diff --git a/ext/hal/CMakeLists.txt b/ext/hal/CMakeLists.txt
index 8c99d8548b1..59f628fae09 100644
--- a/ext/hal/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ext/hal/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 add_subdirectory(atmel)
 add_subdirectory(cmsis)
+add_subdirectory_if_kconfig(libmetal)
 add_subdirectory(nordic)
 add_subdirectory(nxp)
 add_subdirectory_if_kconfig(qmsi)
diff --git a/ext/hal/Kconfig b/ext/hal/Kconfig
index 60f414ff1ce..703a37d6db3 100644
--- a/ext/hal/Kconfig
+++ b/ext/hal/Kconfig
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ source "ext/hal/altera/Kconfig"
 
 source "ext/hal/cmsis/Kconfig"
 
+source "ext/hal/libmetal/Kconfig"
+
 source "ext/hal/nordic/Kconfig"
 
 source "ext/hal/nxp/mcux/Kconfig"
diff --git a/ext/hal/libmetal/CMakeLists.txt b/ext/hal/libmetal/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5dacbd9a80a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/hal/libmetal/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2018 Linaro Limited
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+
+set(WITH_ZEPHYR 1)
+set(WITH_ZEPHYR_LIB 1)
+set(WITH_DOC OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+set(WITH_DEFAULT_LOGGER OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+
+add_subdirectory(libmetal)
diff --git a/ext/hal/libmetal/Kconfig b/ext/hal/libmetal/Kconfig
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..70977cfb2e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/hal/libmetal/Kconfig
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2018 Linaro Limited
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+
+config LIBMETAL
+	bool
+	prompt "libmetal Support"
+	default n
+	help
+	  This option enables the libmetal HAL abstraction layer
diff --git a/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal.cmake b/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 0a7816007e0..00000000000
--- a/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-include(ExternalProject)
-
-ExternalProject_Add(
-  libmetal                 # Name for custom target
-  SOURCE_DIR $ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE}/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal/
-  INSTALL_COMMAND ""      # This particular build system has no install command
-  CMAKE_ARGS -DWITH_ZEPHYR=ON -DBOARD=${BOARD} -DWITH_DEFAULT_LOGGER=OFF -DWITH_DOC=OFF
-  )
-
-ExternalProject_Get_property(libmetal BINARY_DIR)
-set(LIBMETAL_INCLUDE_DIR ${BINARY_DIR}/lib/include)
-set(LIBMETAL_LIBRARY     ${BINARY_DIR}/lib/libmetal.a)
diff --git a/ext/lib/ipc/open-amp.cmake b/ext/lib/ipc/open-amp.cmake
index bc0ab3c282e..f710bb7a62d 100644
--- a/ext/lib/ipc/open-amp.cmake
+++ b/ext/lib/ipc/open-amp.cmake
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 include(ExternalProject)
 
-include($ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE}/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal.cmake)
-
 ExternalProject_Add(
   open-amp
   SOURCE_DIR $ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE}/ext/lib/ipc/open-amp/
-  DEPENDS libmetal
+  DEPENDS metal
   INSTALL_COMMAND ""      # This particular build system has no install command
-  CMAKE_ARGS -DWITH_ZEPHYR=ON -DWITH_PROXY=OFF -DBOARD=${BOARD} -DLIBMETAL_INCLUDE_DIR=${LIBMETAL_INCLUDE_DIR} -DLIBMETAL_LIB=${LIBMETAL_LIBRARY}
+  CMAKE_ARGS -DWITH_ZEPHYR=ON -DWITH_PROXY=OFF -DBOARD=${BOARD} -DLIBMETAL_INCLUDE_DIR=${ZEPHYR_BINARY_DIR}/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal/lib/include -DLIBMETAL_LIB=${ZEPHYR_BINARY_DIR}/ext/hal/libmetal/libmetal/lib
 )
 
 ExternalProject_Get_property(open-amp SOURCE_DIR)
diff --git a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/CMakeLists.txt b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/CMakeLists.txt
index a041adf2665..a17645b00c5 100644
--- a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,11 +29,9 @@ ExternalProject_Add(
 )
 add_dependencies(core_m0_inc_target openamp_remote)
 
-target_include_directories(app PRIVATE ${LIBMETAL_INCLUDE_DIR}
-			   ${OPENAMP_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PLATFORM_DIR})
+target_include_directories(app PRIVATE ${OPENAMP_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PLATFORM_DIR})
 
 target_link_libraries(app
 	${OPENAMP_LIBRARY}
-	${LIBMETAL_LIBRARY}
 	${ZEPHYR_KERNEL_LIBRARY})
 
diff --git a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/prj.conf b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/prj.conf
index 6aa9d2308c8..7bd927d1b26 100644
--- a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/prj.conf
+++ b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/prj.conf
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ CONFIG_SLAVE_IMAGE_MCUX="${ZEPHYR_BINARY_DIR}/../openamp_remote-prefix/src/opena
 CONFIG_TIMESLICE_SIZE=1
 CONFIG_MAIN_STACK_SIZE=2048
 CONFIG_HEAP_MEM_POOL_SIZE=4096
+CONFIG_LIBMETAL=y
diff --git a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/CMakeLists.txt b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/CMakeLists.txt
index 56a541dc5df..0dc2a7ec706 100644
--- a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,12 +14,11 @@ target_sources(app PRIVATE src/main_remote.c ${PLATFORM_DIR}/platform.c ${PLATFO
 
 include($ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE}/ext/lib/ipc/open-amp.cmake)
 
-target_include_directories(app PRIVATE ${LIBMETAL_INCLUDE_DIR} ${OPENAMP_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PLATFORM_DIR})
+target_include_directories(app PRIVATE ${OPENAMP_INCLUDE_DIR} ${PLATFORM_DIR})
 
 add_dependencies(app open-amp)
 
 target_link_libraries(app
 	${OPENAMP_LIBRARY}
-	${LIBMETAL_LIBRARY}
 	${ZEPHYR_KERNEL_LIBRARY})
 
diff --git a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/prj.conf b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/prj.conf
index 11670cb1347..fd45162ed9e 100644
--- a/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/prj.conf
+++ b/samples/subsys/ipc/openamp/remote/prj.conf
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ CONFIG_IPM=y
 CONFIG_IPM_MCUX=y
 CONFIG_PLATFORM_SPECIFIC_INIT=n
 CONFIG_HEAP_MEM_POOL_SIZE=4096
+CONFIG_LIBMETAL=y