diff --git a/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake b/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake
index 5ceddb3ca..b33aec4c3 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # 'cmake -E' doesn't have a way to fail outright, so run this script
 # with 'cmake -P' to fail a build.
-message(FATAL_ERROR "Failing the build (see errors on lines above)")
+message(FATAL_ERROR "$ENV{FAIL_MESSAGE}")
 
diff --git a/tools/cmake/utilities.cmake b/tools/cmake/utilities.cmake
index 5d3a8ebc6..6cd1a5cd0 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/utilities.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/utilities.cmake
@@ -214,13 +214,37 @@ function(fail_at_build_time target_name message_line0)
     set(filename "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${filename}.cmake")
     file(WRITE "${filename}" "")
     include("${filename}")
+    set(fail_message "Failing the build (see errors on lines above)")
     add_custom_target(${target_name} ALL
         ${message_lines}
         COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove "${filename}"
-        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${idf_path}/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env FAIL_MESSAGE=${fail_message}
+                ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${idf_path}/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake
         VERBATIM)
 endfunction()
 
+# fail_target
+#
+# Creates a phony target which fails when invoked. This is used when the necessary conditions
+# for a target are not met, such as configuration. Rather than ommitting the target altogether,
+# we fail execution with a helpful message.
+function(fail_target target_name message_line0)
+    idf_build_get_property(idf_path IDF_PATH)
+    set(message_lines COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo "${message_line0}")
+    foreach(message_line ${ARGN})
+        set(message_lines ${message_lines} COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo "${message_line}")
+    endforeach()
+    # Generate a timestamp file that gets included. When deleted on build, this forces CMake
+    # to rerun.
+    set(fail_message "Failed executing target (see errors on lines above)")
+    add_custom_target(${target_name}
+        ${message_lines}
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env FAIL_MESSAGE=${fail_message}
+                ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${idf_path}/tools/cmake/scripts/fail.cmake
+        VERBATIM)
+endfunction()
+
+
 function(check_exclusive_args args prefix)
     set(_args ${args})
     spaces2list(_args)