diff --git a/include/err.sh b/include/err.sh
index 507db0d..4cf794e 100755
--- a/include/err.sh
+++ b/include/err.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export LC_COLLATE=C
 export LC_ALL=C
 
 version=""; versiondate=""; projectname=""; _nogit=""
-err="err_"; tmpdir=""; release_type=""
+err="err_"; tmpdir=""; release_type=""; cbmk_status=""
 
 # if "y": a coreboot target won't be built if target.cfg says release="n"
 # (this is used to exclude certain build targets from releases)
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ set | grep CBMK_VERSION_TYPE 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null && \
     [ "$release_type" = "unstable" ] || release_type=""
 export CBMK_VERSION_TYPE="$release_type"
 
+# if set to n via export, status checks will be skipped during
+# all builds, and all targets will be built regardless of status.
+# this replicates the old behaviour of cbmk, prior to the checks.
+set | grep CBMK_STATUS 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null && cbmk_status="$CBMK_STATUS"
+[ "$cbmk_status" = "y" ] || [ "$cbmk_status" = "n" ] || cbmk_status="y"
+export CBMK_STATUS="$cbmk_status"
+
 tmpdir_was_set="y"
 set | grep TMPDIR 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null || tmpdir_was_set="n"
 if [ "${tmpdir_was_set}" = "y" ]; then
diff --git a/script/build/roms b/script/build/roms
index 820aa37..23be80a 100755
--- a/script/build/roms
+++ b/script/build/roms
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ skip_board()
 		return 1
 
 	if [ "$cbmk_release" != "y" ] && [ "$status" != "stable" ] && \
-	    [ "$status" != "$release_type" ]; then
+	    [ "$status" != "$release_type" ] && [ "$cbmk_status" = "y" ]; then
 		if [ -f "$targetdir/warn.txt" ]; then
 			printf "Regarding board '%s' (status '%s'):\n" \
 			    "$board" "$status"