diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9f888c9da..da05aa3f1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ else
 	FIRMWARE ?= uefi
 endif
 
-RELEASE ?= 1
 SCENARIO ?= sdc
 
 O ?= build
diff --git a/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/cfg_update.mk b/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/cfg_update.mk
index 5b8c60b30..85cb2efa5 100644
--- a/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/cfg_update.mk
+++ b/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/cfg_update.mk
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_XML_ENABLED),true)
     endif
     override BOARD := $(BOARD_IN_XML)
     override SCENARIO := $(SCENARIO_IN_XML)
+    RELEASE_IN_XML := $(shell echo `sed -n '/<RELEASE/p' $(SCENARIO_FILE) | sed -r 's/.*<RELEASE(.*)>(.*)<(.*)/\2/g'`)
+    ifndef RELEASE
+        ifeq ($(RELEASE_IN_XML),y)
+            override RELEASE := 1
+        else
+            override RELEASE := 0
+        endif
+    endif
 endif
 
 update_config:
@@ -51,9 +59,10 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_XML_ENABLED),true)
 		fi;\
 		cat $(UPDATE_RESULT);\
 		if [ "`sed -n /successfully/p $(UPDATE_RESULT)`" = "" ]; then rm -f $(UPDATE_RESULT); exit 1;	fi;\
-		echo "Import hypervisor Board/VM configuration from XMLs, configurations in source code has been overwritten!";\
+		echo "Import hypervisor Board/VM configuration from XMLs.";\
+		if [ "$(TARGET_DIR)" = "" ]; then echo "Warning: configurations in source code has been overwritten!"; fi;\
 	elif [ "`sed -n /successfully/p $(UPDATE_RESULT)`" = "" ]; then \
-		echo "Problem is found on Board/VM configration patching, please rebuild."; rm -f $(UPDATE_RESULT); exit 1; \
+		echo "Problem is found on Board/VM configuration patching, please rebuild."; rm -f $(UPDATE_RESULT); exit 1; \
 	else \
 		echo "Configurations is patched already!";\
 	fi;
diff --git a/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/kconfig.mk b/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/kconfig.mk
index 350c25fd2..17174ea37 100644
--- a/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/kconfig.mk
+++ b/hypervisor/scripts/makefile/kconfig.mk
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ ifeq ($(shell [ $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG) -nt $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG_MK) ] &&
 endif
 $(eval $(call override_config,BOARD,apl-mrb))
 $(eval $(call override_config,SCENARIO,))
-$(eval $(call override_config,RELEASE,n))
+$(eval $(call override_config,RELEASE,y))
+
+override RELEASE := $(CONFIG_RELEASE)
 
 $(eval $(call check_dep_exec,python3,KCONFIG_DEPS))
 $(eval $(call check_dep_py3lib,kconfiglib,KCONFIG_DEPS))
@@ -72,7 +74,10 @@ defconfig: $(KCONFIG_DEPS)
 		if [ "$(KCONFIG_FILE)" != "" ] && [ -f $(KCONFIG_FILE) ]; then \
 			echo "Writing $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG) with $(KCONFIG_FILE)"; \
 			cp $(KCONFIG_FILE) $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG); \
-		elif [ "$(CONFIG_XML_ENABLED)" = "true" ] && [ "$(TARGET_DIR)" != "" ] && [ -d $(TARGET_DIR) ]; then \
+		elif [ "$(TARGET_DIR)" != "" ] && [ -d $(TARGET_DIR) ]; then \
+			if [ ! -f $(TARGET_DIR)/$(BOARD).config ]; then \
+				echo "Board defconfig file $(BOARD).config is not found under $(TARGET_DIR)."; exit 1; \
+			fi; \
 			echo "Writing $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG) with $(TARGET_DIR)/$(BOARD).config"; \
 			cp $(TARGET_DIR)/$(BOARD).config $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG); \
 		fi; \