diff --git a/components/esptool_py/CMakeLists.txt b/components/esptool_py/CMakeLists.txt
index 6d3b01c80b..f4ce6e0a93 100644
--- a/components/esptool_py/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/esptool_py/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@ if(NOT BOOTLOADER_BUILD)
         set(ESPTOOLPY_AFTER "no_reset")
     endif()
 
-    file(READ "flasher_args.json.in" flasher_args_content)
-    string(CONFIGURE "${flasher_args_content}" flasher_args_content)
+    if(CONFIG_APP_BUILD_GENERATE_BINARIES)
+        file(READ "flasher_args.json.in" flasher_args_content)
+        string(CONFIGURE "${flasher_args_content}" flasher_args_content)
 
-    file_generate("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/flasher_args.json.in" 
-                  CONTENT "${flasher_args_content}")
-    file_generate("${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/flasher_args.json" 
-                  INPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/flasher_args.json.in")
+        file_generate("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/flasher_args.json.in" 
+                    CONTENT "${flasher_args_content}")
+        file_generate("${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/flasher_args.json" 
+                    INPUT "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/flasher_args.json.in")
+    endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/components/esptool_py/flasher_args.json.in b/components/esptool_py/flasher_args.json.in
index 6b72fc9bfc..2152d68776 100644
--- a/components/esptool_py/flasher_args.json.in
+++ b/components/esptool_py/flasher_args.json.in
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
         >
     },
     $<JOIN:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:flash,FLASH_ENTRY>,,
-    >,
+    >$<$<BOOL:$<TARGET_PROPERTY:flash,FLASH_ENTRY>>:,>
     "extra_esptool_args" : {
         "after"  : "${ESPTOOLPY_AFTER}",
         "before" : "${ESPTOOLPY_BEFORE}",
diff --git a/components/partition_table/CMakeLists.txt b/components/partition_table/CMakeLists.txt
index 7d42c44489..2b78a1f226 100644
--- a/components/partition_table/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/partition_table/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -97,9 +97,10 @@ endif()
 idf_component_get_property(main_args esptool_py FLASH_ARGS)
 idf_component_get_property(sub_args esptool_py FLASH_SUB_ARGS)
 
-esptool_py_flash_target(partition_table-flash "${main_args}" "${sub_args}")
-esptool_py_flash_target_image(partition_table-flash partition_table "${PARTITION_TABLE_OFFSET}"
-                                      "${build_dir}/partition_table/partition-table.bin")
-esptool_py_flash_target_image(flash partition_table "${PARTITION_TABLE_OFFSET}"
-                                      "${build_dir}/partition_table/partition-table.bin")
-
+if(CONFIG_APP_BUILD_GENERATE_BINARIES)
+    esptool_py_flash_target(partition_table-flash "${main_args}" "${sub_args}")
+    esptool_py_flash_target_image(partition_table-flash partition_table "${PARTITION_TABLE_OFFSET}"
+                                        "${build_dir}/partition_table/partition-table.bin")
+    esptool_py_flash_target_image(flash partition_table "${PARTITION_TABLE_OFFSET}"
+                                        "${build_dir}/partition_table/partition-table.bin")
+endif()
diff --git a/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh b/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh
index 48a156a2fa..6526ef2dbe 100755
--- a/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh
+++ b/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh
@@ -716,6 +716,13 @@ endmenu\n" >> ${IDF_PATH}/Kconfig
     grep "build/dfu.bin\" has been written. You may proceed with DFU flashing." tmp.log || (tail -n 100 tmp.log ; failure "DFU build should succeed for esp32s2")
     rm tmp.log
     assert_built ${APP_BINS} ${BOOTLOADER_BINS} ${PARTITION_BIN} "dfu.bin"
+    rm -rf build sdkconfig
+
+    print_status "Loadable ELF build works"
+    echo "CONFIG_APP_BUILD_TYPE_ELF_RAM=y" > sdkconfig
+    idf.py reconfigure || failure "Couldn't configure for loadable ELF file"
+    test -f build/flasher_args.json && failure "flasher_args.json should not be generated in a loadable ELF build"
+    idf.py build || failure "Couldn't build a loadable ELF file"
 
     print_status "All tests completed"
     if [ -n "${FAILURES}" ]; then
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/app_test.py b/tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/app_test.py
index 126cf433d2..923c4077db 100644
--- a/tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/app_test.py
+++ b/tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/app_test.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import ttfw_idf
 
 class SerialThread(object):
     def run(self, log_path, exit_event):
-        with serial.Serial('/dev/ttyUSB1', 115200) as ser, open(log_path, 'wb') as f:
+        with serial.Serial(os.getenv('ESPPORT', '/dev/ttyUSB1'), 115200) as ser, open(log_path, 'wb') as f:
             while True:
                 f.write(ser.read(ser.in_waiting))
                 if exit_event.is_set():
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class SerialThread(object):
 def test_app_loadable_elf(env, extra_data):
 
     rel_project_path = os.path.join('tools', 'test_apps', 'system', 'gdb_loadable_elf')
-    app_files = ['gdb_loadable_elf.elf', 'partition_table/partition-table.bin']
+    app_files = ['gdb_loadable_elf.elf']
     example = ttfw_idf.LoadableElfTestApp(rel_project_path, app_files, target="esp32")
     idf_path = example.get_sdk_path()
     proj_path = os.path.join(idf_path, rel_project_path)
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/sdkconfig.ci.default b/tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/sdkconfig.defaults
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/sdkconfig.ci.default
rename to tools/test_apps/system/gdb_loadable_elf/sdkconfig.defaults