diff --git a/src/app/FakeLib/XamarinHelper.fs b/src/app/FakeLib/XamarinHelper.fs
index 6cba929afa0..efaf7fee9eb 100644
--- a/src/app/FakeLib/XamarinHelper.fs
+++ b/src/app/FakeLib/XamarinHelper.fs
@@ -165,8 +165,11 @@ let AndroidSignAndAlign setParams apkFile =
 
 /// The iOS archive paramater type
 type iOSArchiveParams = {
-    /// (Required) Path to project file
-    ProjectPath: string
+    /// Path to desired solution file. If not provided, mdtool finds the first solution in the current directory.
+    /// Although mdtool can take a project file, the archiving seems to fail to work without a solution.
+    SolutionPath: string
+    /// Project name within a solution file
+    ProjectName: string
     /// Build configuration, defaults to 'Debug|iPhoneSimulator'
     Configuration: string
     /// Path to mdtool, defaults to Xamarin Studio's usual path
@@ -175,7 +178,8 @@ type iOSArchiveParams = {
 
 /// The default iOS archive parameters
 let iOSArchiveDefaults = {
-    ProjectPath = ""
+    SolutionPath = ""
+    ProjectName = ""
     Configuration = "Debug|iPhoneSimulator"
     MDToolPath = "/Applications/Xamarin Studio.app/Contents/MacOS/mdtool"
 }
@@ -184,16 +188,11 @@ let iOSArchiveDefaults = {
 /// ## Parameters
 ///  - `setParams` - Function used to override the default archive parameters
 let iOSArchive setParams =
-    let validateParams param =
-        if param.ProjectPath = "" then failwith "You must specify a project to archive"
-
-        param
-
     let archiveProject param =
-        let args = String.Format(@"-v archive ""-c:{0}"" -p:{1}", param.Configuration, param.ProjectPath)
+        let projectNameArg = if param.ProjectName <> "" then String.Format("-p:{0} ", param.ProjectName) else ""
+        let args = String.Format(@"-v archive ""-c:{0}"" {1}{2}", param.Configuration, projectNameArg, param.SolutionPath)
         executeCommand param.MDToolPath args
 
     iOSArchiveDefaults
         |> setParams
-        |> validateParams
         |> archiveProject
\ No newline at end of file