diff --git a/packages/wdio-config/src/lib/ConfigParser.js b/packages/wdio-config/src/lib/ConfigParser.js
index 38421dbbef1..a7418244ff1 100644
--- a/packages/wdio-config/src/lib/ConfigParser.js
+++ b/packages/wdio-config/src/lib/ConfigParser.js
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ export default class ConfigParser {
             /**
              * For Sauce Labs RDC we need to determine if the config file has a `testobject_api_key`
              * If so, we need to provide a boolean to the `detectBackend` to set the correct hostname
+             *
+             * NOTE: This will not work for multi remote
              */
-            const isRDC = this._capabilities.some(capability => 'testobject_api_key' in capability)
+            const isRDC = Array.isArray(this._capabilities) && this._capabilities.some(capability => 'testobject_api_key' in capability)
 
             /**
              * detect Selenium backend
diff --git a/packages/wdio-config/tests/__fixtures__/wdio.conf.multiremote.rdc.js b/packages/wdio-config/tests/__fixtures__/wdio.conf.multiremote.rdc.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..44b232caf83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/wdio-config/tests/__fixtures__/wdio.conf.multiremote.rdc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import path from 'path'
+
+const TEST_ROOT = path.join(__dirname, '..')
+
+exports.config = {
+    user: 'foobar',
+    key: '50fa142c-3121-4gb0-9p07-8q326vvbq7b0',
+    specs: [path.join(TEST_ROOT, '*.test.js')],
+    exclude: [
+        path.join(TEST_ROOT, '/detectBackend.test.js'),
+        path.join(TEST_ROOT, '/validateConfig.test.js')
+    ],
+    region: 'eu',
+    capabilities: [{
+        myChromeBrowser: {
+            capabilities: {
+                browserName: 'chrome',
+                testobject_api_key: '1',
+            }
+        }
+    }],
+    suites: {
+        unit: [path.join(TEST_ROOT, 'configparser.test.js')],
+        mobile: [path.join(TEST_ROOT, 'detectBackend.test.js')],
+        functional: [
+            path.join(TEST_ROOT, 'validateConfig.test.js'),
+            path.join(TEST_ROOT, '..', 'src/index.js')
+        ]
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/wdio-config/tests/__fixtures__/wdio.conf.rdc.js b/packages/wdio-config/tests/__fixtures__/wdio.conf.rdc.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cebff83146d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/wdio-config/tests/__fixtures__/wdio.conf.rdc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import path from 'path'
+
+const TEST_ROOT = path.join(__dirname, '..')
+
+exports.config = {
+    user: 'foobar',
+    key: '50fa142c-3121-4gb0-9p07-8q326vvbq7b0',
+    specs: [path.join(TEST_ROOT, '*.test.js')],
+    exclude: [
+        path.join(TEST_ROOT, '/detectBackend.test.js'),
+        path.join(TEST_ROOT, '/validateConfig.test.js')
+    ],
+    capabilities: [{
+        browserName: 'chrome',
+        testobject_api_key: '1',
+    }],
+    suites: {
+        unit: [path.join(TEST_ROOT, 'configparser.test.js')],
+        mobile: [path.join(TEST_ROOT, 'detectBackend.test.js')],
+        functional: [
+            path.join(TEST_ROOT, 'validateConfig.test.js'),
+            path.join(TEST_ROOT, '..', 'src/index.js')
+        ]
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/wdio-config/tests/configparser.test.js b/packages/wdio-config/tests/configparser.test.js
index 6034a0c4c3b..469bc31c578 100644
--- a/packages/wdio-config/tests/configparser.test.js
+++ b/packages/wdio-config/tests/configparser.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import ConfigParser from '../src/lib/ConfigParser'
 
 const FIXTURES_PATH = path.resolve(__dirname, '__fixtures__')
 const FIXTURES_CONF = path.resolve(FIXTURES_PATH, 'wdio.conf.js')
+const FIXTURES_CONF_RDC = path.resolve(FIXTURES_PATH, 'wdio.conf.rdc.js')
+const FIXTURES_CONF_MULTIREMOTE_RDC = path.resolve(FIXTURES_PATH, 'wdio.conf.multiremote.rdc.js')
 const FIXTURES_LOCAL_CONF = path.resolve(FIXTURES_PATH, 'wdio.local.conf.js')
 const INDEX_PATH = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'src', 'index.js')
 
@@ -21,6 +23,18 @@ describe('ConfigParser', () => {
             const configParser = new ConfigParser()
             expect(() => configParser.addConfigFile(path.resolve(__dirname, 'foobar.conf.js'))).toThrow()
         })
+
+        it('should add the rdc hostname when a rdc conf is provided', () => {
+            const configParser = new ConfigParser()
+            configParser.addConfigFile(FIXTURES_CONF_RDC)
+            expect(configParser._config.hostname).toContain('appium.testobject.com')
+        })
+
+        it('should default to the vm hostname when a multiremote conf with rdc props is provided', () => {
+            const configParser = new ConfigParser()
+            configParser.addConfigFile(FIXTURES_CONF_MULTIREMOTE_RDC)
+            expect(configParser._config.hostname).not.toContain('appium.testobject.com')
+        })
     })
 
     describe('merge', () => {