diff --git a/extmod/extmod.mk b/extmod/extmod.mk
index c35f086a433c..19668103d1a8 100644
--- a/extmod/extmod.mk
+++ b/extmod/extmod.mk
@@ -527,6 +527,7 @@ ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP),1)
 OPENAMP_DIR = lib/open-amp
 LIBMETAL_DIR = lib/libmetal
 GIT_SUBMODULES += $(LIBMETAL_DIR) $(OPENAMP_DIR)
+MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_MODE ?= 0
 include $(TOP)/extmod/libmetal/libmetal.mk
 
 INC += -I$(TOP)/$(OPENAMP_DIR)
@@ -536,12 +537,14 @@ ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_REMOTEPROC),1)
 CFLAGS += -DMICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_REMOTEPROC=1
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_DEVICE),1)
+ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_MODE),0)
+CFLAGS += -DMICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_HOST=1
+CFLAGS_THIRDPARTY += -DVIRTIO_DRIVER_ONLY
+else ifeq ($(MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_MODE),1)
 CFLAGS += -DMICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_DEVICE=1
 CFLAGS_THIRDPARTY += -DVIRTIO_DEVICE_ONLY
 else
-CFLAGS += -DMICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_HOST=1
-CFLAGS_THIRDPARTY += -DVIRTIO_DRIVER_ONLY
+$(error Invalid Open-AMP mode specified: $(MICROPY_PY_OPENAMP_MODE))
 endif
 
 CFLAGS_THIRDPARTY += \