diff --git a/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/__tests__/getBuildPath.test.ts b/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/__tests__/getBuildPath.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6b5e35ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/__tests__/getBuildPath.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import path from 'path';
+import fs from 'fs';
+import {getTempDirectory} from '../../../../../../jest/helpers';
+import {BuildSettings} from '../getBuildSettings';
+import {getBuildPath} from '../getBuildPath';
+
+const targetBuildDirName = 'foo';
+const targetBuildDirNameWithMaccatalyst = `${targetBuildDirName}-maccatalyst`;
+const executableFolderPath = path.join('foo.app', 'Contents', 'MacOS', 'foo');
+
+test('correctly determines macCatalyst build artifact path new style', async () => {
+  // setup:
+  const tmpBuildPath = getTempDirectory('maccatalyst-test-dir');
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpBuildPath, targetBuildDirNameWithMaccatalyst), {
+    recursive: true,
+  });
+
+  // - create buildSettings object that represents this to CLI
+  const buildSettings: BuildSettings = {
+    TARGET_BUILD_DIR: path.join(
+      tmpBuildPath,
+      targetBuildDirNameWithMaccatalyst,
+    ),
+    EXECUTABLE_FOLDER_PATH: executableFolderPath,
+    FULL_PRODUCT_NAME: 'unused-in-this-test',
+    INFOPLIST_PATH: 'unused-in-this-test',
+  };
+
+  // test:
+  // - send our buildSettings in and see what build path comes out
+  const buildPath = await getBuildPath(buildSettings, 'ios', true);
+
+  // assert:
+  expect(buildPath).toBe(
+    path.join(
+      tmpBuildPath,
+      targetBuildDirNameWithMaccatalyst,
+      executableFolderPath,
+    ),
+  );
+});
+
+test('correctly determines macCatalyst build artifact path old style', async () => {
+  // setup:
+  const tmpBuildPath = getTempDirectory('maccatalyst-test-dir');
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpBuildPath, targetBuildDirNameWithMaccatalyst), {
+    recursive: true,
+  });
+
+  // - create buildSettings object that represents this to CLI
+  // FIXME get the build settings as side effect from project definition,
+  //       because it's the translation of project settings to path that fails
+  const buildSettings: BuildSettings = {
+    TARGET_BUILD_DIR: path.join(tmpBuildPath, targetBuildDirName),
+    EXECUTABLE_FOLDER_PATH: executableFolderPath,
+    FULL_PRODUCT_NAME: 'unused-in-this-test',
+    INFOPLIST_PATH: 'unused-in-this-test',
+  };
+
+  // test:
+  // - send our buildSettings in and see what build path comes out
+  const buildPath = await getBuildPath(buildSettings, 'ios', true);
+
+  // assert:
+  expect(buildPath).toBe(
+    path.join(
+      tmpBuildPath,
+      targetBuildDirNameWithMaccatalyst,
+      executableFolderPath,
+    ),
+  );
+});
+
+test('correctly determines iOS build artifact path', async () => {
+  // setup:
+  const tmpBuildPath = getTempDirectory('ios-test-dir');
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpBuildPath, targetBuildDirName), {
+    recursive: true,
+  });
+
+  // - create buildSettings object that represents this to CLI
+  const buildSettings: BuildSettings = {
+    TARGET_BUILD_DIR: path.join(tmpBuildPath, targetBuildDirName),
+    EXECUTABLE_FOLDER_PATH: executableFolderPath,
+    FULL_PRODUCT_NAME: 'unused-in-this-test',
+    INFOPLIST_PATH: 'unused-in-this-test',
+  };
+
+  // test:
+  // - send our buildSettings in and see what build path comes out
+  const buildPath = await getBuildPath(buildSettings);
+
+  // assert:
+  expect(buildPath).toBe(
+    path.join(tmpBuildPath, targetBuildDirName, executableFolderPath),
+  );
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/getBuildPath.ts b/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/getBuildPath.ts
index 670fb788b..cad7e1d48 100644
--- a/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/getBuildPath.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-platform-apple/src/commands/runCommand/getBuildPath.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {CLIError} from '@react-native-community/cli-tools';
 import path from 'path';
+import fs from 'fs';
 import {BuildSettings} from './getBuildSettings';
 import {ApplePlatform} from '../../types';
 
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ export async function getBuildPath(
   platform: ApplePlatform = 'ios',
   isCatalyst: boolean = false,
 ) {
-  const targetBuildDir = buildSettings.TARGET_BUILD_DIR;
+  let targetBuildDir = buildSettings.TARGET_BUILD_DIR;
   const executableFolderPath = buildSettings.EXECUTABLE_FOLDER_PATH;
   const fullProductName = buildSettings.FULL_PRODUCT_NAME;
 
@@ -24,11 +25,30 @@ export async function getBuildPath(
     throw new CLIError('Failed to get product name.');
   }
 
+  // Default is iOS, the most common build
+  let buildPath = path.join(targetBuildDir, executableFolderPath);
+
+  // catalyst builds need a suffix, but this regresses from time to time
+  // so check - there may be one already, or we may need to add suffix
   if (isCatalyst) {
-    return path.join(`${targetBuildDir}-maccatalyst`, executableFolderPath);
-  } else if (platform === 'macos') {
-    return path.join(targetBuildDir, fullProductName);
-  } else {
-    return path.join(targetBuildDir, executableFolderPath);
+    // make sure path has one and only one '-maccatalyst' on end
+    if (!targetBuildDir.match(/-maccatalyst$/)) {
+      targetBuildDir = `${targetBuildDir}-maccatalyst`;
+    }
+    buildPath = path.join(targetBuildDir, executableFolderPath);
+  }
+
+  // macOS gets the product name, not the executable folder path
+  if (platform === 'macos') {
+    buildPath = path.join(targetBuildDir, fullProductName);
   }
+
+  // Make sure the directory exists and fail fast vs silently failing
+  if (!fs.existsSync(targetBuildDir)) {
+    throw new CLIError(
+      `target build directory ${targetBuildDir} does not exist`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  return buildPath;
 }