diff --git a/build b/build
index 38d1694c..14353245 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ export LC_ALL=C
 . "include/err.sh"
 . "include/option.sh"
 
+export LBMK_RELEASE="$lbmk_release"
+
 eval "$(setvars "" option aur_notice tmpdir)"
 err="fail"
 
diff --git a/config/coreboot/dell9020mt_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/dell9020mt_12mb/target.cfg
index e6d3bec6..0da057a9 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/dell9020mt_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/dell9020mt_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_seabios_withgrub="y"
 payload_seabios_grubonly="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/dell9020mtbmrc_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/dell9020mtbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
index e6d3bec6..0da057a9 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/dell9020mtbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/dell9020mtbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_seabios_withgrub="y"
 payload_seabios_grubonly="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/dell9020sff_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/dell9020sff_12mb/target.cfg
index e6d3bec6..0da057a9 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/dell9020sff_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/dell9020sff_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_seabios_withgrub="y"
 payload_seabios_grubonly="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/dell9020sffbmrc_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/dell9020sffbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
index e6d3bec6..0da057a9 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/dell9020sffbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/dell9020sffbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_seabios_withgrub="y"
 payload_seabios_grubonly="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/t440pbmrc_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/t440pbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
index 8688df3f..06f3025c 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/t440pbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/t440pbmrc_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_grub_withseabios="y"
 payload_seabios="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/t440pmrc_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/t440pmrc_12mb/target.cfg
index 8688df3f..06f3025c 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/t440pmrc_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/t440pmrc_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_grub_withseabios="y"
 payload_seabios="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/w541bmrc_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/w541bmrc_12mb/target.cfg
index 8688df3f..06f3025c 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/w541bmrc_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/w541bmrc_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_grub_withseabios="y"
 payload_seabios="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/config/coreboot/w541mrc_12mb/target.cfg b/config/coreboot/w541mrc_12mb/target.cfg
index 8688df3f..06f3025c 100644
--- a/config/coreboot/w541mrc_12mb/target.cfg
+++ b/config/coreboot/w541mrc_12mb/target.cfg
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ payload_grub_withseabios="y"
 payload_seabios="y"
 payload_memtest="y"
 grub_scan_disk="ahci"
+release="n"
diff --git a/include/err.sh b/include/err.sh
index 5b66c999..3cadf042 100755
--- a/include/err.sh
+++ b/include/err.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@
 version=""; versiondate=""; projectname=""; _nogit=""
 err="err_"
 
+# 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)
+lbmk_release=
+set | grep LBMK_RELEASE 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null || lbmk_release="n" || :
+[ -z "$lbmk_release" ] && lbmk_release="$LBMK_RELEASE"
+[ "$lbmk_release" = "n" ] || [ "$lbmk_release" = "y" ] || lbmk_release="n"
+
 x_() {
 	[ $# -lt 1 ] || ${@} || $err "Unhandled non-zero exit: $@"; return 0
 }
diff --git a/script/build/roms b/script/build/roms
index a90e1daa..2510b1fd 100755
--- a/script/build/roms
+++ b/script/build/roms
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ cfgsdir="config/coreboot"
 # target.cfg files have to specifically enable [a] payload(s)
 pv="payload_grub payload_grub_withseabios payload_seabios payload_memtest t"
 pv="${pv} payload_seabios_withgrub payload_seabios_grubonly payload_uboot memtest_bin"
-v="romdir cbrom initmode displaymode cbcfg targetdir tree keymaps"
+v="romdir cbrom initmode displaymode cbcfg targetdir tree keymaps release"
 v="${v} grub_timeout ubdir board grub_scan_disk uboot_config"
 eval "$(setvars "n" ${pv})"
 eval "$(setvars "" ${v} boards _displaymode _payload _keyboard all targets)"
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ main()
 		grub_background="background1280x800.png"
 		board="${x}"
 		configure_target
+
+		# exclude certain targets from the release
+		if [ "$release" = "n" ] && [ "$lbmk_release" = "y" ]; then
+			printf "Skipping target: %s\n" "$x"
+			continue
+		fi
+
 		build_payloads
 		build_target_mainboard
 		[ -d "bin/${board}" ] || continue
diff --git a/script/update/release b/script/update/release
index 25ada9da..e8eff300 100755
--- a/script/update/release
+++ b/script/update/release
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ set -u -e
 
 eval "$(setvars "" vdir relname src_dirname srcdir _xm target romdir mode)"
 
+export LBMK_RELEASE="y"
+
 main()
 {
 	vdir="release"