diff --git a/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.csproj b/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.csproj
index bce2dcc23f..af452c53c4 100644
--- a/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.csproj
+++ b/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.csproj
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     {%- if cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnetcore2.0' %}
     <TargetFramework>netcoreapp2.0</TargetFramework>
-    {%- elif cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnetcore2.1' or cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnet' %}
+    {%- else %}
     <TargetFramework>netcoreapp2.1</TargetFramework>
     {%- endif %}
     <GenerateRuntimeConfigurationFiles>true</GenerateRuntimeConfigurationFiles>
diff --git a/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/aws-lambda-tools-defaults.json b/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/aws-lambda-tools-defaults.json
index 4e71062820..57c8d60741 100644
--- a/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/aws-lambda-tools-defaults.json
+++ b/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/src/HelloWorld/aws-lambda-tools-defaults.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   "configuration": "Release",
   {%- if cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnetcore2.0' %}
   "framework": "netcoreapp2.0",
-  {%- elif cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnetcore2.1' or cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnet' %}
+  {%- else %}
   "framework" : "netcoreapp2.1",
   {%- endif %}
   "function-runtime":"{{ cookiecutter.runtime }}",
diff --git a/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/test/HelloWorld.Test/HelloWorld.Tests.csproj b/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/test/HelloWorld.Test/HelloWorld.Tests.csproj
index 50148be3a2..9e7851c6c0 100644
--- a/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/test/HelloWorld.Test/HelloWorld.Tests.csproj
+++ b/samcli/local/init/templates/cookiecutter-aws-sam-hello-dotnet/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/test/HelloWorld.Test/HelloWorld.Tests.csproj
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     {%- if cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnetcore2.0' %}
     <TargetFramework>netcoreapp2.0</TargetFramework>
-    {%- elif cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnetcore2.1' or cookiecutter.runtime == 'dotnet' %}
+    {%- else %}
     <TargetFramework>netcoreapp2.1</TargetFramework>
     {%- endif %}
   </PropertyGroup>