser)
 	add_build_opts(run_parser)
 	add_exec_opts(run_parser)
 	add_parse_opts(run_parser)
@@ -219,7 +211,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 						help='Ensures that .config contains all of '
 						'the options in .kunitconfig')
 	add_common_opts(config_parser)
-	add_config_opts(config_parser)
 
 	build_parser = subparser.add_parser('build', help='Builds a kernel with KUnit tests')
 	add_common_opts(build_parser)
@@ -251,6 +242,9 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 			cli_args.build_dir,
 			kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
 
+		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
+			create_default_kunitconfig()
+
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
 
@@ -258,7 +252,6 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 				       cli_args.timeout,
 				       cli_args.jobs,
 				       cli_args.build_dir,
-				       cli_args.defconfig,
 				       cli_args.alltests,
 				       cli_args.make_options)
 		result = run_tests(linux, request)
@@ -272,11 +265,13 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 				cli_args.build_dir,
 				kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
 
+		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
+			create_default_kunitconfig()
+
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
 
 		request = KunitConfigRequest(cli_args.build_dir,
-					     cli_args.defconfig,
 					     cli_args.make_options)
 		result = config_tests(linux, request)
 		kunit_parser.print_with_timestamp((
@@ -292,6 +287,9 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 				cli_args.build_dir,
 				kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
 
+		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
+			create_default_kunitconfig()
+
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
 
@@ -313,6 +311,9 @@ def main(argv, linux=None):
 				cli_args.build_dir,
 				kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path)
 
+		if not os.path.exists(kunit_kernel.kunitconfig_path):
+			create_default_kunitconfig()
+
 		if not linux:
 			linux = kunit_kernel.LinuxSourceTree()
 
