diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index e0a25761..5d4b59aa 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ DOCKERFILE_PATH=""
 # Perform docker build but append the LABEL with GIT commit id at the end
 function docker_build_with_version {
   local dockerfile="$1"
+  [ -n "$(echo "${EXCLUDE_VERSIONS}" | grep ${dir}.${OS})" ] && echo "-> $OS build of version $dir found in EXCLUDED_VERSIONS, skipping build." && return
   [ ! -e "$dockerfile" ] && echo "-> $dockerfile for version $dir does not exist, skipping build." && return
   echo "-> Version ${dir}: building image from '${dockerfile}' ..."
 
diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index 4c2e0198..ae4eed3b 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ script_env = \
 	UPDATE_BASE=$(UPDATE_BASE)                      \
 	OS=$(OS)                                        \
 	CLEAN_AFTER=$(CLEAN_AFTER)                      \
-	OPENSHIFT_NAMESPACES="$(OPENSHIFT_NAMESPACES)"
+	OPENSHIFT_NAMESPACES="$(OPENSHIFT_NAMESPACES)"  \
+	EXCLUDE_VERSIONS="$(EXCLUDE_VERSIONS)"
 
 .PHONY: build
 build: $(VERSIONS)