diff --git a/components/mbedtls/CMakeLists.txt b/components/mbedtls/CMakeLists.txt
index 9db36e5127..69ed9564ef 100644
--- a/components/mbedtls/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/mbedtls/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -124,11 +124,11 @@ if(CONFIG_MBEDTLS_CERTIFICATE_BUNDLE)
 endif()
 
 # Only build mbedtls libraries
-set(ENABLE_TESTING CACHE BOOL OFF)
-set(ENABLE_PROGRAMS CACHE BOOL OFF)
+set(ENABLE_TESTING OFF CACHE BOOL "mbedtls: enable testing")
+set(ENABLE_PROGRAMS OFF CACHE BOOL "mbedtls: enable programs")
 
 # Use pre-generated source files in mbedtls repository
-set(GEN_FILES CACHE BOOL OFF)
+set(GEN_FILES OFF CACHE BOOL "mbedtls: use pre-generated source files")
 
 # Make sure mbedtls finds the same Python interpreter as IDF uses
 idf_build_get_property(python PYTHON)
diff --git a/components/mbedtls/esp_tee/esp_tee_mbedtls.cmake b/components/mbedtls/esp_tee/esp_tee_mbedtls.cmake
index 70596b4182..2d6b1f5427 100644
--- a/components/mbedtls/esp_tee/esp_tee_mbedtls.cmake
+++ b/components/mbedtls/esp_tee/esp_tee_mbedtls.cmake
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ idf_component_register(SRCS "${srcs}"
                        PRIV_REQUIRES "${priv_requires}")
 
 # Only build mbedtls libraries
-set(ENABLE_TESTING CACHE BOOL OFF)
-set(ENABLE_PROGRAMS CACHE BOOL OFF)
+set(ENABLE_TESTING OFF CACHE BOOL "mbedtls: enable testing")
+set(ENABLE_PROGRAMS OFF CACHE BOOL "mbedtls: enable programs")
 
 # Use pre-generated source files in mbedtls repository
-set(GEN_FILES CACHE BOOL OFF)
+set(GEN_FILES OFF CACHE BOOL "mbedtls: use pre-generated source files")
 
 # Needed to for include_next includes to work from within mbedtls
 include_directories("${COMPONENT_DIR}/port/include")