diff --git a/build-aux/hydra/gnu-system.scm b/build-aux/hydra/gnu-system.scm
index 8f97ab934f..146d929f9b 100644
--- a/build-aux/hydra/gnu-system.scm
+++ b/build-aux/hydra/gnu-system.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2017 Jan Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ valid."
     (match (assoc-ref arguments 'subset)
       ("core" 'core)                              ; only build core packages
       ("hello" 'hello)                            ; only build hello
+      (((? string?) (? string?) ...) 'list)       ; only build selected list of packages
       (_ 'all)))                                  ; build everything
 
   (define (cross-jobs system)
@@ -347,6 +349,16 @@ valid."
                          (let ((hello (specification->package "hello")))
                            (list (package-job store (job-name hello) hello system)))
                          '()))
+                    ((list)
+                     ;; Build selected list of packages only.
+                     (if (string=? system (%current-system))
+                         (let* ((names (assoc-ref arguments 'subset))
+                                (packages (map specification->package names)))
+                           (map (lambda (package)
+                                    (package-job store (job-name package)
+                                                 package system))
+                                  packages))
+                         '()))
                     (else
                      (error "unknown subset" subset))))
                 %hydra-supported-systems)))