diff --git a/include/err.sh b/include/err.sh
index 0b1c3e70..a94275f3 100755
--- a/include/err.sh
+++ b/include/err.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export LC_COLLATE=C
 export LC_ALL=C
 
 version=""; versiondate=""; projectname=""; _nogit=""
-err="err_"; tmpdir=""; release_type=""; lbmk_status=""
+err="err_"; tmpdir=""; lbmk_status=""
 
 # if "y": a coreboot target won't be built if target.cfg says release="n"
 # (this is used to exclude certain build targets from releases)
@@ -15,17 +15,6 @@ set | grep LBMK_RELEASE 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null || lbmk_release="n" || :
 [ "$lbmk_release" = "n" ] || [ "$lbmk_release" = "y" ] || lbmk_release="n"
 export LBMK_RELEASE="$lbmk_release"
 
-# valid values:
-# empty / not set
-# value: stable
-# value: unstable
-# e.g. export LBMK_VERSION_TYPE=stable
-set | grep LBMK_VERSION_TYPE 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null && \
-    release_type="$LBMK_VERSION_TYPE"
-[ -z "$release_type" ] || [ "$release_type" = "stable" ] || \
-    [ "$release_type" = "unstable" ] || release_type=""
-export LBMK_VERSION_TYPE="$release_type"
-
 # if set to n via export, status checks will be skipped during
 # all builds, and all targets will be built regardless of status.
 # this replicates the old behaviour of lbmk, prior to the checks.
diff --git a/script/build/roms b/script/build/roms
index 1c427b69..b84fd3b1 100755
--- a/script/build/roms
+++ b/script/build/roms
@@ -72,13 +72,12 @@ main()
 		eval "$(setvars "n" ${pv}) $(setvars "" ${v})"
 		grub_background="background1280x800.png"
 		board="${x}"
+		status="unknown"
 
 		configure_target
 		[ "$board" = "$tree" ] && \
 			continue
 
-		handle_status
-
 		if [ "$listboards" = "y" ]; then
 			for _list_type in $list_type; do
 				[ "$status" != "$_list_type" ] && continue
@@ -163,34 +162,17 @@ configure_target()
 	eval "payload_${_payload}=y"
 }
 
-handle_status()
-{
-	[ "$status" = "stable" ] || [ "$status" = "unstable" ] || \
-	    [ "$status" = "broken" ] || [ "$status" = "untested" ] || \
-		status="unknown"
-
-	[ "$listboards" != "y" ] && \
-		printf "Handling target: %s (status=%s)\n" "$board" "$status"
-
-	[ "$status" = "broken" ] && release="n"
-	[ "$status" = "unknown" ] && release="n"
-	[ "$status" = "untested" ] && release="n"
-
-	[ "$listboards" != "y" ] && \
-	    [ "$status" != "stable" ] && [ "$status" != "$release_type" ] && \
-		printf "WARNING: %s not marked stable (status=%s):\n\n" \
-		    "$board" "$status"; return 0
-}
-
 skip_board()
 {
+	[ "$listboards" != "y" ] && [ "$status" != "stable" ] && \
+		printf "WARNING: %s not stable (status=%s):\n\n" \
+		    "$board" "$status"
+
 	[ "$release" = "n" ] && [ "$lbmk_release" = "y" ] && \
 		return 0
-	[ -n "$release_type" ] && [ "$status" = "$release_type" ] && \
-		return 1
 
 	if [ "$lbmk_release" != "y" ] && [ "$status" != "stable" ] && \
-	    [ "$status" != "$release_type" ] && [ "$lbmk_status" = "y" ]; then
+	    [ "$lbmk_status" = "y" ]; then
 		if [ -f "$targetdir/warn.txt" ]; then
 			printf "Regarding board '%s' (status '%s'):\n" \
 			    "$board" "$status"