diff --git a/bundle/config/bundle.go b/bundle/config/bundle.go
index f533c4d184..9de8f79867 100644
--- a/bundle/config/bundle.go
+++ b/bundle/config/bundle.go
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ type Bundle struct {
 	// Target is set by the mutator that selects the target.
 	Target string `json:"target,omitempty" bundle:"readonly"`
 
+	// Target stores a snapshot of the target configuration when it was selected by SelectTarget.
+	TargetConfig *Target `json:"target_config,omitempty" bundle:"internal"`
+
 	// DEPRECATED. Left for backward compatibility with Target
 	Environment string `json:"environment,omitempty" bundle:"readonly"`
 
diff --git a/bundle/config/mutator/cleanup_targets.go b/bundle/config/mutator/cleanup_targets.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 870b5be90c..0000000000
--- a/bundle/config/mutator/cleanup_targets.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-package mutator
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
-
-	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle"
-	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/diag"
-)
-
-type cleanupTargets struct {
-	name string
-}
-
-// CleanupTargets cleans up configuration properties before the configuration
-// is reported by the 'bundle summary' command.
-func CleanupTargets() bundle.Mutator {
-	return &cleanupTargets{}
-}
-
-func (m *cleanupTargets) Name() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("Cleanup(%s)", m.name)
-}
-
-func (m *cleanupTargets) Apply(ctx context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle) diag.Diagnostics {
-	b.Config.Targets = nil
-	b.Config.Environments = nil
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode.go b/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode.go
index fc56da6ecf..e2727d5b25 100644
--- a/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode.go
+++ b/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode.go
@@ -179,10 +179,10 @@ func isRunAsSet(r config.Resources) bool {
 }
 
 func isExplicitRootSet(b *bundle.Bundle) bool {
-	if b.Config.Targets == nil {
+	if b.Config.Bundle.TargetConfig == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	targetConfig := b.Config.Targets[b.Config.Bundle.Target]
+	targetConfig := b.Config.Bundle.TargetConfig
 	if targetConfig.Workspace == nil {
 		return false
 	}
diff --git a/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode_test.go b/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode_test.go
index 73f52dc28d..cb64fb4675 100644
--- a/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode_test.go
+++ b/bundle/config/mutator/process_target_mode_test.go
@@ -354,11 +354,9 @@ func TestProcessTargetModeProductionOkWithRootPath(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Error(t, diags.Error())
 
 	// ... but we're okay if we specify a root path
-	b.Config.Targets = map[string]*config.Target{
-		"": {
-			Workspace: &config.Workspace{
-				RootPath: "some-root-path",
-			},
+	b.Config.Bundle.TargetConfig = &config.Target{
+		Workspace: &config.Workspace{
+			RootPath: "some-root-path",
 		},
 	}
 	diags = validateProductionMode(context.Background(), b, false)
diff --git a/bundle/config/mutator/select_target.go b/bundle/config/mutator/select_target.go
index 2333c97dbc..62c4cfd46c 100644
--- a/bundle/config/mutator/select_target.go
+++ b/bundle/config/mutator/select_target.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ type selectTarget struct {
 }
 
 // SelectTarget merges the specified target into the root configuration.
+// After merging, it removes the 'Targets' section from the configuration.
 func SelectTarget(name string) bundle.Mutator {
 	return &selectTarget{
 		name: name,
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ func (m *selectTarget) Apply(_ context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle) diag.Diagnosti
 	}
 
 	// Get specified target
-	_, ok := b.Config.Targets[m.name]
+	targetConfig, ok := b.Config.Targets[m.name]
 	if !ok {
 		return diag.Errorf("%s: no such target. Available targets: %s", m.name, strings.Join(maps.Keys(b.Config.Targets), ", "))
 	}
@@ -43,11 +44,17 @@ func (m *selectTarget) Apply(_ context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle) diag.Diagnosti
 	}
 
 	// Store specified target in configuration for reference.
+	b.Config.Bundle.TargetConfig = targetConfig
 	b.Config.Bundle.Target = m.name
 
 	// We do this for backward compatibility.
 	// TODO: remove when Environments section is not supported anymore.
 	b.Config.Bundle.Environment = b.Config.Bundle.Target
 
+	// Ckeanup the original targets and environments sections since they
+	//show up in the JSON output of the 'summary' and 'validate' commands.
+	b.Config.Targets = nil
+	b.Config.Environments = nil
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/bundle/config/root.go b/bundle/config/root.go
index 4b1467456d..5a809f329c 100644
--- a/bundle/config/root.go
+++ b/bundle/config/root.go
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ type Root struct {
 
 	// Targets can be used to differentiate settings and resources between
 	// bundle deployment targets (e.g. development, staging, production).
-	// If not specified, the code below initializes this field with a
-	// single default-initialized target called "default".
+	// Note that this field is set to 'nil' by the SelectTarget mutator;
+	// use Bundle.TargetConfig to access the selected target configuration.
 	Targets map[string]*Target `json:"targets,omitempty"`
 
 	// DEPRECATED. Left for backward compatibility with Targets
diff --git a/cmd/bundle/summary.go b/cmd/bundle/summary.go
index b3493a81ff..5a64b46c0a 100644
--- a/cmd/bundle/summary.go
+++ b/cmd/bundle/summary.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle"
-	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/config/mutator"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/deploy/terraform"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/phases"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/cmd/bundle/utils"
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ func newSummaryCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 		}
 
-		diags = bundle.Apply(ctx, b, bundle.Seq(terraform.Load(), mutator.CleanupTargets()))
+		diags = bundle.Apply(ctx, b, terraform.Load())
 		if err := diags.Error(); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/bundle/validate.go b/cmd/bundle/validate.go
index 88b16922a3..496d5d2b50 100644
--- a/cmd/bundle/validate.go
+++ b/cmd/bundle/validate.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle"
-	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/config/mutator"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/config/validate"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/phases"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/bundle/render"
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ func newValidateCommand() *cobra.Command {
 
 			return nil
 		case flags.OutputJSON:
-			bundle.Apply(ctx, b, mutator.CleanupTargets())
 			return renderJsonOutput(cmd, b, diags)
 		default:
 			return fmt.Errorf("unknown output type %s", root.OutputType(cmd))