diff --git a/share/sysbuild/cmake/domains.cmake b/share/sysbuild/cmake/domains.cmake
index 68cbd8c63df..a4905e6e111 100644
--- a/share/sysbuild/cmake/domains.cmake
+++ b/share/sysbuild/cmake/domains.cmake
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ set(domains_yaml "default: ${DEFAULT_IMAGE}")
 set(domains_yaml "${domains_yaml}\nbuild_dir: ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}")
 set(domains_yaml "${domains_yaml}\ndomains:")
 foreach(image ${IMAGES})
+  get_target_property(image_is_build_only ${image} BUILD_ONLY)
+  if(image_is_build_only)
+    continue()
+  endif()
   set(domains_yaml "${domains_yaml}\n  - name: ${image}")
   set(domains_yaml "${domains_yaml}\n    build_dir: $<TARGET_PROPERTY:${image},_EP_BINARY_DIR>")
 endforeach()
diff --git a/share/sysbuild/cmake/modules/sysbuild_extensions.cmake b/share/sysbuild/cmake/modules/sysbuild_extensions.cmake
index bdf8f88b805..c4e90f96135 100644
--- a/share/sysbuild/cmake/modules/sysbuild_extensions.cmake
+++ b/share/sysbuild/cmake/modules/sysbuild_extensions.cmake
@@ -125,10 +125,13 @@ endfunction()
 #                             For example, -DCONF_FILES=<files> will be passed on to the
 #                             MAIN_APP unmodified.
 #                             BOOTLOADER indicates this app is a bootloader
+# BUILD_ONLY <bool>:          Mark the application as build-only. If <bool> evaluates to
+#                             true, then this application will be excluded from flashing
+#                             and debugging.
 #
 function(ExternalZephyrProject_Add)
   set(app_types MAIN BOOTLOADER)
-  cmake_parse_arguments(ZBUILD "" "APPLICATION;BOARD;BOARD_REVISION;SOURCE_DIR;APP_TYPE" "" ${ARGN})
+  cmake_parse_arguments(ZBUILD "" "APPLICATION;BOARD;BOARD_REVISION;SOURCE_DIR;APP_TYPE;BUILD_ONLY" "" ${ARGN})
 
   if(ZBUILD_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS)
     message(FATAL_ERROR
@@ -279,6 +282,10 @@ function(ExternalZephyrProject_Add)
       " requires BOARD."
     )
   endif()
+
+  if(DEFINED ZBUILD_BUILD_ONLY)
+    set_target_properties(${ZBUILD_APPLICATION} PROPERTIES BUILD_ONLY ${ZBUILD_BUILD_ONLY})
+  endif()
 endfunction()
 
 # Usage: