diff --git a/tools/autobuild/autobuild.sh b/tools/autobuild/autobuild.sh
index 1532c9820f..6ac97373f3 100755
--- a/tools/autobuild/autobuild.sh
+++ b/tools/autobuild/autobuild.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Requirements:
 # - All toolchains must be in path (arm-none-eabi-gcc, xtensa-lx106-elf)
 # - IDF_PATH_V42 must be set
-# - IDF_PATH_V43 must be set
+# - IDF_PATH_V44 must be set
 # - MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MICROPYTHON_REPO must be set to location of micropython repository
 # - MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MAKE must be set to the make command to use, eg "make -j2"
 #
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ if [ ! -d "$IDF_PATH_V42" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ! -d "$IDF_PATH_V43" ]; then
-    echo "must set IDF_PATH_V43"
+if [ ! -d "$IDF_PATH_V44" ]; then
+    echo "must set IDF_PATH_V44"
     exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -70,9 +70,8 @@ ${AUTODIR}/build-cc3200-latest.sh ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE}
 cd ../esp8266
 ${AUTODIR}/build-esp8266-latest.sh ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE}
 cd ../esp32
-${AUTODIR}/build-esp32-latest.sh ${IDF_PATH_V42} ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE}
-${AUTODIR}/build-esp32-latest.sh ${IDF_PATH_V43} ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE}
-
+(source ${IDF_PATH_V42}/export.sh && build_esp32_boards ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE})
+(source ${IDF_PATH_V44}/export.sh && build_esp32_boards ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE})
 cd ../mimxrt
 build_mimxrt_boards ${FW_TAG} ${LOCAL_FIRMWARE}
 cd ../rp2
diff --git a/tools/autobuild/build-boards.sh b/tools/autobuild/build-boards.sh
index bb5d8d344e..4b5259b667 100755
--- a/tools/autobuild/build-boards.sh
+++ b/tools/autobuild/build-boards.sh
@@ -6,53 +6,111 @@
 #   $ source build-boards.sh
 #   $ MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MAKE=make build_rp2_boards -latest /tmp
 
-function build_boards {
+function build_board {
     # check/get parameters
     if [ $# -lt 4 ]; then
-        echo "usage: $0 <fw-tag> <dest-dir> <check-file> <exts...>"
+        echo "usage: $0 <board-json-file> <fw-tag> <dest-dir> <exts...>"
         return 1
     fi
 
-    fw_tag=$1
-    dest_dir=$2
-    check_file=$3
+    board_json=$1
+    fw_tag=$2
+    dest_dir=$3
     shift
     shift
     shift
 
+    board=$(echo $board_json | awk -F '/' '{ print $2 }')
+    descr=$(cat $board_json | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id', '$board'))")
+    build_dir=/tmp/micropython-build-$board
+
+    echo "building $descr $board"
+    $MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MAKE BOARD=$board BUILD=$build_dir && (
+        for ext in $@; do
+            dest=$dest_dir/$descr$fw_tag.$ext
+            if [ -r $build_dir/firmware.$ext ]; then
+                mv $build_dir/firmware.$ext $dest
+            else
+                # esp32 has micropython.elf and micropython.map
+                mv $build_dir/micropython.$ext $dest
+            fi
+        done
+    )
+    rm -rf $build_dir
+}
+
+function build_boards {
+    # check/get parameters
+    if [ $# -lt 4 ]; then
+        echo "usage: $0 <check-file> <fw-tag> <dest-dir> <exts...>"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    check_file=$1
+    shift
+
     # check we are in the correct directory
     if [ ! -r $check_file ]; then
         echo "must be in directory containing $check_file"
         return 1
     fi
 
+    # build all boards that have a board.json file
     for board_json in $(find boards/ -name board.json | sort); do
-        board=$(echo $board_json | awk -F '/' '{ print $2 }')
-        descr=$(cat $board_json | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id', '$board'))")
-        build_dir=/tmp/micropython-build-$board
+        build_board $board_json $@
+    done
+}
 
-        echo "building $descr $board"
-        $MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MAKE BOARD=$board BUILD=$build_dir && (
-            for ext in $@; do
-                mv $build_dir/firmware.$ext $dest_dir/$descr$fw_tag.$ext
-            done
-        )
-        rm -rf $build_dir
+function build_esp32_boards {
+    # check/get parameters
+    if [ $# != 2 ]; then
+        echo "usage: $0 <fw-tag> <dest-dir>"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    fw_tag=$1
+    dest_dir=$2
+
+    # check we are in the correct directory
+    if [ ! -r modesp32.c ]; then
+        echo "must be in esp32 directory"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    # build the boards, based on the IDF version
+    for board_json in $(find boards/ -name board.json | sort); do
+        mcu=$(cat $board_json | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('mcu', 'unknown'))")
+        if idf.py --version | grep -q v4.2; then
+            if [ $mcu = esp32 ]; then
+                # build standard esp32-based boards with IDF v4.2
+                if echo $board_json | grep -q GENERIC; then
+                    # traditionally, GENERIC and GENERIC_SPIRAM boards used manifest_release.py
+                    MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MAKE="$MICROPY_AUTOBUILD_MAKE FROZEN_MANIFEST=$(pwd)/boards/manifest_release.py" build_board $board_json $fw_tag $dest_dir bin elf map
+                else
+                    build_board $board_json $fw_tag $dest_dir bin elf map
+                fi
+            fi
+        else
+            if [ $mcu != esp32 ]; then
+                # build esp32-s2/s3/c3 based boards with IDF v4.4+
+                build_board $board_json $fw_tag $dest_dir bin elf map
+            fi
+        fi
     done
 }
 
 function build_mimxrt_boards {
-    build_boards $1 $2 modmimxrt.c bin hex
+    build_boards modmimxrt.c $1 $2 bin hex
 }
 
 function build_rp2_boards {
-    build_boards $1 $2 modrp2.c uf2
+    build_boards modrp2.c $1 $2 uf2
 }
 
 function build_samd_boards {
-    build_boards $1 $2 samd_soc.c uf2
+    build_boards samd_soc.c $1 $2 uf2
 }
 
 function build_stm32_boards {
-    build_boards $1 $2 modpyb.c dfu hex
+    build_boards modpyb.c $1 $2 dfu hex
 }
diff --git a/tools/autobuild/build-esp32-latest.sh b/tools/autobuild/build-esp32-latest.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index e0e932e026..0000000000
--- a/tools/autobuild/build-esp32-latest.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-#
-# Build esp32 port
-
-# for debugging
-#exec &> /tmp/esp-log-$$.txt
-
-# function for building firmware
-function do_build() {
-    descr=$1
-    board=$2
-    shift
-    shift
-    echo "building $descr $board"
-    build_dir=/tmp/esp32-build-$board
-    rm -rf $build_dir # be sure we don't have anything leftover from a previous build
-    make $@ BOARD=$board BUILD=$build_dir || exit 1
-    mv $build_dir/firmware.bin $dest_dir/$descr$fw_tag.bin
-    mv $build_dir/micropython.elf $dest_dir/$descr$fw_tag.elf
-    mv $build_dir/micropython.map $dest_dir/$descr$fw_tag.map
-    rm -rf $build_dir
-}
-
-# check/get parameters
-if [ $# != 3 ]; then
-    echo "usage: $0 <idf-path> <fw-tag> <dest-dir>"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-idf_path=$1
-fw_tag=$2
-dest_dir=$3
-
-# check we are in the correct directory
-if [ ! -r modesp32.c ]; then
-    echo "must be in esp32 directory"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-source $idf_path/export.sh
-
-# build the boards, based on the IDF version
-if idf.py --version | grep -q v4.2; then
-    do_build esp32 GENERIC FROZEN_MANIFEST=$(pwd)/boards/manifest_release.py
-    do_build esp32spiram GENERIC_SPIRAM FROZEN_MANIFEST=$(pwd)/boards/manifest_release.py
-    do_build tinypico UM_TINYPICO
-    do_build wesp32 SIL_WESP32
-else
-    do_build esp32c3 GENERIC_C3
-    do_build esp32c3usb GENERIC_C3_USB
-    do_build tinys2 UM_TINYS2
-    do_build featherS2 UM_FEATHERS2
-    do_build featherS2neo UM_FEATHERS2NEO
-fi