diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/Makefile b/arch/arm/lib/Makefile
index a812306c25..0051f76db0 100644
--- a/arch/arm/lib/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/lib/Makefile
@@ -100,5 +100,5 @@ CFLAGS_REMOVE_$(EFI_CRT0) := $(CFLAGS_NON_EFI)
 CFLAGS_$(EFI_RELOC) := $(CFLAGS_EFI)
 CFLAGS_REMOVE_$(EFI_RELOC) := $(CFLAGS_NON_EFI)
 
-extra-$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO) += $(EFI_CRT0) $(EFI_RELOC)
+extra-$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE) += $(EFI_CRT0) $(EFI_RELOC)
 extra-$(CONFIG_EFI) += $(EFI_CRT0) $(EFI_RELOC)
diff --git a/arch/x86/config.mk b/arch/x86/config.mk
index 03c71f7bae..1697dca47f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/config.mk
+++ b/arch/x86/config.mk
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ LDFLAGS_FINAL += --gc-sections -pie
 
 endif
 
-ifneq ($(CONFIG_EFI_STUB)$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO),)
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_EFI_STUB)$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE),)
 
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_EFI_STUB_64BIT),)
 EFI_LDS := elf_x86_64_efi.lds
diff --git a/arch/x86/lib/Makefile b/arch/x86/lib/Makefile
index ff402dc578..723288f7b2 100644
--- a/arch/x86/lib/Makefile
+++ b/arch/x86/lib/Makefile
@@ -64,6 +64,6 @@ extra-$(CONFIG_EFI_STUB_64BIT) += crt0_x86_64_efi.o reloc_x86_64_efi.o
 
 endif
 
-ifneq ($(CONFIG_EFI_STUB)$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO),)
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_EFI_STUB)$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE),)
 extra-y += $(EFI_CRT0) $(EFI_RELOC)
 endif
diff --git a/cmd/Kconfig b/cmd/Kconfig
index 2a2f23e251..b16c6032aa 100644
--- a/cmd/Kconfig
+++ b/cmd/Kconfig
@@ -181,9 +181,22 @@ config CMD_BOOTEFI
 	help
 	  Boot an EFI image from memory.
 
+config CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE
+	bool "Compile a standard EFI hello world binary for testing"
+	depends on CMD_BOOTEFI && (ARM || X86)
+	default y
+	help
+	  This compiles a standard EFI hello world application with U-Boot so
+	  that it can be used with the test/py testing framework. This is useful
+	  for testing that EFI is working at a basic level, and for bringing
+	  up EFI support on a new architecture.
+
+	  No additional space will be required in the resulting U-Boot binary
+	  when this option is enabled.
+
 config CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO
 	bool "Allow booting a standard EFI hello world for testing"
-	depends on CMD_BOOTEFI && (ARM || X86)
+	depends on CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE
 	help
 	  This adds a standard EFI hello world application to U-Boot so that
 	  it can be used with the 'bootefi hello' command. This is useful
diff --git a/configs/qemu-x86_efi_payload64_defconfig b/configs/qemu-x86_efi_payload64_defconfig
index c081ead86c..eaf0e32784 100644
--- a/configs/qemu-x86_efi_payload64_defconfig
+++ b/configs/qemu-x86_efi_payload64_defconfig
@@ -52,3 +52,4 @@ CONFIG_USE_PRIVATE_LIBGCC=y
 CONFIG_EFI=y
 CONFIG_EFI_STUB=y
 CONFIG_EFI_STUB_64BIT=y
+# CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE is not set
diff --git a/configs/stm32f429-discovery_defconfig b/configs/stm32f429-discovery_defconfig
index 24e2221d01..bb161d4f95 100644
--- a/configs/stm32f429-discovery_defconfig
+++ b/configs/stm32f429-discovery_defconfig
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ CONFIG_SYS_PROMPT="U-Boot > "
 # CONFIG_CMD_SETEXPR is not set
 CONFIG_CMD_TIMER=y
 CONFIG_OF_LIBFDT=y
+# CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE is not set
diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/Makefile b/lib/efi_loader/Makefile
index f4664085e5..fa8b91a526 100644
--- a/lib/efi_loader/Makefile
+++ b/lib/efi_loader/Makefile
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 CFLAGS_helloworld.o := $(CFLAGS_EFI)
 CFLAGS_REMOVE_helloworld.o := $(CFLAGS_NON_EFI)
 
+efiprogs-$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO_COMPILE) += helloworld.efi
+always := $(efiprogs-y)
+
 obj-$(CONFIG_CMD_BOOTEFI_HELLO) += helloworld_efi.o
 obj-y += efi_image_loader.o efi_boottime.o efi_runtime.o efi_console.o
 obj-y += efi_memory.o
diff --git a/test/py/tests/test_efi_loader.py b/test/py/tests/test_efi_loader.py
index 1c4265380f..7bf0170e14 100644
--- a/test/py/tests/test_efi_loader.py
+++ b/test/py/tests/test_efi_loader.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def test_efi_setup_static(u_boot_console):
     global net_set_up
     net_set_up = True
 
-@pytest.mark.buildconfigspec('cmd_bootefi_hello')
+@pytest.mark.buildconfigspec('cmd_bootefi_hello_compile')
 def test_efi_helloworld_net(u_boot_console):
     """Run the helloworld.efi binary via TFTP.