diff --git a/cmake/modules/boards.cmake b/cmake/modules/boards.cmake
index ee81b264c1f..f76d89a8427 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/boards.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/boards.cmake
@@ -195,6 +195,24 @@ endif()
 
 if(NOT "${ret_board}" STREQUAL "")
   string(STRIP "${ret_board}" ret_board)
+  string(FIND "${ret_board}" "\n" idx REVERSE)
+  if(idx GREATER -1)
+    while(TRUE)
+      math(EXPR start "${idx} + 1")
+      string(SUBSTRING "${ret_board}" ${start} -1 line)
+      string(SUBSTRING "${ret_board}" 0 ${idx} ret_board)
+
+      cmake_parse_arguments(LIST_BOARD "" "DIR" "" ${line})
+      set(board_dirs "${board_dirs}\n${LIST_BOARD_DIR}")
+
+      if(idx EQUAL -1)
+        break()
+      endif()
+      string(FIND "${ret_board}" "\n" idx REVERSE)
+    endwhile()
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Multiple boards named '${BOARD}' found in:${board_dirs}")
+  endif()
+
   set(single_val "NAME;DIR;HWM;REVISION_FORMAT;REVISION_DEFAULT;REVISION_EXACT")
   set(multi_val  "REVISIONS;SOCS;QUALIFIERS")
   cmake_parse_arguments(LIST_BOARD "" "${single_val}" "${multi_val}" ${ret_board})