diff --git a/cmake/emu/armfvp.cmake b/cmake/emu/armfvp.cmake
index 354cc43cbcf..1b0307d58ea 100644
--- a/cmake/emu/armfvp.cmake
+++ b/cmake/emu/armfvp.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (c) 2021-2022 Arm Limited (or its affiliates). All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2022, 2025 Arm Limited (or its affiliates). All rights reserved.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 find_program(
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ elseif(CONFIG_ARMV8_A_NS)
     --data cluster0.cpu0="${APPLICATION_BINARY_DIR}/zephyr/${KERNEL_BIN_NAME}"@0x88000000
     )
 else()
-  string(FIND "${ARMFVP_FLAGS}" " -a " ARMFVP_APPARG_POS)
+  string(FIND "${ARMFVP_FLAGS}" "-a;" ARMFVP_APPARG_POS)
   if(${ARMFVP_APPARG_POS} EQUAL -1)
     set(ARMFVP_FLAGS ${ARMFVP_FLAGS}
       -a ${APPLICATION_BINARY_DIR}/zephyr/${KERNEL_ELF_NAME}