diff --git a/lib/mruby/build.rb b/lib/mruby/build.rb
index 66005a6df..771aa7f3e 100644
--- a/lib/mruby/build.rb
+++ b/lib/mruby/build.rb
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ module MRuby
         @enable_test = false
         @enable_lock = true
         @enable_presym = true
+        @enable_benchmark = true
         @mrbcfile_external = false
         @internal = internal
         @toolchains = []
@@ -232,6 +233,14 @@ module MRuby
       @cxx_abi_enabled = true
     end
 
+    def benchmark_enabled?
+      @enable_benchmark
+    end
+
+    def disable_benchmark
+      @enable_benchmark = false
+    end
+
     def compile_as_cxx(src, cxx_src = nil, obj = nil, includes = [])
       #
       # If `cxx_src` is specified, this method behaves the same as before as
diff --git a/tasks/benchmark.rake b/tasks/benchmark.rake
index 12e0d4602..b32d165bf 100644
--- a/tasks/benchmark.rake
+++ b/tasks/benchmark.rake
@@ -9,11 +9,8 @@ def bm_files
 end
 
 def build_config_name
-  if !ENV['MRUBY_CONFIG'].to_s.empty?
-    File.basename(ENV['MRUBY_CONFIG'], '.rb').gsub('build_config_', '')
-  else
-    "bm"
-  end
+  path = MRuby::Build.mruby_config_path
+  File.basename(path, '.rb').gsub('build_config_', '')
 end
 
 def plot_file
@@ -21,6 +18,8 @@ def plot_file
 end
 
 def plot
+  raise "no build target to benchmark against" if $dat_files.empty?
+
   opts_file = "#{MRUBY_ROOT}/benchmark/plot.gpl"
   opts = File.read(opts_file).each_line.to_a.map(&:strip).join(';')
 
@@ -46,11 +45,13 @@ def plot
       p.puts "e"
     end
   end
+
+  puts "Benchmark results output to #{plot_file}"
 end
 
 
 MRuby.each_target do |target|
-  next if target.name == 'host' || target.internal?
+  next if !target.benchmark_enabled? || target.internal?
   mruby_bin = "#{target.build_dir}/bin/mruby"
 
   bm_files.each do |bm_file|