diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 819d302d9..f59a92e6a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ ENABLE_WASMI ?=
 # Which compilers we build. These have dependencies that may not be on the system.
 compilers :=
 
+# Other backends to enable in the build phase (not while testing)
+build_compilers :=
+
 ##
 # Cranelift
 ##
@@ -217,21 +220,12 @@ endif
 ifneq ($(ENABLE_V8), 0)
 	# … then maybe the user forced to enable the V8 compiler.
 	ifeq ($(ENABLE_V8), 1)
-		compilers += v8
-	# … otherwise, we try to check whether V8 works on this host.
-	else ifneq (, $(filter 1, $(IS_DARWIN) $(IS_LINUX) $(IS_FREEBSD) $(IS_WINDOWS)))
-		ifeq ($(IS_AMD64), 1)
-			compilers += v8
-		endif
-		ifeq ($(IS_AARCH64), 1)
-			ifneq ($(IS_WINDOWS), 1)
-				compilers += v8
-			endif
-		endif
+		build_compilers += v8
 	endif
+	# we don't check automatically for now  
 endif
 
-ifneq (, $(findstring v8,$(compilers)))
+ifneq (, $(findstring v8,$(build_compilers)))
 	ENABLE_V8 := 1
 endif
 
@@ -243,21 +237,12 @@ endif
 ifneq ($(ENABLE_WAMR), 0)
 	# … then maybe the user forced to enable the WAMR compiler.
 	ifeq ($(ENABLE_WAMR), 1)
-		compilers += wamr
-	# … otherwise, we try to check whether WAMR works on this host.
-	else ifneq (, $(filter 1, $(IS_DARWIN) $(IS_LINUX) $(IS_FREEBSD) $(IS_WINDOWS)))
-		ifeq ($(IS_AMD64), 1)
-			compilers += wamr
-		endif
-		ifeq ($(IS_AARCH64), 1)
-			ifneq ($(IS_WINDOWS), 1)
-				compilers += wamr
-			endif
-		endif
+		build_compilers += wamr
+	# we don't check automatically for now  
 	endif
 endif
 
-ifneq (, $(findstring wamr,$(compilers)))
+ifneq (, $(findstring wamr,$(build_compilers)))
 	ENABLE_WAMR := 1
 endif
 
@@ -266,25 +251,16 @@ endif
 ##
 
 # If the user didn't disable the wasmi backend…
-ifneq ($(ENABLE_wasmi), 0)
+ifneq ($(ENABLE_WASMI), 0)
 	# … then maybe the user forced to enable the wasmi compiler.
-	ifeq ($(ENABLE_wasmi), 1)
-		compilers += wasmi
-	# … otherwise, we try to check whether wasmi works on this host.
-	else ifneq (, $(filter 1, $(IS_DARWIN) $(IS_LINUX) $(IS_FREEBSD) $(IS_WINDOWS)))
-		ifeq ($(IS_AMD64), 1)
-			compilers += wasmi
-		endif
-		ifeq ($(IS_AARCH64), 1)
-			ifneq ($(IS_WINDOWS), 1)
-				compilers += wasmi
-			endif
-		endif
+	ifeq ($(ENABLE_WASMI), 1)
+		build_compilers += wasmi
+	# we don't check automatically for now  
 	endif
 endif
 
-ifneq (, $(findstring wasmi,$(compilers)))
-	ENABLE_wasmi := 1
+ifneq (, $(findstring wasmi,$(build_compilers)))
+	ENABLE_WASMI := 1
 endif
 
 
@@ -293,6 +269,7 @@ endif
 ##
 
 compilers := $(strip $(compilers))
+build_compilers := $(strip $(build_compilers) $(compilers))
 
 
 #####
@@ -363,6 +340,7 @@ comma := ,
 
 # Define the compiler Cargo features for all crates.
 compiler_features := --features $(subst $(space),$(comma),$(compilers)),wasmer-artifact-create,static-artifact-create,wasmer-artifact-load,static-artifact-load
+build_compiler_features := --features $(subst $(space),$(comma),$(build_compilers)),wasmer-artifact-create,static-artifact-create,wasmer-artifact-load,static-artifact-load
 capi_compilers_engines_exclude :=
 
 # Define the compiler Cargo features for the C API. It always excludes
@@ -472,7 +450,7 @@ check-capi:
 		--no-default-features --features wat,compiler,wasi,middlewares $(capi_compiler_features)
 
 build-wasmer:
-	$(CARGO_BINARY) build $(CARGO_TARGET_FLAG) --release --manifest-path lib/cli/Cargo.toml $(compiler_features) --bin wasmer --locked
+	$(CARGO_BINARY) build $(CARGO_TARGET_FLAG) --release --manifest-path lib/cli/Cargo.toml $(build_compiler_features) --bin wasmer --locked
 	
 build-wasmer-v8:
 	$(CARGO_BINARY) build $(CARGO_TARGET_FLAG) --release --manifest-path lib/cli/Cargo.toml --no-default-features --features="v8" --bin wasmer --locked