diff --git a/apps/microtvm/reference-vm/base-box-tool.py b/apps/microtvm/reference-vm/base-box-tool.py
index 3a5fd18cede7..42b90c661704 100755
--- a/apps/microtvm/reference-vm/base-box-tool.py
+++ b/apps/microtvm/reference-vm/base-box-tool.py
@@ -388,13 +388,15 @@ def test_command(args):
         microtvm_test_config["microtvm_board"] = args.microtvm_board
 
     providers = args.provider
-    provider_passed = {p: False for p in providers}
 
     release_test_dir = os.path.join(THIS_DIR, f"release-test-{args.platform}")
 
-    if args.skip_build:
-        assert len(providers) == 1, "--skip-build was given, but >1 provider specified"
+    if args.skip_build or args.skip_destroy:
+        assert (
+            len(providers) == 1
+        ), "--skip-build and/or --skip-destroy was given, but >1 provider specified"
 
+    test_failed = False
     for provider_name in providers:
         try:
             if not args.skip_build:
@@ -408,18 +410,27 @@ def test_command(args):
                 microtvm_test_config,
                 args.test_device_serial,
             )
-            provider_passed[provider_name] = True
+
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+            test_failed = True
+            sys.exit(
+                f"\n\nERROR: Provider '{provider_name}' failed the release test. "
+                "You can re-run it to reproduce the issue without building everything "
+                "again by passing the --skip-build and specifying only the provider that failed. "
+                "The VM is still running in case you want to connect it via SSH to "
+                "investigate further the issue, thus it's necessary to destroy it manually "
+                "to release the resources back to the host, like a USB device attached to the VM."
+            )
 
         finally:
-            if not args.skip_build and len(providers) > 1:
+            # if we reached out here do_run_release_test() succeeded, hence we can
+            # destroy the VM and release the resources back to the host if user haven't
+            # requested to not destroy it.
+            if not (args.skip_destroy or test_failed):
                 subprocess.check_call(["vagrant", "destroy", "-f"], cwd=release_test_dir)
                 shutil.rmtree(release_test_dir)
 
-        if not all(provider_passed[p] for p in provider_passed.keys()):
-            sys.exit(
-                "some providers failed release test: "
-                + ",".join(name for name, passed in provider_passed if not passed)
-            )
+    print(f'\n\nThe release tests passed on all specified providers: {", ".join(providers)}.')
 
 
 def release_command(args):
@@ -493,9 +504,20 @@ def parse_args():
         "--skip-build",
         action="store_true",
         help=(
-            "If given, assume a box has already been built in "
-            "the release-test subdirectory. Attach a USB device to this box and execute the "
-            "release test script--do not delete it."
+            "If given, assume a box has already been built in the release-test subdirectory, "
+            "so use that box to execute the release test script. If the tests fail the VM used "
+            "for testing will be left running for further investigation and will need to be "
+            "destroyed manually. If all tests pass on all specified providers no VM is left running, "
+            "unless --skip-destroy is given too."
+        ),
+    )
+    parser_test.add_argument(
+        "--skip-destroy",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=(
+            "Skip destroying the test VM even if all tests pass. Can only be used if a single "
+            "provider is specified. Default is to destroy the VM if all tests pass (and always "
+            "skip destroying it if a test fails)."
         ),
     )
     parser_test.add_argument(