diff --git a/makefiles/murdock.inc.mk b/makefiles/murdock.inc.mk
index 945802f701..87eaadacd3 100644
--- a/makefiles/murdock.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/murdock.inc.mk
@@ -19,16 +19,31 @@ test-murdock:
 		"$(BOARD):$(TOOLCHAIN)" \
 		$(FLASHFILE)
 
-# don't whitelist tests if there's no binary
-ifeq (1,$(RIOTNOLINK))
-  TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST:=
-endif
 
-# create $(BINDIR)/.test file only if BOARD is in $(TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST)
+# Control running tests on boards during the CI tests.
+#
+# Testing is enabled if all the following conditions are met:
+#
+#  * the board is whitelisted
+#  * the board has enough memory and the executable is being linked
+#
+# TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST can be empty, a board list or 'all'
+
+TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST ?=
+TEST_ON_BOARD_ENABLED ?= $(filter $(TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST:all=%),$(BOARD))
+
+TEST_ON_CI_ENABLED ?= $(if $(RIOTNOLINK),,$(TEST_ON_BOARD_ENABLED))
+
+.PHONY: test-on-ci-enabled
+test-on-ci-enabled:
+	$(Q)test -n "$(TEST_ON_CI_ENABLED)"
+
+
+# create $(BINDIR)/.test file only if the test is enabled for this board
 .PHONY: $(BINDIR)/.test
 link: $(BINDIR)/.test
 $(BINDIR)/.test: $(filter clean, $(MAKECMDGOALS))
-ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARD) all, $(TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST)))
+ifneq (,$(TEST_ON_CI_ENABLED))
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(BINDIR)
 	$(Q)touch $@
 else