diff --git a/tools/buildman/README b/tools/buildman/README
index c1ac0d0f58..abbbbea9f2 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/README
+++ b/tools/buildman/README
@@ -1056,6 +1056,17 @@ toolchain. For example:
    buildman -O clang-7 --board sandbox
 
 
+Doing a simple build
+====================
+
+In some cases you just want to build a single board and get the full output, use
+the -w option, for example:
+
+   buildman -o /tmp/build --board sandbox -w
+
+This will write the full build into /tmp/build including object files.
+
+
 Other options
 =============
 
diff --git a/tools/buildman/builder.py b/tools/buildman/builder.py
index 3fd4fac695..081c1d0901 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/builder.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/builder.py
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ class Builder:
         in_tree: Build U-Boot in-tree instead of specifying an output
             directory separate from the source code. This option is really
             only useful for testing in-tree builds.
+        work_in_output: Use the output directory as the work directory and
+            don't write to a separate output directory.
 
     Private members:
         _base_board_dict: Last-summarised Dict of boards
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ class Builder:
                  no_subdirs=False, full_path=False, verbose_build=False,
                  incremental=False, per_board_out_dir=False,
                  config_only=False, squash_config_y=False,
-                 warnings_as_errors=False):
+                 warnings_as_errors=False, work_in_output=False):
         """Create a new Builder object
 
         Args:
@@ -250,10 +252,15 @@ class Builder:
             config_only: Only configure each build, don't build it
             squash_config_y: Convert CONFIG options with the value 'y' to '1'
             warnings_as_errors: Treat all compiler warnings as errors
+            work_in_output: Use the output directory as the work directory and
+                don't write to a separate output directory.
         """
         self.toolchains = toolchains
         self.base_dir = base_dir
-        self._working_dir = os.path.join(base_dir, '.bm-work')
+        if work_in_output:
+            self._working_dir = base_dir
+        else:
+            self._working_dir = os.path.join(base_dir, '.bm-work')
         self.threads = []
         self.do_make = self.Make
         self.gnu_make = gnu_make
@@ -280,6 +287,7 @@ class Builder:
         self.config_only = config_only
         self.squash_config_y = squash_config_y
         self.config_filenames = BASE_CONFIG_FILENAMES
+        self.work_in_output = work_in_output
         if not self.squash_config_y:
             self.config_filenames += EXTRA_CONFIG_FILENAMES
 
@@ -1474,6 +1482,8 @@ class Builder:
         Args:
             thread_num: Number of thread to check.
         """
+        if self.work_in_output:
+            return self._working_dir
         return os.path.join(self._working_dir, '%02d' % thread_num)
 
     def _PrepareThread(self, thread_num, setup_git):
@@ -1571,6 +1581,7 @@ class Builder:
             job.board = brd
             job.commits = commits
             job.keep_outputs = keep_outputs
+            job.work_in_output = self.work_in_output
             job.step = self._step
             self.queue.put(job)
 
diff --git a/tools/buildman/builderthread.py b/tools/buildman/builderthread.py
index 1e52ef8295..7561f39942 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/builderthread.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/builderthread.py
@@ -42,12 +42,15 @@ class BuilderJob:
         commits: List of Commit objects to build
         keep_outputs: True to save build output files
         step: 1 to process every commit, n to process every nth commit
+        work_in_output: Use the output directory as the work directory and
+            don't write to a separate output directory.
     """
     def __init__(self):
         self.board = None
         self.commits = []
         self.keep_outputs = False
         self.step = 1
+        self.work_in_output = False
 
 
 class ResultThread(threading.Thread):
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
                 **kwargs)
 
     def RunCommit(self, commit_upto, brd, work_dir, do_config, config_only,
-                  force_build, force_build_failures):
+                  force_build, force_build_failures, work_in_output):
         """Build a particular commit.
 
         If the build is already done, and we are not forcing a build, we skip
@@ -133,6 +136,8 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
             force_build: Force a build even if one was previously done
             force_build_failures: Force a bulid if the previous result showed
                 failure
+            work_in_output: Use the output directory as the work directory and
+                don't write to a separate output directory.
 
         Returns:
             tuple containing:
@@ -143,7 +148,7 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
         # self.Make() below, in the event that we do a build.
         result = command.CommandResult()
         result.return_code = 0
-        if self.builder.in_tree:
+        if work_in_output or self.builder.in_tree:
             out_dir = work_dir
         else:
             if self.per_board_out_dir:
@@ -265,14 +270,18 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
         result.out_dir = out_dir
         return result, do_config
 
-    def _WriteResult(self, result, keep_outputs):
+    def _WriteResult(self, result, keep_outputs, work_in_output):
         """Write a built result to the output directory.
 
         Args:
             result: CommandResult object containing result to write
             keep_outputs: True to store the output binaries, False
                 to delete them
+            work_in_output: Use the output directory as the work directory and
+                don't write to a separate output directory.
         """
+        if work_in_output:
+            return
         # Fatal error
         if result.return_code < 0:
             return
@@ -434,7 +443,8 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
                 result, request_config = self.RunCommit(commit_upto, brd,
                         work_dir, do_config, self.builder.config_only,
                         force_build or self.builder.force_build,
-                        self.builder.force_build_failures)
+                        self.builder.force_build_failures,
+                        work_in_output=job.work_in_output)
                 failed = result.return_code or result.stderr
                 did_config = do_config
                 if failed and not do_config:
@@ -442,7 +452,8 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
                     # with a reconfig.
                     if self.builder.force_config_on_failure:
                         result, request_config = self.RunCommit(commit_upto,
-                            brd, work_dir, True, False, True, False)
+                            brd, work_dir, True, False, True, False,
+                            work_in_output=job.work_in_output)
                         did_config = True
                 if not self.builder.force_reconfig:
                     do_config = request_config
@@ -481,15 +492,16 @@ class BuilderThread(threading.Thread):
                         raise ValueError('Interrupt')
 
                 # We have the build results, so output the result
-                self._WriteResult(result, job.keep_outputs)
+                self._WriteResult(result, job.keep_outputs, job.work_in_output)
                 self.builder.out_queue.put(result)
         else:
             # Just build the currently checked-out build
             result, request_config = self.RunCommit(None, brd, work_dir, True,
                         self.builder.config_only, True,
-                        self.builder.force_build_failures)
+                        self.builder.force_build_failures,
+                        work_in_output=job.work_in_output)
             result.commit_upto = 0
-            self._WriteResult(result, job.keep_outputs)
+            self._WriteResult(result, job.keep_outputs, job.work_in_output)
             self.builder.out_queue.put(result)
 
     def run(self):
diff --git a/tools/buildman/cmdline.py b/tools/buildman/cmdline.py
index b41209373d..c7b4bf6b4a 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/cmdline.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/cmdline.py
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ def ParseArgs():
           default=False, help='Show build results while the build progresses')
     parser.add_option('-V', '--verbose-build', action='store_true',
           default=False, help='Run make with V=1, logging all output')
+    parser.add_option('-w', '--work-in-output', action='store_true',
+          default=False, help='Use the output directory as the work directory')
     parser.add_option('-x', '--exclude', dest='exclude',
           type='string', action='append',
           help='Specify a list of boards to exclude, separated by comma')
diff --git a/tools/buildman/control.py b/tools/buildman/control.py
index 969d866547..5d80400f7a 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/control.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/control.py
@@ -263,6 +263,13 @@ def DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=None, make_func=None, boards=None,
         str = ("No commits found to process in branch '%s': "
                "set branch's upstream or use -c flag" % options.branch)
         sys.exit(col.Color(col.RED, str))
+    if options.work_in_output:
+        if len(selected) != 1:
+            sys.exit(col.Color(col.RED,
+                               '-w can only be used with a single board'))
+        if count != 1:
+            sys.exit(col.Color(col.RED,
+                               '-w can only be used with a single commit'))
 
     # Read the metadata from the commits. First look at the upstream commit,
     # then the ones in the branch. We would like to do something like
@@ -334,7 +341,8 @@ def DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=None, make_func=None, boards=None,
             per_board_out_dir=options.per_board_out_dir,
             config_only=options.config_only,
             squash_config_y=not options.preserve_config_y,
-            warnings_as_errors=options.warnings_as_errors)
+            warnings_as_errors=options.warnings_as_errors,
+            work_in_output=options.work_in_output)
     builder.force_config_on_failure = not options.quick
     if make_func:
         builder.do_make = make_func
diff --git a/tools/buildman/func_test.py b/tools/buildman/func_test.py
index 4c3d497294..f9f8f80593 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/func_test.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/func_test.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import control
 import gitutil
 import terminal
 import toolchain
+import tools
 
 settings_data = '''
 # Buildman settings file
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ class TestFunctional(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def tearDown(self):
         shutil.rmtree(self._base_dir)
-        shutil.rmtree(self._output_dir)
+        #shutil.rmtree(self._output_dir)
 
     def setupToolchains(self):
         self._toolchains = toolchain.Toolchains()
@@ -218,12 +219,12 @@ class TestFunctional(unittest.TestCase):
         return command.RunPipe([[self._buildman_pathname] + list(args)],
                 capture=True, capture_stderr=True)
 
-    def _RunControl(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    def _RunControl(self, *args, clean_dir=False, boards=None):
         sys.argv = [sys.argv[0]] + list(args)
         options, args = cmdline.ParseArgs()
         result = control.DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=self._toolchains,
-                make_func=self._HandleMake, boards=self._boards,
-                clean_dir=kwargs.get('clean_dir', True))
+                make_func=self._HandleMake, boards=boards or self._boards,
+                clean_dir=clean_dir)
         self._builder = control.builder
         return result
 
@@ -397,6 +398,12 @@ class TestFunctional(unittest.TestCase):
                     combined='Test configuration complete')
         elif stage == 'build':
             stderr = ''
+            out_dir = ''
+            for arg in args:
+                if arg.startswith('O='):
+                    out_dir = arg[2:]
+            fname = os.path.join(cwd or '', out_dir, 'u-boot')
+            tools.WriteFile(fname, b'U-Boot')
             if type(commit) is not str:
                 stderr = self._error.get((brd.target, commit.sequence))
             if stderr:
@@ -535,3 +542,27 @@ class TestFunctional(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
             self._RunControl('-b', self._test_branch, '-o',
                              os.path.join(os.getcwd(), 'test'))
+
+    def testWorkInOutput(self):
+        """Test the -w option which should write directly to the output dir"""
+        board_list = board.Boards()
+        board_list.AddBoard(board.Board(*boards[0]))
+        self._RunControl('-o', self._output_dir, '-w', clean_dir=False,
+                         boards=board_list)
+        self.assertTrue(
+            os.path.exists(os.path.join(self._output_dir, 'u-boot')))
+
+    def testWorkInOutputFail(self):
+        """Test the -w option failures"""
+        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as e:
+            self._RunControl('-o', self._output_dir, '-w', clean_dir=False)
+        self.assertIn("single board", str(e.exception))
+        self.assertFalse(
+            os.path.exists(os.path.join(self._output_dir, 'u-boot')))
+
+        board_list = board.Boards()
+        board_list.AddBoard(board.Board(*boards[0]))
+        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as e:
+            self._RunControl('-b', self._test_branch, '-o', self._output_dir,
+                             '-w', clean_dir=False, boards=board_list)
+        self.assertIn("single commit", str(e.exception))
