diff --git a/boards/apollo3/lora_things_plus/Makefile b/boards/apollo3/lora_things_plus/Makefile
index 3d023c939a..1bda4b1082 100644
--- a/boards/apollo3/lora_things_plus/Makefile
+++ b/boards/apollo3/lora_things_plus/Makefile
@@ -44,10 +44,8 @@ flash-app:
 
 .PHONY: test
 test:
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
 	$(Q)OBJCOPY=${OBJCOPY} PORT=$(PORT) $(CARGO) test $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release
 
 .PHONY: test-atecc508a
 test-atecc508a:
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
 	$(Q)OBJCOPY=${OBJCOPY} PORT=$(PORT) $(CARGO) test $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release --features atecc508a
diff --git a/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_atp/Makefile b/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_atp/Makefile
index 2a6c2ff0ff..a698dd8e79 100644
--- a/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_atp/Makefile
+++ b/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_atp/Makefile
@@ -44,5 +44,4 @@ flash-app:
 
 .PHONY: test
 test:
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
 	$(Q)OBJCOPY=${OBJCOPY} PORT=$(PORT) $(CARGO) test $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release
diff --git a/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_nano/Makefile b/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_nano/Makefile
index de8d303edc..a7e5912434 100644
--- a/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_nano/Makefile
+++ b/boards/apollo3/redboard_artemis_nano/Makefile
@@ -44,5 +44,4 @@ flash-app:
 
 .PHONY: test
 test:
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
 	$(Q)OBJCOPY=${OBJCOPY} PORT=$(PORT) $(CARGO) test $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release
diff --git a/boards/build_scripts/src/default.rs b/boards/build_scripts/src/default.rs
index 1332458f2b..402d532a5f 100644
--- a/boards/build_scripts/src/default.rs
+++ b/boards/build_scripts/src/default.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,43 @@ pub fn default_linker_script() {
         panic!("Boards must provide a `layout.ld` link script file");
     }
 
+    rustflags_check();
+
+    include_tock_kernel_layout();
+
+    add_board_dir_to_linker_search_path();
+
+    set_and_track_linker_script(LINKER_SCRIPT);
+}
+
+/// Include the folder where the board's Cargo.toml is in the linker file
+/// search path.
+pub fn add_board_dir_to_linker_search_path() {
+    // Note this is a different path than the one returned by
+    // `std::env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR")` in `include_tock_kernel_layout()`,
+    // since that is evaluated at compile
+    // time while this `std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR")` is evaluated at runtime.
+    println!(
+        "cargo:rustc-link-arg=-L{}",
+        std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").unwrap()
+    );
+}
+
+/// Include the folder where this build_script crate's Cargo.toml is in the
+/// linker file search path for `tock_kernel_layout.ld`, and instruct cargo
+/// to rebuild if that linker script is changed.
+pub fn include_tock_kernel_layout() {
+    println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=-L{}", std::env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
+    // Directive to rebuild if the linker script in this crate is changed.
+    println!(
+        "cargo:rerun-if-changed={}",
+        Path::new(std::env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"))
+            .join("tock_kernel_layout.ld")
+            .to_string_lossy()
+    );
+}
+
+pub fn rustflags_check() {
     // The `RUSTFLAGS` that the Tock config files set can be easily overridden
     // by command line flags. The build will still succeed but the resulting
     // binary may be invalid as it was not built with the intended flags. This
@@ -50,33 +87,18 @@ pub fn default_linker_script() {
             );
         }
     }
+}
 
-    // Include the folder where this build_script crate's Cargo.toml is in the
-    // linker file search path for `tock_kernel_layout.ld`.
-    println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=-L{}", std::env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"));
-    // Directive to rebuild if the linker script in this crate is changed.
-    println!(
-        "cargo:rerun-if-changed={}",
-        Path::new(std::env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"))
-            .join("tock_kernel_layout.ld")
-            .to_string_lossy()
-    );
-
-    // Include the folder where the board's Cargo.toml is in the linker file
-    // search path.
-    println!(
-        "cargo:rustc-link-arg=-L{}",
-        std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").unwrap()
-    );
-    // `-Tlayout.ld`: Use the linker script `layout.ld` all boards must provide.
-    println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=-T{}", LINKER_SCRIPT);
-
-    track_linker_script(LINKER_SCRIPT);
+/// Pass the given linker script to cargo, and track it and all of its `INCLUDE`s
+pub fn set_and_track_linker_script<P: AsRef<Path> + ToString>(path: P) {
+    // Use the passed linker script
+    println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=-T{}", path.to_string());
+    track_linker_script(path);
 }
 
 /// Track the given linker script and all of its `INCLUDE`s so that the build
 /// is rerun when any of them change.
-fn track_linker_script<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) {
+pub fn track_linker_script<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) {
     let path = path.as_ref();
 
     // Skip the default Tock linker script as we have manually added the
diff --git a/boards/build_scripts/src/lib.rs b/boards/build_scripts/src/lib.rs
index a7233780cc..b861129dd0 100644
--- a/boards/build_scripts/src/lib.rs
+++ b/boards/build_scripts/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR MIT
 // Copyright Tock Contributors 2024.
 
-mod default;
+pub mod default;
 
 pub use default::default_linker_script;
diff --git a/boards/esp32-c3-devkitM-1/Makefile b/boards/esp32-c3-devkitM-1/Makefile
index 0d9e8e2a7e..f0a45f7829 100644
--- a/boards/esp32-c3-devkitM-1/Makefile
+++ b/boards/esp32-c3-devkitM-1/Makefile
@@ -25,5 +25,4 @@ endif
 	esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 --chip esp32c3 write_flash --flash_mode dio --flash_size detect --flash_freq 80m 0x0 binary.hex
 
 test:
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
 	$(Q)$(CARGO) test $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release
diff --git a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Cargo.toml b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Cargo.toml
index 9c1d00711c..b9053343d0 100644
--- a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Cargo.toml
+++ b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 name = "earlgrey-cw310"
 version.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true
-build = "../../build.rs"
+build = "build.rs"
 edition.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
diff --git a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Makefile b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Makefile
index 2be8982928..e528c96a23 100644
--- a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Makefile
+++ b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/Makefile
@@ -108,16 +108,10 @@ test:
 ifneq ($(OPENTITAN_TREE),)
 	$(error "Running on QEMU, use test-hardware to run on hardware")
 endif
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
-	$(Q)cp test_layout.ld $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/layout.ld
-	$(Q)TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY=${TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY} QEMU_ENTRY_POINT=${QEMU_ENTRY_POINT} TARGET=${TARGET} $(CARGO) test $(CARGO_FLAGS) $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release
+	$(Q)TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY=${TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY} QEMU_ENTRY_POINT=${QEMU_ENTRY_POINT} TARGET=${TARGET} LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE=test_layout.ld $(CARGO) test $(CARGO_FLAGS) $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release
 
 test-hardware: ot-check
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
-	$(Q)cp test_layout.ld $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/layout.ld
-	$(Q)OBJCOPY=$(RISC_PREFIX)-objcopy TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY=${TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY} TARGET=${TARGET} $(CARGO) test $(CARGO_FLAGS) $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release --features=hardware_tests
+	$(Q)OBJCOPY=$(RISC_PREFIX)-objcopy TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY=${TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY} TARGET=${TARGET} LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE=test_layout.ld $(CARGO) test $(CARGO_FLAGS) $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release --features=hardware_tests
 
 test-verilator: ot-check
-	mkdir -p $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/
-	$(Q)cp test_layout.ld $(TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY)target/$(TARGET)/release/deps/layout.ld
-	$(Q)VERILATOR="yes" OBJCOPY=$(RISC_PREFIX)-objcopy TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY=${TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY} TARGET=${TARGET} $(CARGO) test $(CARGO_FLAGS) $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release --features=hardware_tests,sim_verilator
+	$(Q)VERILATOR="yes" OBJCOPY=$(RISC_PREFIX)-objcopy TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY=${TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY} TARGET=${TARGET} LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE=test_layout.ld $(CARGO) test $(CARGO_FLAGS) $(NO_RUN) --bin $(PLATFORM) --release --features=hardware_tests,sim_verilator
diff --git a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/build.rs b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0a7bc2ffb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 or the MIT License.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR MIT
+// Copyright Tock Contributors 2024.
+
+//! This board uses a custom build script to enable selecting a different layout
+//! file for tests, which require a different layout than normal kernel builds.
+//! The script is lightly adapted from the `default_linker_script` in
+//! `tock_build_scripts`, and uses the functions provided by that crate.
+
+use std::path::Path;
+
+const LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE_ENV: &str = "LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE";
+
+fn main() {
+    let linker_script =
+        std::env::var(LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE_ENV).unwrap_or("layout.ld".to_string());
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-env-changed={}", LINKER_SCRIPT_OVERRIDE_ENV);
+
+    if !Path::new(&linker_script).exists() {
+        panic!(
+            "Boards must provide a linker script file; path does not exist: {:?}",
+            linker_script
+        );
+    }
+    tock_build_scripts::default::rustflags_check();
+    tock_build_scripts::default::include_tock_kernel_layout();
+    tock_build_scripts::default::add_board_dir_to_linker_search_path();
+    tock_build_scripts::default::set_and_track_linker_script(linker_script);
+}
diff --git a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/run.sh b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/run.sh
index 18e62fd976..4b5d51cc06 100755
--- a/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/run.sh
+++ b/boards/opentitan/earlgrey-cw310/run.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 
 BUILD_DIR="verilator_build/"
 
-# Preemptively cleanup layout (incase this was a test) so that following apps (non-tests) load the correct layout.
-rm $TOCK_ROOT_DIRECTORY/target/$TARGET/release/deps/layout.ld
-
 if [[ "${VERILATOR}" == "yes" ]]; then
 		if [ -d "$BUILD_DIR" ]; then
 			# Cleanup before we build again