diff --git a/e2e/nx-run/src/run.test.ts b/e2e/nx-run/src/run.test.ts
index 792d482c26f687..fed424a9625901 100644
--- a/e2e/nx-run/src/run.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/nx-run/src/run.test.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,73 @@ describe('Nx Running Tests', () => {
 
       updateProjectConfig(mylib, (c) => original);
     }, 1000000);
+
+    describe('tokens support', () => {
+      let app: string;
+
+      beforeAll(() => {
+        app = uniq('myapp');
+        runCLI(`generate @nx/web:app ${app}`);
+      });
+
+      it('should support using {projectRoot} in options blocks in project.json', async () => {
+        updateProjectConfig(app, (c) => {
+          c.targets['echo'] = {
+            command: `node -e 'console.log("{projectRoot}")'`,
+          };
+          return c;
+        });
+
+        const output = runCLI(`echo ${app}`);
+        expect(output).toContain(`apps/${app}`);
+      });
+
+      it('should support using {projectName} in options blocks in project.json', async () => {
+        updateProjectConfig(app, (c) => {
+          c.targets['echo'] = {
+            command: `node -e 'console.log("{projectName}")'`,
+          };
+          return c;
+        });
+
+        const output = runCLI(`echo ${app}`);
+        expect(output).toContain(app);
+      });
+
+      it('should support using {projectRoot} in targetDefaults', async () => {
+        updateJson(`nx.json`, (json) => {
+          json.targetDefaults = {
+            echo: {
+              command: `node -e 'console.log("{projectRoot}")'`,
+            },
+          };
+          return json;
+        });
+        updateProjectConfig(app, (c) => {
+          c.targets['echo'] = {};
+          return c;
+        });
+        const output = runCLI(`echo ${app}`);
+        expect(output).toContain(`apps/${app}`);
+      });
+
+      it('should support using {projectName} in targetDefaults', async () => {
+        updateJson(`nx.json`, (json) => {
+          json.targetDefaults = {
+            echo: {
+              command: `node -e 'console.log("{projectName}")'`,
+            },
+          };
+          return json;
+        });
+        updateProjectConfig(app, (c) => {
+          c.targets['echo'] = {};
+          return c;
+        });
+        const output = runCLI(`echo ${app}`);
+        expect(output).toContain(app);
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Nx Bail', () => {
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.spec.ts b/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.spec.ts
index ed9e39558cfde6..e80b063bc6e082 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.spec.ts
@@ -256,30 +256,6 @@ describe('Workspaces', () => {
           ).options
         ).toEqual({ a: 'project-value' });
       });
-
-      it('should resolve workspaceRoot and projectRoot tokens', () => {
-        expect(
-          mergeTargetConfigurations(
-            {
-              root: 'my/project',
-              targets: {
-                build: {
-                  options: {
-                    a: '{workspaceRoot}',
-                  },
-                },
-              },
-            },
-            'build',
-            {
-              executor: 'target',
-              options: {
-                b: '{workspaceRoot}/dist/{projectRoot}',
-              },
-            }
-          ).options
-        ).toEqual({ a: '{workspaceRoot}', b: 'dist/my/project' });
-      });
     });
 
     describe('configurations', () => {
@@ -392,37 +368,6 @@ describe('Workspaces', () => {
           ).configurations
         ).toEqual(projectConfigurations);
       });
-
-      it('should resolve workspaceRoot and projectRoot tokens', () => {
-        expect(
-          mergeTargetConfigurations(
-            {
-              root: 'my/project',
-              targets: {
-                build: {
-                  configurations: {
-                    dev: {
-                      a: '{workspaceRoot}',
-                    },
-                  },
-                },
-              },
-            },
-            'build',
-            {
-              executor: 'target',
-              configurations: {
-                prod: {
-                  a: '{workspaceRoot}/dist/{projectRoot}',
-                },
-              },
-            }
-          ).configurations
-        ).toEqual({
-          dev: { a: '{workspaceRoot}' },
-          prod: { a: 'dist/my/project' },
-        });
-      });
     });
 
     describe('defaultConfiguration', () => {
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts b/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts
index 8febcdb540a542..3d960867dad2a5 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export class Workspaces {
   ) {
     for (const proj of Object.values(projects)) {
       if (proj.targets) {
-        for (const targetName of Object.keys(proj.targets)) {
+        for (const targetName of Object.keys(proj.targets ?? {})) {
           const projectTargetDefinition = proj.targets[targetName];
           const defaults = readTargetDefaultsForTarget(
             targetName,
@@ -393,53 +393,34 @@ export function mergeTargetConfigurations(
     !targetConfiguration.executor ||
     targetDefaults.executor === targetConfiguration.executor
   ) {
-    result.options = mergeOptions(
-      defaultOptions,
-      targetConfiguration.options ?? {},
-      projectConfiguration,
-      target
-    );
+    result.options = { ...defaultOptions, ...targetConfiguration?.options };
     result.configurations = mergeConfigurations(
       defaultConfigurations,
-      targetConfiguration.configurations,
-      projectConfiguration,
-      target
+      targetConfiguration.configurations
     );
   }
   return result as TargetConfiguration;
 }
 
-function mergeOptions<T extends Object>(
-  defaults: T,
-  options: T,
-  project: ProjectConfiguration,
-  key: string
-): T {
-  return {
-    ...resolvePathTokensInOptions(defaults, project, key),
-    ...options,
-  };
-}
-
 function mergeConfigurations<T extends Object>(
   defaultConfigurations: Record<string, T>,
-  projectDefinedConfigurations: Record<string, T>,
-  project: ProjectConfiguration,
-  targetName: string
+  projectDefinedConfigurations: Record<string, T>
 ): Record<string, T> {
-  const configurations: Record<string, T> = { ...projectDefinedConfigurations };
-  for (const configuration in defaultConfigurations) {
-    configurations[configuration] = mergeOptions(
-      defaultConfigurations[configuration],
-      configurations[configuration],
-      project,
-      `${targetName}.${configuration}`
-    );
+  const result: Record<string, T> = {};
+  const configurations = new Set([
+    ...Object.keys(defaultConfigurations ?? {}),
+    ...Object.keys(projectDefinedConfigurations ?? {}),
+  ]);
+  for (const configuration of configurations) {
+    result[configuration] = {
+      ...(defaultConfigurations?.[configuration] ?? ({} as T)),
+      ...(projectDefinedConfigurations?.[configuration] ?? ({} as T)),
+    };
   }
-  return configurations;
+  return result;
 }
 
-function resolvePathTokensInOptions<T extends Object | Array<unknown>>(
+export function resolveNxTokensInOptions<T extends Object | Array<unknown>>(
   object: T,
   project: ProjectConfiguration,
   key: string
@@ -447,10 +428,10 @@ function resolvePathTokensInOptions<T extends Object | Array<unknown>>(
   const result: T = Array.isArray(object) ? ([...object] as T) : { ...object };
   for (let [opt, value] of Object.entries(object ?? {})) {
     if (typeof value === 'string') {
-      if (value.startsWith('{workspaceRoot}/')) {
-        value = value.replace(/^\{workspaceRoot\}\//, '');
-      }
-      if (value.includes('{workspaceRoot}')) {
+      const workspaceRootMatch = /^(\{workspaceRoot\}\/?)/.exec(value);
+      if (workspaceRootMatch?.length) {
+        value = value.replace(workspaceRootMatch[0], '');
+      } else if (value.includes('{workspaceRoot}')) {
         throw new Error(
           `${NX_PREFIX} The {workspaceRoot} token is only valid at the beginning of an option. (${key})`
         );
@@ -458,7 +439,7 @@ function resolvePathTokensInOptions<T extends Object | Array<unknown>>(
       value = value.replace(/\{projectRoot\}/g, project.root);
       result[opt] = value.replace(/\{projectName\}/g, project.name);
     } else if (typeof value === 'object' && value) {
-      result[opt] = resolvePathTokensInOptions(
+      result[opt] = resolveNxTokensInOptions(
         value,
         project,
         [key, opt].join('.')
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.spec.ts b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.spec.ts
index 56858c0f718e15..9d57611319d137 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import { ProjectGraphProjectNode } from '../../config/project-graph';
-import { normalizeImplicitDependencies } from './workspace-projects';
+import {
+  normalizeImplicitDependencies,
+  normalizeProjectTargets,
+} from './workspace-projects';
 
 describe('workspace-projects', () => {
   let projectGraph: Record<string, ProjectGraphProjectNode> = {
@@ -75,4 +78,228 @@ describe('workspace-projects', () => {
       ).toEqual(['b', 'b-1', 'b-2']);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('normalizeTargets', () => {
+    it('should apply target defaults', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                executor: 'target',
+                options: {
+                  a: 'a',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {
+            build: {
+              executor: 'target',
+              options: {
+                b: 'b',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({ a: 'a', b: 'b' });
+    });
+
+    it('should overwrite target defaults when type doesnt match or provided an array', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                executor: 'target',
+                options: {
+                  a: 'a',
+                  b: ['project-value'],
+                  c: 'project-value',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {
+            build: {
+              executor: 'target',
+              options: {
+                a: 1,
+                b: ['default-value'],
+                c: ['default-value'],
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({ a: 'a', b: ['project-value'], c: 'project-value' });
+    });
+
+    it('should overwrite object options from target defaults', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                executor: 'target',
+                options: {
+                  a: 'a',
+                  b: {
+                    a: 'a',
+                    b: 'project-value',
+                  },
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {
+            build: {
+              executor: 'target',
+              options: {
+                b: {
+                  b: 'default-value',
+                  c: 'c',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({
+        a: 'a',
+        b: {
+          a: 'a',
+          b: 'project-value',
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should convert command property to run-commands executor', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                command: 'echo',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {},
+          'build'
+        ).build
+      ).toEqual({
+        executor: 'nx:run-commands',
+        options: {
+          command: 'echo',
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should support {projectRoot}, {workspaceRoot}, and {projectName} tokens', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            name: 'project',
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                executor: 'target',
+                options: {
+                  a: '{projectRoot}',
+                  b: '{workspaceRoot}',
+                  c: '{projectName}',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {},
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({ a: 'my/project', b: '', c: 'project' });
+    });
+
+    it('should suppport {projectRoot} token in targetDefaults', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            name: 'project',
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                executor: 'target',
+                options: {
+                  a: 'a',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {
+            build: {
+              executor: 'target',
+              options: {
+                b: '{projectRoot}',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({ a: 'a', b: 'my/project' });
+    });
+
+    it('should not merge options when targets use different executors', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                executor: 'target',
+                options: {
+                  a: 'a',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {
+            build: {
+              executor: 'different-target',
+              options: {
+                b: 'c',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({ a: 'a' });
+    });
+
+    it('should not merge options when either target or target defaults use `command`', () => {
+      expect(
+        normalizeProjectTargets(
+          {
+            root: 'my/project',
+            targets: {
+              build: {
+                command: 'echo',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          {
+            build: {
+              executor: 'target',
+              options: {
+                b: 'c',
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'build'
+        ).build.options
+      ).toEqual({ command: 'echo' });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.ts b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.ts
index 8112a779930e22..430d22eb737959 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/build-nodes/workspace-projects.ts
@@ -14,12 +14,16 @@ import { ProjectGraphBuilder } from '../project-graph-builder';
 import { PackageJson } from '../../utils/package-json';
 import { readJsonFile } from '../../utils/fileutils';
 import { NxJsonConfiguration } from '../../config/nx-json';
-import { ProjectConfiguration } from '../../config/workspace-json-project-json';
+import {
+  ProjectConfiguration,
+  TargetConfiguration,
+} from '../../config/workspace-json-project-json';
 import { findMatchingProjects } from '../../utils/find-matching-projects';
 import { NX_PREFIX } from '../../utils/logger';
 import {
   mergeTargetConfigurations,
   readTargetDefaultsForTarget,
+  resolveNxTokensInOptions,
 } from '../../config/workspaces';
 
 export async function buildWorkspaceProjectNodes(
@@ -123,7 +127,7 @@ export async function buildWorkspaceProjectNodes(
 /**
  * Apply target defaults and normalization
  */
-function normalizeProjectTargets(
+export function normalizeProjectTargets(
   project: ProjectConfiguration,
   targetDefaults: NxJsonConfiguration['targetDefaults'],
   projectName: string
@@ -135,33 +139,31 @@ function normalizeProjectTargets(
         ? 'nx:run-commands'
         : null;
 
-    const defaults = readTargetDefaultsForTarget(
-      target,
-      targetDefaults,
-      executor
+    const defaults = resolveCommandSyntacticSugar(
+      readTargetDefaultsForTarget(target, targetDefaults, executor),
+      `targetDefaults:${target}`
+    );
+
+    targets[target] = resolveCommandSyntacticSugar(
+      targets[target],
+      `${projectName}:${target}`
     );
 
     if (defaults) {
       targets[target] = mergeTargetConfigurations(project, target, defaults);
     }
 
-    const config = targets[target];
-    if (config.command) {
-      if (config.executor) {
-        throw new Error(
-          `${NX_PREFIX} ${projectName}: ${target} should not have executor and command both configured.`
-        );
-      } else {
-        targets[target] = {
-          ...targets[target],
-          executor,
-          options: {
-            ...config.options,
-            command: config.command,
-          },
-        };
-        delete config.command;
-      }
+    targets[target].options = resolveNxTokensInOptions(
+      targets[target].options,
+      project,
+      `${projectName}:${target}`
+    );
+    for (const configuration in targets[target].configurations ?? {}) {
+      targets[target].configurations[configuration] = resolveNxTokensInOptions(
+        targets[target].configurations[configuration],
+        project,
+        `${projectName}:${target}:${configuration}`
+      );
     }
   }
   return targets;
@@ -184,3 +186,29 @@ export function normalizeImplicitDependencies(
       .concat(implicitDependencies.filter((x) => x.startsWith('!')))
   );
 }
+
+function resolveCommandSyntacticSugar(
+  target: TargetConfiguration,
+  key: string
+): TargetConfiguration {
+  const { command, ...config } = target ?? {};
+
+  if (!command) {
+    return target;
+  }
+
+  if (config.executor) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `${NX_PREFIX} ${key} should not have executor and command both configured.`
+    );
+  } else {
+    return {
+      ...config,
+      executor: 'nx:run-commands',
+      options: {
+        ...config.options,
+        command: command,
+      },
+    };
+  }
+}