diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20241218-112640.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20241218-112640.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..38a72bc867a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20241218-112640.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Fix unrendered_config for tests from dbt_project.yml
+time: 2024-12-18T11:26:40.270022-05:00
+custom:
+  Author: gshank
+  Issue: "11146"
diff --git a/core/dbt/config/project.py b/core/dbt/config/project.py
index cbad5a38434..1054c42041d 100644
--- a/core/dbt/config/project.py
+++ b/core/dbt/config/project.py
@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ def load_raw_project(project_root: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     if not isinstance(project_dict, dict):
         raise DbtProjectError(f"{DBT_PROJECT_FILE_NAME} does not parse to a dictionary")
 
+    if "tests" in project_dict and "data_tests" not in project_dict:
+        project_dict["data_tests"] = project_dict.pop("tests")
+
     return project_dict
 
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/defer_state/test_unrendered_config.py b/tests/functional/defer_state/test_unrendered_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..958f2a6d6c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/defer_state/test_unrendered_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import pytest
+
+from dbt.tests.util import run_dbt
+
+dbt_project_update = """
+models:
+  my_dbt_project:
+    +materialized: table
+
+tests:
+  +store_failures: true
+"""
+
+foo_sql = """
+select 1 as id
+"""
+
+schema_yml = """
+models:
+  - name: foo
+    columns:
+      - name: id
+        tests:
+          - unique
+"""
+
+
+class TestGenericTestUnrenderedConfig:
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
+    def project_config_update(self):
+        return dbt_project_update
+
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
+    def models(self):
+        return {
+            "foo.sql": foo_sql,
+            "schema.yml": schema_yml,
+        }
+
+    def test_unrendered_config(self, project):
+        manifest = run_dbt(["parse"])
+        assert manifest
+        test_node_id = "test.test.unique_foo_id.fa8c520a2e"
+        test_node = manifest.nodes[test_node_id]
+        assert test_node.unrendered_config == {"store_failures": True}