diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index dd41b1f931..058b3466cc 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -451,6 +451,9 @@ ifeq (,$(FLASHFILE))
   $(error FLASHFILE is not defined for this board: $(FLASHFILE))
 endif
 
+# By default always build ELFFILE and FLASHFILE
+BUILD_FILES += $(ELFFILE) $(FLASHFILE)
+
 # variables used to compile and link c++
 CPPMIX ?= $(if $(wildcard *.cpp),1,)
 
@@ -479,7 +482,7 @@ ifeq ($(BUILD_IN_DOCKER),1)
 link: ..in-docker-container
 else
 ifeq (,$(RIOTNOLINK))
-link: ..compiler-check ..build-message $(ELFFILE) $(FLASHFILE) print-size
+link: ..compiler-check ..build-message $(BUILD_FILES) print-size
 else
 link: ..compiler-check ..build-message $(BASELIBS)
 endif # RIOTNOLINK
diff --git a/makefiles/boot/riotboot.mk b/makefiles/boot/riotboot.mk
index f07d049617..a1281422d0 100644
--- a/makefiles/boot/riotboot.mk
+++ b/makefiles/boot/riotboot.mk
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ SLOT_RIOT_ELFS = $(BINDIR_APP)-slot0.elf $(BINDIR_APP)-slot1.elf
 # ensure both slot elf files are always linked
 # this ensures that both "make test" and "make test-murdock" can rely on them
 # being present without having to trigger re-compilation.
-ifneq (1, $(RIOTNOLINK))
-link: $(SLOT_RIOT_ELFS)
-endif
+BUILD_FILES += $(SLOT_RIOT_ELFS)
 
 # Create binary target with RIOT header
 $(SLOT_RIOT_BINS): %.$(APP_VER).riot.bin: %.hdr %.bin
diff --git a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
index d788e772a0..f2bfcc5557 100644
--- a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export ELFFILE               # The unstripped result of the compilation.
 export HEXFILE               # The 'intel hex' stripped result of the compilation.
 # BINFILE                    # The 'binary' stripped result of the compilation.
 # FLASHFILE                  # The output file used for flashing
+# BUILD_FILES                # The list of files to be built
 # DEBUGGER                   # The command to call on "make debug", usually a script starting the GDB front-end.
 # DEBUGGER_FLAGS             # The parameters to supply to DEBUGGER.
 # DEBUGSERVER                # The command to call on "make debug-server", usually a script starting the GDB server.