diff --git a/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh b/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh
index 13e619794c..fde78517ff 100755
--- a/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh
+++ b/scripts/qemu-binfmt-conf.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,27 @@ mips mipsel mipsn32 mipsn32el mips64 mips64el \
 sh4 sh4eb s390x aarch64 aarch64_be hppa riscv32 riscv64 xtensa xtensaeb \
 microblaze microblazeel or1k x86_64"

+# check if given TARGETS is/are in the supported target list
+qemu_check_target_list() {
+    if [ $# -eq 0 ] ; then
+      checked_target_list="$qemu_target_list"
+      return
+    fi
+    for target ; do
+        for cpu in $qemu_target_list ; do
+            if [ "x$cpu" = "x$target" ] ; then
+                checked_target_list="$checked_target_list $target"
+                break
+            fi
+        done
+        if [ "$unknown_target" = "true" ] ; then
+            echo "ERROR: unknown CPU \"$target\"" 1>&2
+            usage
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    done
+}
+
 i386_magic='\x7fELF\x01\x01\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x03\x00'
 i386_mask='\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xfe\xfe\x00\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xff\xfe\xff\xff\xff'
 i386_family=i386
@@ -167,21 +188,25 @@ qemu_get_family() {

 usage() {
     cat <<EOF
+Usage: qemu-binfmt-conf.sh [options] [TARGETS]

-Usage: qemu-binfmt-conf.sh [options]
-
-Configure binfmt_misc to use qemu interpreter
+Configure binfmt_misc to use qemu interpreter for the given TARGETS.

 Options and associated environment variables:

 Argument             Env-variable     Description
+TARGETS              QEMU_TARGETS     A single arch name or a list of them (see all names below);
+                                      if empty, configure all known targets;
+                                      if 'NONE', no interpreter is configured.
 -h|--help                             display this usage
 -Q|--path PATH:      QEMU_PATH        set path to qemu interpreter(s)
 -F|--suffix SUFFIX:  QEMU_SUFFIX      add a suffix to the default interpreter name
 -d|--debian:                          don't write into /proc, generate update-binfmts templates
--s|--systemd CPU:                     don't write into /proc, generate file for
-                                      systemd-binfmt.service for the given CPU; if CPU is "ALL",
-                                      generate a file for all known cpus.
+-s|--systemd:                         don't write into /proc, generate file(s) for
+                                      systemd-binfmt.service; environment variable HOST_ARCH
+                                      allows to override 'uname' to generate configuration files
+                                      for a different architecture than the current one.
+
 -e|--exportdir PATH: DEBIANDIR        define where to write configuration files
                      SYSTEMDDIR
 -c|--credential:     QEMU_CREDENTIAL  (yes) credential and security tokens are calculated according
@@ -197,14 +222,7 @@ To remove interpreter, use :

     sudo update-binfmts --package qemu-CPU --remove qemu-CPU $QEMU_PATH

-With systemd, binfmt files are loaded by systemd-binfmt.service
-
-The environment variable HOST_ARCH allows to override 'uname' to generate configuration files for a
-different architecture than the current one.
-
-where CPU is one of:
-
-    $qemu_target_list
+QEMU target list: $qemu_target_list

 EOF
 }
@@ -288,9 +306,15 @@ qemu_set_binfmts() {
     # probe cpu type
     host_family=$(qemu_get_family)

-    # register the interpreter for each cpu except for the native one
+    # reduce the list of target interpreters to those given in the CLI
+    [ $# -eq 0 ] && targets="${QEMU_TARGETS:-}" || targets="$@"
+    if [ "x$targets" = "xNONE" ] ; then
+      return
+    fi
+    qemu_check_target_list $targets

-    for cpu in ${qemu_target_list} ; do
+    # register the interpreter for each target except for the native one
+    for cpu in $checked_target_list ; do
         magic=$(eval echo \$${cpu}_magic)
         mask=$(eval echo \$${cpu}_mask)
         family=$(eval echo \$${cpu}_family)
@@ -318,12 +342,13 @@ BINFMT_SET=qemu_register_interpreter
 SYSTEMDDIR="/etc/binfmt.d"
 DEBIANDIR="/usr/share/binfmts"

+QEMU_TARGETS="${QEMU_TARGETS:-}"
 QEMU_PATH="${QEMU_PATH:-/usr/local/bin}"
 QEMU_SUFFIX="${QEMU_SUFFIX:-}"
 QEMU_CREDENTIAL="${QEMU_CREDENTIAL:-no}"
 QEMU_PERSISTENT="${QEMU_PERSISTENT:-no}"

-options=$(getopt -o ds:Q:S:e:hcp -l debian,systemd:,path:,suffix:,exportdir:,help,credential,persistent -- "$@")
+options=$(getopt -o dsQ:S:e:hcp -l debian,systemd,path:,suffix:,exportdir:,help,credential,persistent -- "$@")
 eval set -- "$options"

 while true ; do
@@ -337,23 +362,6 @@ while true ; do
         CHECK=qemu_check_systemd
         BINFMT_SET=qemu_generate_systemd
         EXPORTDIR=${EXPORTDIR:-$SYSTEMDDIR}
-        shift
-        # check given cpu is in the supported CPU list
-        if [ "$1" != "ALL" ] ; then
-            for cpu in ${qemu_target_list} ; do
-                if [ "$cpu" = "$1" ] ; then
-                    break
-                fi
-            done
-
-            if [ "$cpu" = "$1" ] ; then
-                qemu_target_list="$1"
-            else
-                echo "ERROR: unknown CPU \"$1\"" 1>&2
-                usage
-                exit 1
-            fi
-        fi
         ;;
     -Q|--path)
         shift
@@ -384,5 +392,7 @@ while true ; do
     shift
 done

+shift
+
 $CHECK
-qemu_set_binfmts
+qemu_set_binfmts "$@"
