diff --git a/ports/esp32/main.c b/ports/esp32/main.c
index e2a803fcb6..e7d7626a6e 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/main.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/main.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ soft_reset:
     #endif
 
     // run boot-up scripts
-    pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
+    pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py", false);
     pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
     if (pyexec_mode_kind == PYEXEC_MODE_FRIENDLY_REPL) {
         int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists("main.py");
diff --git a/ports/esp8266/main.c b/ports/esp8266/main.c
index 583540a81c..238490ebef 100644
--- a/ports/esp8266/main.c
+++ b/ports/esp8266/main.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ STATIC void mp_reset(void) {
     }
 
     #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
-    pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
+    pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py", false);
     pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
     if (pyexec_mode_kind == PYEXEC_MODE_FRIENDLY_REPL) {
         pyexec_file_if_exists("main.py");
diff --git a/ports/mimxrt/main.c b/ports/mimxrt/main.c
index 907de373de..1a85f21c6d 100644
--- a/ports/mimxrt/main.c
+++ b/ports/mimxrt/main.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int main(void) {
         readline_init0();
 
         // Execute _boot.py to set up the filesystem.
-        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
+        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py", false);
 
         // Execute user scripts.
         int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
diff --git a/ports/minimal/main.c b/ports/minimal/main.c
index 4eb6ca65af..4990997531 100644
--- a/ports/minimal/main.c
+++ b/ports/minimal/main.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     // do_str("print('hello world!', list(x+1 for x in range(10)), end='eol\\n')", MP_PARSE_SINGLE_INPUT);
     // do_str("for i in range(10):\r\n  print(i)", MP_PARSE_FILE_INPUT);
     #else
-    pyexec_frozen_module("frozentest.py");
+    pyexec_frozen_module("frozentest.py", false);
     #endif
     mp_deinit();
     return 0;
diff --git a/ports/nrf/main.c b/ports/nrf/main.c
index 197fea9ab6..f64107f890 100644
--- a/ports/nrf/main.c
+++ b/ports/nrf/main.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ soft_reset:
     int ret = mp_vfs_mount_and_chdir_protected((mp_obj_t)&nrf_flash_obj, mount_point);
 
     if ((ret == -MP_ENODEV) || (ret == -MP_EIO)) {
-        pyexec_frozen_module("_mkfs.py"); // Frozen script for formatting flash filesystem.
+        pyexec_frozen_module("_mkfs.py", false); // Frozen script for formatting flash filesystem.
         ret = mp_vfs_mount_and_chdir_protected((mp_obj_t)&nrf_flash_obj, mount_point);
     }
 
diff --git a/ports/powerpc/main.c b/ports/powerpc/main.c
index 11013f1755..f3abc64aa7 100644
--- a/ports/powerpc/main.c
+++ b/ports/powerpc/main.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     pyexec_friendly_repl();
     #endif
     #else
-    pyexec_frozen_module("frozentest.py");
+    pyexec_frozen_module("frozentest.py", false);
     #endif
     mp_deinit();
     return 0;
diff --git a/ports/renesas-ra/main.c b/ports/renesas-ra/main.c
index d403dbacbe..6ba26cd7ba 100644
--- a/ports/renesas-ra/main.c
+++ b/ports/renesas-ra/main.c
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ soft_reset:
 
     // Run optional frozen boot code.
     #ifdef MICROPY_BOARD_FROZEN_BOOT_FILE
-    pyexec_frozen_module(MICROPY_BOARD_FROZEN_BOOT_FILE);
+    pyexec_frozen_module(MICROPY_BOARD_FROZEN_BOOT_FILE, false);
     #endif
 
     // Run boot.py (or whatever else a board configures at this stage).
diff --git a/ports/rp2/main.c b/ports/rp2/main.c
index 9e69d159e1..059449695c 100644
--- a/ports/rp2/main.c
+++ b/ports/rp2/main.c
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
         // Execute _boot.py to set up the filesystem.
         #if MICROPY_VFS_FAT && MICROPY_HW_USB_MSC
-        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot_fat.py");
+        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot_fat.py", false);
         #else
-        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
+        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py", false);
         #endif
 
         // Execute user scripts.
diff --git a/ports/samd/main.c b/ports/samd/main.c
index 725fd651d0..bc0e45ee64 100644
--- a/ports/samd/main.c
+++ b/ports/samd/main.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void samd_main(void) {
         readline_init0();
 
         // Execute _boot.py to set up the filesystem.
-        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
+        pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py", false);
 
         // Execute user scripts.
         int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
diff --git a/ports/stm32/main.c b/ports/stm32/main.c
index e5ad14fcf7..cc0367b824 100644
--- a/ports/stm32/main.c
+++ b/ports/stm32/main.c
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ soft_reset:
 
     // Run optional frozen boot code.
     #ifdef MICROPY_BOARD_FROZEN_BOOT_FILE
-    pyexec_frozen_module(MICROPY_BOARD_FROZEN_BOOT_FILE);
+    pyexec_frozen_module(MICROPY_BOARD_FROZEN_BOOT_FILE, false);
     #endif
 
     // Run boot.py (or whatever else a board configures at this stage).
diff --git a/ports/teensy/main.c b/ports/teensy/main.c
index 37a04c74f8..fa27326e93 100644
--- a/ports/teensy/main.c
+++ b/ports/teensy/main.c
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ soft_reset:
     #endif
 
     #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
-    pyexec_frozen_module("boot.py");
+    pyexec_frozen_module("boot.py", false);
     #else
     if (!pyexec_file_if_exists("/boot.py")) {
         flash_error(4);
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ soft_reset:
 
     // run main script
     #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
-    pyexec_frozen_module("main.py");
+    pyexec_frozen_module("main.py", true);
     #else
     {
         vstr_t *vstr = vstr_new(16);
diff --git a/shared/runtime/pyexec.c b/shared/runtime/pyexec.c
index 40491650e4..ec0ff87f1d 100644
--- a/shared/runtime/pyexec.c
+++ b/shared/runtime/pyexec.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ STATIC bool repl_display_debugging_info = 0;
 #define EXEC_FLAG_SOURCE_IS_VSTR        (1 << 4)
 #define EXEC_FLAG_SOURCE_IS_FILENAME    (1 << 5)
 #define EXEC_FLAG_SOURCE_IS_READER      (1 << 6)
+#define EXEC_FLAG_NO_INTERRUPT          (1 << 7)
 
 // parses, compiles and executes the code in the lexer
 // frees the lexer before returning
@@ -113,7 +114,9 @@ STATIC int parse_compile_execute(const void *source, mp_parse_input_kind_t input
         }
 
         // execute code
-        mp_hal_set_interrupt_char(CHAR_CTRL_C); // allow ctrl-C to interrupt us
+        if (!(exec_flags & EXEC_FLAG_NO_INTERRUPT)) {
+            mp_hal_set_interrupt_char(CHAR_CTRL_C);
+        }
         #if MICROPY_REPL_INFO
         start = mp_hal_ticks_ms();
         #endif
@@ -686,7 +689,7 @@ int pyexec_file(const char *filename) {
 int pyexec_file_if_exists(const char *filename) {
     #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
     if (mp_find_frozen_module(filename, NULL, NULL) == MP_IMPORT_STAT_FILE) {
-        return pyexec_frozen_module(filename);
+        return pyexec_frozen_module(filename, true);
     }
     #endif
     if (mp_import_stat(filename) != MP_IMPORT_STAT_FILE) {
@@ -696,20 +699,22 @@ int pyexec_file_if_exists(const char *filename) {
 }
 
 #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
-int pyexec_frozen_module(const char *name) {
+int pyexec_frozen_module(const char *name, bool allow_keyboard_interrupt) {
     void *frozen_data;
     int frozen_type;
     mp_find_frozen_module(name, &frozen_type, &frozen_data);
+    mp_uint_t exec_flags = allow_keyboard_interrupt ? 0 : EXEC_FLAG_NO_INTERRUPT;
 
     switch (frozen_type) {
         #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN_STR
         case MP_FROZEN_STR:
-            return parse_compile_execute(frozen_data, MP_PARSE_FILE_INPUT, 0);
+            return parse_compile_execute(frozen_data, MP_PARSE_FILE_INPUT, exec_flags);
         #endif
 
         #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN_MPY
         case MP_FROZEN_MPY:
-            return parse_compile_execute(frozen_data, MP_PARSE_FILE_INPUT, EXEC_FLAG_SOURCE_IS_RAW_CODE);
+            return parse_compile_execute(frozen_data, MP_PARSE_FILE_INPUT, exec_flags |
+                EXEC_FLAG_SOURCE_IS_RAW_CODE);
         #endif
 
         default:
diff --git a/shared/runtime/pyexec.h b/shared/runtime/pyexec.h
index 981e7dca9f..64c5ef9434 100644
--- a/shared/runtime/pyexec.h
+++ b/shared/runtime/pyexec.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ int pyexec_raw_repl(void);
 int pyexec_friendly_repl(void);
 int pyexec_file(const char *filename);
 int pyexec_file_if_exists(const char *filename);
-int pyexec_frozen_module(const char *name);
+int pyexec_frozen_module(const char *name, bool allow_keyboard_interrupt);
 void pyexec_event_repl_init(void);
 int pyexec_event_repl_process_char(int c);
 extern uint8_t pyexec_repl_active;