diff --git a/kernel/rtlil.cc b/kernel/rtlil.cc
index b700e94db..3b19094de 100644
--- a/kernel/rtlil.cc
+++ b/kernel/rtlil.cc
@@ -1146,37 +1146,58 @@ bool RTLIL::Design::selected_whole_module(RTLIL::Module *mod) const
 	return selected_whole_module(mod->name);
 }
 
-std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> RTLIL::Design::selected_modules() const
+
+std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> RTLIL::Design::selected_modules(RTLIL::SelectPartials partials, RTLIL::SelectBoxes boxes) const
 {
+	bool include_partials = partials == RTLIL::SELECT_ALL;
+	bool exclude_boxes = (partials & RTLIL::SB_UNBOXED_ONLY) == 0;
+	bool ignore_wb = (partials & RTLIL::SB_INCL_WB) != 0;
 	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> result;
 	result.reserve(modules_.size());
 	for (auto &it : modules_)
-		if (selected_module(it.first))
-			result.push_back(it.second);
-	return result;
-}
-
-std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> RTLIL::Design::selected_whole_modules() const
-{
-	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> result;
-	result.reserve(modules_.size());
-	for (auto &it : modules_)
-		if (selected_whole_module(it.first))
-			result.push_back(it.second);
-	return result;
-}
-
-std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> RTLIL::Design::selected_whole_modules_warn(bool include_wb) const
-{
-	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> result;
-	result.reserve(modules_.size());
-	for (auto &it : modules_) {
-		log_assert(selection_stack.size() > 0 || !it.second->get_blackbox_attribute(include_wb));
-		if (selected_whole_module(it.first))
-			result.push_back(it.second);
-		else if (selected_module(it.first))
-			log_warning("Ignoring partially selected module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
-	}
+		if (selected_whole_module(it.first) || (include_partials && selected_module(it.first))) {
+			if (!(exclude_boxes && it.second->get_blackbox_attribute(ignore_wb)))
+				result.push_back(it.second);
+			else
+				switch (boxes)
+				{
+				case RTLIL::SB_UNBOXED_WARN:
+					log_warning("Ignoring boxed module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+					break;
+				case RTLIL::SB_EXCL_BB_WARN:
+					log_warning("Ignoring blackbox module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+					break;
+				case RTLIL::SB_UNBOXED_ERR:
+					log_error("Unsupported boxed module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+					break;
+				case RTLIL::SB_EXCL_BB_ERR:
+					log_error("Unsupported blackbox module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+					break;
+				case RTLIL::SB_UNBOXED_CMDERR:
+					log_cmd_error("Unsupported boxed module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+					break;
+				case RTLIL::SB_EXCL_BB_CMDERR:
+					log_cmd_error("Unsupported blackbox module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+					break;
+				default:
+					break;
+				}
+		} else if (!include_partials && selected_module(it.first)) {
+			switch(partials)
+			{
+			case RTLIL::SELECT_WHOLE_WARN:
+				log_warning("Ignoring partially selected module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+				break;
+			case RTLIL::SELECT_WHOLE_ERR:
+				log_error("Unsupported partially selected module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+				break;
+			case RTLIL::SELECT_WHOLE_CMDERR:
+				log_cmd_error("Unsupported partially selected module %s.\n", log_id(it.first));
+				break;
+			default:
+				break;
+			}
+		}
 	return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/rtlil.h b/kernel/rtlil.h
index acc43dc23..92167b19d 100644
--- a/kernel/rtlil.h
+++ b/kernel/rtlil.h
@@ -56,6 +56,30 @@ namespace RTLIL
 		CONST_FLAG_REAL   = 4   // only used for parameters
 	};
 
+	enum SelectPartials : unsigned char {
+		SELECT_ALL = 0,          // include partial modules
+		SELECT_WHOLE_ONLY = 1,   // ignore partial modules
+		SELECT_WHOLE_WARN = 2,   // call log_warning on partial module
+		SELECT_WHOLE_ERR = 3,    // call log_error on partial module
+		SELECT_WHOLE_CMDERR = 4  // call log_cmd_error on partial module
+	};
+
+	enum SelectBoxes : unsigned char {
+		SB_ALL = 0,            // include boxed modules
+		SB_WARN = 1,           // helper for log_warning
+		SB_ERR = 2,            // helper for log_error
+		SB_CMDERR = 3,         // helper for log_cmd_error
+		SB_UNBOXED_ONLY = 4,   // ignore boxed modules
+		SB_UNBOXED_WARN = 5,   // call log_warning on boxed module
+		SB_UNBOXED_ERR = 6,    // call log_error on boxed module
+		SB_UNBOXED_CMDERR = 7, // call log_cmd_error on boxed module
+		SB_INCL_WB = 8,        // helper for white boxes
+		SB_EXCL_BB_ONLY = 12,  // ignore black boxes, but not white boxes
+		SB_EXCL_BB_WARN = 13,  // call log_warning on black boxed module
+		SB_EXCL_BB_ERR = 14,   // call log_error on black boxed module
+		SB_EXCL_BB_CMDERR = 15 // call log_cmd_error on black boxed module
+	};
+
 	struct Const;
 	struct AttrObject;
 	struct NamedObject;
@@ -1250,9 +1274,20 @@ struct RTLIL::Design
 	}
 
 
-	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_modules() const;
-	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_whole_modules() const;
-	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_whole_modules_warn(bool include_wb = false) const;
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_modules(RTLIL::SelectPartials partials, RTLIL::SelectBoxes boxes = SB_ALL) const;
+
+	[[deprecated("Use selected_unboxed_modules() to maintain prior behaviour, or consider one of the other selected module helpers.")]]
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_modules() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_ALL, SB_UNBOXED_WARN); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> all_selected_modules() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_ALL, SB_ALL); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_unboxed_modules() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_ALL, SB_UNBOXED_ONLY); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_unboxed_modules_warn() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_ALL, SB_UNBOXED_WARN); }
+
+	[[deprecated("Use select_unboxed_whole_modules() to maintain prior behaviour, or consider one of the other selected whole module helpers.")]]
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_whole_modules() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_WHOLE_ONLY, SB_UNBOXED_WARN); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> all_selected_whole_modules() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_WHOLE_ONLY, SB_ALL); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_whole_modules_warn(bool include_wb = false) const { return selected_modules(SELECT_WHOLE_WARN, include_wb ? SB_EXCL_BB_WARN : SB_UNBOXED_WARN); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_unboxed_whole_modules() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_WHOLE_ONLY, SB_UNBOXED_ONLY); }
+	std::vector<RTLIL::Module*> selected_unboxed_whole_modules_warn() const { return selected_modules(SELECT_WHOLE_WARN, SB_UNBOXED_WARN); }
 #ifdef WITH_PYTHON
 	static std::map<unsigned int, RTLIL::Design*> *get_all_designs(void);
 #endif