diff --git a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs15/board.cmake b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs15/board.cmake
index 514774224c6..017594ef60f 100644
--- a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs15/board.cmake
+++ b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs15/board.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+if($ENV{CAVS_OLD_FLASHER})
+  board_set_flasher_ifnset(misc-flasher)
+  board_finalize_runner_args(misc-flasher)
+endif()
+
 board_set_flasher_ifnset(intel_adsp)
 
 set(RIMAGE_SIGN_KEY otc_private_key.pem)
diff --git a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs18/board.cmake b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs18/board.cmake
index 9533b79e554..40e55b04cad 100644
--- a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs18/board.cmake
+++ b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs18/board.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+if($ENV{CAVS_OLD_FLASHER})
+  board_set_flasher_ifnset(misc-flasher)
+  board_finalize_runner_args(misc-flasher)
+endif()
+
 board_set_flasher_ifnset(intel_adsp)
 
 set(RIMAGE_SIGN_KEY otc_private_key.pem)
diff --git a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs20/board.cmake b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs20/board.cmake
index 207f0c67d83..60cead48c2f 100644
--- a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs20/board.cmake
+++ b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs20/board.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+if($ENV{CAVS_OLD_FLASHER})
+  board_set_flasher_ifnset(misc-flasher)
+  board_finalize_runner_args(misc-flasher)
+endif()
+
 board_set_flasher_ifnset(intel_adsp)
 
 set(RIMAGE_SIGN_KEY otc_private_key.pem)
diff --git a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs25/board.cmake b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs25/board.cmake
index 5617b34498b..0cde704d84f 100644
--- a/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs25/board.cmake
+++ b/boards/xtensa/intel_adsp_cavs25/board.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+if($ENV{CAVS_OLD_FLASHER})
+  board_set_flasher_ifnset(misc-flasher)
+  board_finalize_runner_args(misc-flasher)
+endif()
+
 board_set_flasher_ifnset(intel_adsp)
 
 set(RIMAGE_SIGN_KEY otc_private_key_3k.pem)
diff --git a/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/tools/cavstwist.sh b/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/tools/cavstwist.sh
index 56a81152fc7..d965ff26ca3 100755
--- a/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/tools/cavstwist.sh
+++ b/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/tools/cavstwist.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ set -e
 # host (e.g. an Up Squared board running Linux). Can be used as the
 # hook for both --device-serial-pty and --west-flash, for example:
 #
+#  export CAVS_OLD_FLASHER=1
 #  export CAVS_HOST=tgl2
 #  export CAVS_KEY=$HOME/otc_private_key_3k.pem
 #  export CAVS_RIMAGE=$HOME/rimage
@@ -15,6 +16,12 @@ set -e
 #     --device-serial-pty=$ZEPHYR_BASE/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/tools/cavstwist.sh \
 #     --west-flash=$ZEPHYR_BASE/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/tools/cavstwist.sh
 #
+# The CAVS_OLD_FLASHER is necessary because now the client-server-based
+# cavstool works by default. This is to tell the build system to use
+# the misc-flasher as the runner. Please remember to do the command
+# "unset CAVS_OLD_FLASHER" when you are going to switch to the
+# client-server-based intel_adsp runner.
+#
 # The device at CAVS_HOST must be accessible via non-interactive ssh
 # access and the remote account must have password-free sudo ability.
 # (The intent is that isolating the host like this to be a CAVS test