diff --git a/cmake/modules/configuration_files.cmake b/cmake/modules/configuration_files.cmake
index 78e7bf2a494..dda142441ed 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/configuration_files.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/configuration_files.cmake
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ endif()
 zephyr_get(CONF_FILE SYSBUILD LOCAL)
 if(NOT DEFINED CONF_FILE)
   zephyr_file(CONF_FILES ${APPLICATION_CONFIG_DIR} KCONF CONF_FILE NAMES "prj.conf" SUFFIX ${FILE_SUFFIX} REQUIRED)
+  zephyr_file(CONF_FILES ${APPLICATION_CONFIG_DIR}/socs KCONF CONF_FILE QUALIFIERS SUFFIX ${FILE_SUFFIX})
   zephyr_file(CONF_FILES ${APPLICATION_CONFIG_DIR}/boards KCONF CONF_FILE SUFFIX ${FILE_SUFFIX})
 else()
   string(CONFIGURE "${CONF_FILE}" CONF_FILE_EXPANDED)
diff --git a/cmake/modules/extensions.cmake b/cmake/modules/extensions.cmake
index 6833d5de9c8..35ab0e246b2 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/extensions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/extensions.cmake
@@ -1538,6 +1538,11 @@ endfunction()
 #                       [BUILD <type>]
 #                       [MERGE [REVERSE]]
 #   )
+#   zephyr_build_string(<out-variable>
+#                       BOARD_QUALIFIERS <qualifiers>
+#                       [BUILD <type>]
+#                       [MERGE [REVERSE]]
+#   )
 #
 # <out-variable>:            Output variable where the build string will be returned.
 # SHORT <out-variable>:      Output variable where the shortened build string will be returned.
@@ -1571,6 +1576,10 @@ endfunction()
 # `alpha_soc_bar_1_0_0;alpha_soc_bar` in `build_string` parameter.
 # `alpha_bar_1_0_0;alpha_bar` in `short_build_string` parameter.
 #
+# calling
+#   zephyr_build_string(build_string BOARD_QUALIFIERS /soc/bar/foo)
+# will return the string `soc_bar_foo` in `build_string` parameter.
+#
 function(zephyr_build_string outvar)
   set(options MERGE REVERSE)
   set(single_args BOARD BOARD_QUALIFIERS BOARD_REVISION BUILD SHORT)
@@ -1590,10 +1599,17 @@ function(zephyr_build_string outvar)
     )
   endif()
 
-  if(DEFINED BUILD_STR_BOARD_QUALIFIERS AND NOT BUILD_STR_BOARD)
+  if(DEFINED BUILD_STR_BOARD_REVISION AND NOT DEFINED BUILD_STR_BOARD)
     message(FATAL_ERROR
-      "zephyr_build_string(${ARGV0} <list> BOARD_QUALIFIERS ${BUILD_STR_BOARD_QUALIFIERS} ...)"
-      " given without BOARD argument, please specify BOARD"
+      "zephyr_build_string(${ARGV0} <list> BOARD_REVISION ${BUILD_STR_BOARD_REVISION} ...)"
+      " given without BOARD argument, these must be used together"
+    )
+  endif()
+
+  if(DEFINED BUILD_STR_SHORT AND NOT DEFINED BUILD_STR_BOARD)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR
+      "zephyr_build_string(${ARGV0} <list> SHORT ${BUILD_STR_SHORT} ...)"
+      " given without BOARD argument, these must be used together"
     )
   endif()
 
@@ -2572,7 +2588,7 @@ Please provide one of following: APPLICATION_ROOT, CONF_FILES")
   if(${ARGV0} STREQUAL APPLICATION_ROOT)
     set(single_args APPLICATION_ROOT)
   elseif(${ARGV0} STREQUAL CONF_FILES)
-    set(options REQUIRED)
+    set(options QUALIFIERS REQUIRED)
     set(single_args BOARD BOARD_REVISION BOARD_QUALIFIERS DTS KCONF DEFCONFIG BUILD SUFFIX)
     set(multi_args CONF_FILES NAMES)
   endif()
@@ -2641,14 +2657,22 @@ Relative paths are only allowed with `-D${ARGV1}=<path>`")
       set(dts_filename_list ${ZFILE_NAMES})
       set(kconf_filename_list ${ZFILE_NAMES})
     else()
-      zephyr_build_string(filename_list
-                          SHORT shortened_filename_list
-                          BOARD ${ZFILE_BOARD}
-                          BOARD_REVISION ${ZFILE_BOARD_REVISION}
-                          BOARD_QUALIFIERS ${ZFILE_BOARD_QUALIFIERS}
-                          BUILD ${ZFILE_BUILD}
-                          MERGE REVERSE
-      )
+      if(NOT ZFILE_QUALIFIERS)
+        zephyr_build_string(filename_list
+                            SHORT shortened_filename_list
+                            BOARD ${ZFILE_BOARD}
+                            BOARD_REVISION ${ZFILE_BOARD_REVISION}
+                            BOARD_QUALIFIERS ${ZFILE_BOARD_QUALIFIERS}
+                            BUILD ${ZFILE_BUILD}
+                            MERGE REVERSE
+        )
+      else()
+        zephyr_build_string(filename_list
+                            BOARD_QUALIFIERS ${ZFILE_BOARD_QUALIFIERS}
+                            BUILD ${ZFILE_BUILD}
+                            MERGE REVERSE
+        )
+      endif()
 
       set(dts_filename_list ${filename_list})
       set(dts_shortened_filename_list ${shortened_filename_list})