diff --git a/repos/os/run/cpu_bench.run b/repos/os/run/cpu_bench.run
index ff73399d6f..7c8f72207e 100644
--- a/repos/os/run/cpu_bench.run
+++ b/repos/os/run/cpu_bench.run
@@ -42,17 +42,17 @@ append qemu_args " -nographic  "
 # regressions in the platform initialization code
 #
 proc bogomips_max_time { } {
-	if {[board] == "rpi"}             { return 14300 }
-	if {[board] == "imx53_qsb"}       { return  7520 }
-	if {[board] == "imx53_qsb_tz"}    { return  7520 }
-	if {[board] == "imx6q_sabrelite"} { return  6320 }
-	if {[board] == "imx7d_sabre"}     { return  9470 }
-	if {[board] == "imx8q_evk"}       { return  7510 }
-	if {[board] == "pc"} {
-		if {[have_spec x86_64]}       { return   600 }
-		if {[have_spec x86_32]}       { return  3150 }
+	if {[have_board rpi]}             { return 14300 }
+	if {[have_board imx53_qsb]}       { return  7520 }
+	if {[have_board imx53_qsb_tz]}    { return  7520 }
+	if {[have_board imx6q_sabrelite]} { return  6320 }
+	if {[have_board imx7d_sabre]}     { return  9470 }
+	if {[have_board imx8q_evk]}       { return  7510 }
+	if {[have_board pc]} {
+		if {[have_spec x86_64]} { return   600 }
+		if {[have_spec x86_32]} { return  3150 }
 	}
-	if {[board] == "muen"}            { return   600 }
+	if {[have_board muen]}            { return   600 }
 	return 0
 }
 
diff --git a/repos/os/run/smbios_decoder.run b/repos/os/run/smbios_decoder.run
index 899ca88517..4e8edc7eb9 100644
--- a/repos/os/run/smbios_decoder.run
+++ b/repos/os/run/smbios_decoder.run
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 assert_spec x86_64
 
-if { "[board]" ne "pc" || [expr ![have_spec nova] && ![have_spec hw]] } {
+if {![have_board pc] || [expr ![have_spec nova] && ![have_spec hw]] } {
 	puts "Run script is only supported on hw/pc and nova/pc"
 	exit 0
 }
diff --git a/tool/run/boot_dir/linux b/tool/run/boot_dir/linux
index 2c6498d068..3451e9359b 100644
--- a/tool/run/boot_dir/linux
+++ b/tool/run/boot_dir/linux
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ proc run_boot_dir {binaries} {
 	# Save config part of the image.elf for easy inspection
 	exec cp -f [run_dir]/genode/config [run_dir].config
 
-        if {[board] == "pc"} {
+        if {[have_board pc]} {
 
             build_initrd $binaries
 
diff --git a/tool/run/qemu.inc b/tool/run/qemu.inc
index b67fca67c9..7e9707d737 100644
--- a/tool/run/qemu.inc
+++ b/tool/run/qemu.inc
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ proc append_qemu_nic_args { { extra_netdev_args "" } } {
 # XXX should by removed in favor of [have_include "exec/qemu"]
 #
 proc is_qemu_available { } {
-	if {[expr [have_spec linux] && {"[board]"} == {"linux"}]} { return false }
-
-	if {[have_spec rpi]} {
+	if {[have_board rpi] || [have_board linux]} {
 		puts stderr "skipping execution because platform is not supported by qemu"
 		return false
 	}
diff --git a/tool/run/run b/tool/run/run
index d1b6149646..bbf33c35ab 100755
--- a/tool/run/run
+++ b/tool/run/run
@@ -835,6 +835,10 @@ proc board { } {
 	return $board_var
 }
 
+##
+# Return whether the board equals to the given string
+#
+proc have_board {board} { global board_var; return [expr {$board_var} eq {$board}] }
 
 ##
 # Determine GDB executable installed at the host