diff --git a/tests/common/test-variations.csproj b/tests/common/test-variations.csproj
index 83700f5f03e..847d55dcbd1 100644
--- a/tests/common/test-variations.csproj
+++ b/tests/common/test-variations.csproj
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <!-- This file contains various test variations valid for all test projects + some supporting logic -->
+<!-- Test variations can also be added to a project's shared.csproj, but if a test variation also needs settings to apply to referenced projects, the variation has to be added to this file -->
 <Project>
 	<ItemGroup>
 		<TestVariations Include="debug" Description="Debug ('Configuration=Debug')" />
@@ -12,6 +13,10 @@
 		<TestVariations Include="linkall" Description="Run with trimmer (MtouchLink/LinkMode) set to 'Full'" />
 		<TestVariations Include="coreclr" Description="Use CoreCLR ('UseMonoRuntime=false')" />
 		<TestVariations Include="monovm" Description="Use MonoVM ('UseMonoRuntime=true')" />
+		<TestVariations Include="static-registrar-all-optimizations" Description="Static registrar + all optimizations" />
+		<TestVariations Include="static-registrar-all-optimizations-linkall" Description="Static registrar + all optimizations + Link all" />
+		<TestVariations Include="static-registrar-optimizations-except-uithread-checks-linkall" Description="Static registrar + all optimizations + Link all" />
+		<TestVariations Include="managed-static-registrar-all-optimizations-linkall" Description="Managed static registrar + all optimizations" />
 	</ItemGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup>
@@ -20,50 +25,84 @@
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|debug|'))">
 		<Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|release|'))">
 		<Configuration>Release</Configuration>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|interpreter|'))">
 		<UseInterpreter>true</UseInterpreter>
-	</PropertyGroup>
-
-	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|nativeaot|'))">
-		<PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
-		<_IsPublishing>true</_IsPublishing>
-	</PropertyGroup>
-
-	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|linksdk|'))">
-		<MtouchLink>SdkOnly</MtouchLink>
-		<LinkMode>$(MtouchLink)</LinkMode>
-	</PropertyGroup>
-
-	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|linkall|'))">
-		<MtouchLink>Full</MtouchLink>
-		<LinkMode>$(MtouchLink)</LinkMode>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|bundle-original-resources|'))">
 		<BundleOriginalResources>true</BundleOriginalResources>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|do-not-bundle-original-resources|'))">
 		<BundleOriginalResources>false</BundleOriginalResources>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|nativeaot|'))">
 		<PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
 		<_IsPublishing>true</_IsPublishing>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|linksdk|'))">
+		<TrimMode>partial</TrimMode>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|linkall|'))">
+		<TrimMode>full</TrimMode>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|coreclr|'))">
 		<UseMonoRuntime>false</UseMonoRuntime>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|monovm|'))">
 		<UseMonoRuntime>true</UseMonoRuntime>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|static-registrar-all-optimizations|'))">
+		<AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all</AppBundleExtraOptions>
+		<Registrar>static</Registrar>
+		<DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|static-registrar-all-optimizations-linkall|'))">
+		<AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all</AppBundleExtraOptions>
+		<Registrar>static</Registrar>
+		<TrimMode>full</TrimMode>
+		<DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|static-registrar-optimizations-except-uithread-checks-linkall|'))">
+		<AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all,-remove-uithread-checks</AppBundleExtraOptions>
+		<Registrar>static</Registrar>
+		<TrimMode>full</TrimMode>
+		<DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
+	</PropertyGroup>
+
+	<PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|managed-static-registrar-all-optimizations-linkall|'))">
+		<AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all</AppBundleExtraOptions>
+		<Registrar>managed-static</Registrar>
+		<TrimMode>full</TrimMode>
+		<DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
+		<_TestVariationApplied>true</_TestVariationApplied>
 	</PropertyGroup>
 
 	<Target Name="ValidateTestVariation" Condition="'$(TestVariation)' != '' And '$(OutputType)' == 'exe'" BeforeTargets="Build">
@@ -71,5 +110,6 @@
 			<_InvalidTestVariations Include="$(TestVariation.Split('|'))" Exclude="@(TestVariations)" />
 		</ItemGroup>
 		<Error Text="Invalid test variation(s): '@(_InvalidTestVariations,', ')'. Please run 'make list-variations' to list all the valid variations." Condition="@(_InvalidTestVariations->Count()) != '0'" />
+		<Error Text="Test variation '$(TestVariation)' didn't find any test variations - this is a bug in a condition when applying test variations in this file." Condition="'$(_TestVariationApplied)' == ''" />
 	</Target>
 </Project>
diff --git a/tests/monotouch-test/dotnet/shared.csproj b/tests/monotouch-test/dotnet/shared.csproj
index dd8123b67f0..a68206c4621 100644
--- a/tests/monotouch-test/dotnet/shared.csproj
+++ b/tests/monotouch-test/dotnet/shared.csproj
@@ -62,37 +62,6 @@
 
   <Import Project="$(RootTestsDirectory)/common/shared-dotnet.csproj" />
 
-  <!-- Any additional variations must be added after importing shared-dotnet.csproj -->
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <TestVariations Include="static-registrar-all-optimizations" Description="Static registrar + all optimizations" />
-    <TestVariations Include="static-registrar-all-optimizations-linkall" Description="Static registrar + all optimizations + Link all" />
-    <TestVariations Include="static-registrar-optimizations-except-uithread-checks-linkall" Description="Static registrar + all optimizations + Link all" />
-    <TestVariations Include="managed-static-registrar-all-optimizations-linkall" Description="Managed static registrar + all optimizations" />
-  </ItemGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|static-registrar-all-optimizations|'))">
-    <AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all</AppBundleExtraOptions>
-    <Registrar>static</Registrar>
-    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|static-registrar-all-optimizations|'))">
-    <AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all</AppBundleExtraOptions>
-    <Registrar>static</Registrar>
-    <LinkMode>Full</LinkMode>
-    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|static-registrar-optimizations-except|'))">
-    <AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all,-remove-uithread-checks</AppBundleExtraOptions>
-    <Registrar>static</Registrar>
-    <LinkMode>Full</LinkMode>
-    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-  <PropertyGroup Condition="$(_TestVariationForComparison.Contains('|managed-static-registrar-all-optimizations|'))">
-    <AppBundleExtraOptions>$(AppBundleExtraOptions) --optimize:all</AppBundleExtraOptions>
-    <Registrar>managed-static</Registrar>
-    <LinkMode>Full</LinkMode>
-    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);OPTIMIZEALL</DefineConstants>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-
   <ItemGroup>
     <ProjectReference Include="$(RootTestsDirectory)\EmbeddedResources\dotnet\$(_PlatformName)\EmbeddedResources.csproj" />
     <ProjectReference Include="$(RootTestsDirectory)\bindings-test\dotnet\$(_PlatformName)\bindings-test.csproj" />