diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a39f44c07..e60e8e492 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ COMMON_DEPS := $(REBAR)
 $(REL_PROFILES:%=%): $(COMMON_DEPS)
 	@$(BUILD) $(@) rel
 
+.PHONY: compile $(PROFILES:%=compile-%)
+compile: $(PROFILES:%=compile-%)
+$(PROFILES:%=compile-%):
+	@$(BUILD) $(@:compile-%=%) apps
+
 ## Not calling rebar3 clean because
 ## 1. rebar3 clean relies on rebar3, meaning it reads config, fetches dependencies etc.
 ## 2. it's slow
diff --git a/build b/build
index eb75317cc..2924f8a6f 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -124,16 +124,19 @@ assert_no_compile_time_only_deps() {
     :
 }
 
-make_rel() {
-    local release_or_tar="${1}"
+just_compile() {
     ./scripts/pre-compile.sh "$PROFILE"
     # make_elixir_rel always create rebar.lock
     # delete it to make git clone + checkout work because we use shallow close for rebar deps
     rm -f rebar.lock
     # compile all beams
     ./rebar3 as "$PROFILE" compile
-    # generate docs (require beam compiled), generated to etc and priv dirs
     make_docs
+}
+
+make_rel() {
+    local release_or_tar="${1}"
+    just_compile
     # now assemble the release tar
     ./rebar3 as "$PROFILE" "$release_or_tar"
     assert_no_compile_time_only_deps
@@ -375,6 +378,9 @@ export_elixir_release_vars() {
 log "building artifact=$ARTIFACT for profile=$PROFILE"
 
 case "$ARTIFACT" in
+    apps)
+        just_compile
+        ;;
     doc|docs)
         make_docs
         ;;