diff --git a/boards/ark/can-gps/debug.cmake b/boards/ark/can-gps/debug.cmake
index 60ad422a86..79cd512032 100644
--- a/boards/ark/can-gps/debug.cmake
+++ b/boards/ark/can-gps/debug.cmake
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ px4_add_board(
 	TOOLCHAIN arm-none-eabi
 	ARCHITECTURE cortex-m4
 	CONSTRAINED_MEMORY
+	EXTERNAL_METADATA
 	ROMFSROOT cannode
 	UAVCAN_INTERFACES 1
 	DRIVERS
diff --git a/boards/ark/can-gps/default.cmake b/boards/ark/can-gps/default.cmake
index 6eb4aae3b6..07a542d6ad 100644
--- a/boards/ark/can-gps/default.cmake
+++ b/boards/ark/can-gps/default.cmake
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ px4_add_board(
 	ARCHITECTURE cortex-m4
 	#CONSTRAINED_FLASH
 	CONSTRAINED_MEMORY
+	EXTERNAL_METADATA
 	ROMFSROOT cannode
 	UAVCAN_INTERFACES 1
 	DRIVERS