diff --git a/tools/binman/binman.rst b/tools/binman/binman.rst
index 509fc8da6de..935839c433e 100644
--- a/tools/binman/binman.rst
+++ b/tools/binman/binman.rst
@@ -1500,7 +1500,8 @@ Some ideas:
 - Figure out how to make Fdt support changing the node order, so that
   Node.AddSubnode() can support adding a node before another, existing node.
   Perhaps it should completely regenerate the flat tree?
-
+- Put faked files into a separate subdir and remove them on start-up, to avoid
+  seeing them as 'real' files on a subsequent run
 
 --
 Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
diff --git a/tools/binman/entry.py b/tools/binman/entry.py
index 786c959911f..9d499f07aab 100644
--- a/tools/binman/entry.py
+++ b/tools/binman/entry.py
@@ -999,15 +999,18 @@ features to produce new behaviours.
             fname (str): Filename to check
 
         Returns:
-            fname (str): Filename of faked file
+            tuple:
+                fname (str): Filename of faked file
+                bool: True if the blob was faked, False if not
         """
         if self.allow_fake and not pathlib.Path(fname).is_file():
             outfname = tools.get_output_filename(os.path.basename(fname))
             with open(outfname, "wb") as out:
                 out.truncate(1024)
             self.faked = True
-            return outfname
-        return fname
+            tout.info(f"Entry '{self._node.path}': Faked file '{outfname}'")
+            return outfname, True
+        return fname, False
 
     def CheckFakedBlobs(self, faked_blobs_list):
         """Check if any entries in this section have faked external blobs
diff --git a/tools/binman/etype/blob.py b/tools/binman/etype/blob.py
index 25ec5d26c9b..89f089e740e 100644
--- a/tools/binman/etype/blob.py
+++ b/tools/binman/etype/blob.py
@@ -41,10 +41,11 @@ class Entry_blob(Entry):
             self.external and self.section.GetAllowMissing())
         # Allow the file to be missing
         if not self._pathname:
-            self._pathname = self.check_fake_fname(self._filename)
-            self.SetContents(b'')
+            self._pathname, faked = self.check_fake_fname(self._filename)
             self.missing = True
-            return True
+            if not faked:
+                self.SetContents(b'')
+                return True
 
         self.ReadBlobContents()
         return True
diff --git a/tools/binman/etype/blob_ext_list.py b/tools/binman/etype/blob_ext_list.py
index 76ad32a1eea..f00202e9ebc 100644
--- a/tools/binman/etype/blob_ext_list.py
+++ b/tools/binman/etype/blob_ext_list.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class Entry_blob_ext_list(Entry_blob):
         missing = False
         pathnames = []
         for fname in self._filenames:
-            fname = self.check_fake_fname(fname)
+            fname, _ = self.check_fake_fname(fname)
             pathname = tools.get_input_filename(
                 fname, self.external and self.section.GetAllowMissing())
             # Allow the file to be missing