diff --git a/metadata_manager/ap_src_meta_fetcher.py b/metadata_manager/ap_src_meta_fetcher.py
index ea0a604..e9e2acd 100644
--- a/metadata_manager/ap_src_meta_fetcher.py
+++ b/metadata_manager/ap_src_meta_fetcher.py
@@ -5,7 +5,24 @@
 import logging
 import ap_git
 import os
-
+import re
+
+class BoardMetadata:
+        def __init__(self, id: str, name: str, attributes: dict):
+            self.id = id
+            self.name = name
+            self.attributes = attributes
+
+        def to_dict(self) -> dict:
+            # keep top-level has_can for backward compatibility
+            out = {
+                "id": self.id,
+                "name": self.name,
+                "attributes": self.attributes,
+            }
+            if "has_can" in self.attributes:
+                out["has_can"] = self.attributes["has_can"]
+            return out
 
 class APSourceMetadataFetcher:
     """
@@ -190,8 +207,11 @@ def __get_boards_at_commit_from_cache(self,
 
         Returns:
             tuple: A tuple of two lists in order:
-                - A list contains boards for NON-'ap_periph' targets.
-                - A list contains boards for the 'ap_periph' target.
+                - A list of board metadata dictionaries for NON-'ap_periph' targets.
+                - A list of board metadata dictionaries for the 'ap_periph' target.
+            Each dictionary currently exposes:
+                - name (str): Board name.
+                - has_can (bool): True when the board hwdef declares CAN support.
 
         Raises:
             RuntimeError: If the method is called when caching is disabled.
@@ -237,8 +257,54 @@ def __exclude_boards_matching_patterns(self, boards: list, patterns: list):
                 ret.append(b)
         return ret
 
+    def __board_has_can(self, hwdef_path: str) -> bool:
+        """Return True when the hwdef file advertises CAN support."""
+        if not hwdef_path or not os.path.isfile(hwdef_path):
+            self.logger.debug(
+                "hwdef.dat not found while checking CAN support: %s",
+                hwdef_path,
+            )
+            return False
+
+        try:
+            with open(hwdef_path, "r", encoding="utf-8", errors="ignore") as hwdef_file:
+                hwdef_contents = hwdef_file.read()
+        except OSError as exc:
+            self.logger.warning(
+                "Failed to read hwdef.dat at %s: %s",
+                hwdef_path,
+                exc,
+            )
+            return False
+
+        combined_contents = hwdef_contents
+
+        # If the hwdef uses an include *.inc, read that file as well so
+        # CAN keywords defined there are detected (e.g., CubeOrange).
+        include_match = re.search(r"^\s*include\s+(.+\.inc)\s*$", hwdef_contents, re.MULTILINE)
+        if include_match:
+            include_name = include_match.group(1).strip()
+            include_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(hwdef_path), include_name)
+            if os.path.isfile(include_path):
+                try:
+                    with open(include_path, "r", encoding="utf-8", errors="ignore") as inc_file:
+                        combined_contents += "\n" + inc_file.read()
+                except OSError as exc:
+                    self.logger.warning(
+                        "Failed to read included hwdef %s: %s",
+                        include_path,
+                        exc,
+                    )
+
+        return (
+            "CAN1" in combined_contents
+            or "HAL_NUM_CAN_IFACES" in combined_contents
+            or "CAN_P1_DRIVER" in combined_contents
+            or "CAN_D1_DRIVER" in combined_contents
+        )
+
     def __get_boards_at_commit_from_repo(self, remote: str,
-                                         commit_ref: str) -> tuple[list, list]:
+                                         commit_ref: str) -> tuple[list[dict], list[dict]]:
         """
         Returns the tuple of boards (for both non-periph and periph targets,
         in order) for a given commit from the git repo.
@@ -249,8 +315,9 @@ def __get_boards_at_commit_from_repo(self, remote: str,
 
         Returns:
             tuple: A tuple of two lists in order:
-                - A list contains boards for NON-'ap_periph' targets.
-                - A list contains boards for the 'ap_periph' target.
+                - A list of board metadata dictionaries for NON-'ap_periph' targets.
+                - A list of board metadata dictionaries for the 'ap_periph' target.
+            Each board dict exposes: id, name, attributes (has_can), and has_can (legacy).
         """
         with self.repo.get_checkout_lock():
             self.repo.checkout_remote_commit_ref(
@@ -270,6 +337,8 @@ def __get_boards_at_commit_from_repo(self, remote: str,
                 )
             mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
             spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
+            board_list = mod.BoardList()
+            hwdef_dir = getattr(board_list, "hwdef_dir", None)
             non_periph_boards = mod.AUTOBUILD_BOARDS
             periph_boards = mod.AP_PERIPH_BOARDS
             self.logger.debug(f"non_periph_boards raw: {non_periph_boards}")
@@ -289,9 +358,33 @@ def __get_boards_at_commit_from_repo(self, remote: str,
         )
         self.logger.debug(f"periph_boards sorted: {periph_boards_sorted}")
 
+        def build_board_metadata(board_names: list[str]) -> list[dict]:
+            board_data: list[dict] = []
+            for board_name in board_names:
+                hwdef_path = None
+                if hwdef_dir:
+                    candidate_path = os.path.join(hwdef_dir, board_name, "hwdef.dat")
+                    if os.path.isfile(candidate_path):
+                        hwdef_path = candidate_path
+                    else:
+                        self.logger.debug(
+                            "hwdef.dat not found for board %s at %s",
+                            board_name,
+                            candidate_path,
+                        )
+
+                has_can = self.__board_has_can(hwdef_path) if hwdef_path else False
+                board = BoardMetadata(
+                    id=board_name,
+                    name=board_name,
+                    attributes={"has_can": has_can},
+                )
+                board_data.append(board.to_dict())
+            return board_data
+
         return (
-            non_periph_boards_sorted,
-            periph_boards_sorted,
+            build_board_metadata(non_periph_boards_sorted),
+            build_board_metadata(periph_boards_sorted),
         )
 
     def __get_build_options_at_commit_from_repo(self,
@@ -334,7 +427,7 @@ def __get_build_options_at_commit_from_repo(self,
         return build_options
 
     def __get_boards_at_commit(self, remote: str,
-                               commit_ref: str) -> tuple[list, list]:
+                               commit_ref: str) -> tuple[list[dict], list[dict]]:
         """
         Retrieves lists of boards available for building at a
         specified commit for both NON-'ap_periph' and ap_periph targets
@@ -350,8 +443,8 @@ def __get_boards_at_commit(self, remote: str,
 
         Returns:
             tuple: A tuple of two lists in order:
-                - A list contains boards for NON-'ap_periph' targets.
-                - A list contains boards for the 'ap_periph' target.
+                - A list of board metadata dictionaries for NON-'ap_periph' targets.
+                - A list of board metadata dictionaries for the 'ap_periph' target.
         """
         tstart = time.time()
         if not self.caching_enabled:
@@ -376,7 +469,8 @@ def __get_boards_at_commit(self, remote: str,
 
         if cached_boards:
             boards = cached_boards
-        else:
+
+        if not cached_boards or boards is None:
             self.logger.debug(
                 "Cache miss. Fetching boards from repo for "
                 f"commit {commid_id}."
@@ -407,7 +501,8 @@ def get_boards(self, remote: str, commit_ref: str,
             vehicle_id (str): The vehicle ID to get the boards list for.
 
         Returns:
-            list: A list of boards.
+            list: A list of board metadata dictionaries, each containing
+            the board name and whether it supports CAN (has_can).
         """
         non_periph_boards, periph_boards = self.__get_boards_at_commit(
             remote=remote,
diff --git a/web/app.py b/web/app.py
index 8a4aa43..0573733 100755
--- a/web/app.py
+++ b/web/app.py
@@ -179,7 +179,8 @@ def generate():
             commit_ref=commit_ref,
             vehicle_id=vehicle,
         )
-        if board not in boards_at_commit:
+        board_names_at_commit = [b["name"] for b in boards_at_commit]
+        if board not in board_names_at_commit:
             raise Exception("bad board")
 
         all_features = ap_src_metadata_fetcher.get_build_options_at_commit(
@@ -300,9 +301,11 @@ def boards_and_features(vehicle_id, version_id):
             'options' : category_options,
         })
     # creating result dictionary
+    default_board = boards[0]["name"] if boards else None
+
     result = {
         'boards' : boards,
-        'default_board' : boards[0],
+        'default_board' : default_board,
         'features' : features,
     }
     # return jsonified result dict
diff --git a/web/static/js/add_build.js b/web/static/js/add_build.js
index 22d6b59..7da8a62 100644
--- a/web/static/js/add_build.js
+++ b/web/static/js/add_build.js
@@ -276,6 +276,8 @@ const Features = (() => {
 var init_categories_expanded = false;
 
 var pending_update_calls = 0;   // to keep track of unresolved Promises
+var currentBoards = [];
+var currentFeatures = [];
 
 function init() {
     fetchVehicles();
@@ -408,8 +410,9 @@ function onVersionChange(new_version) {
 }
 
 function updateBoards(all_boards, new_board) {
+    currentBoards = all_boards || [];
     let board_element = document.getElementById('board');
-    let old_board = board_element ? board.value : '';
+    let old_board = board_element ? board_element.value : '';
     fillBoards(all_boards, new_board);
     if (old_board != new_board) {
         onBoardChange(new_board);
@@ -417,6 +420,10 @@ function updateBoards(all_boards, new_board) {
 }
 
 function onBoardChange(new_board) {
+    // Re-render build options to show/hide CAN based on the new board
+    if (currentFeatures && currentFeatures.length > 0) {
+        fillBuildOptions(currentFeatures);
+    }
     fetchAndUpdateDefaults();
 }
 
@@ -455,10 +462,16 @@ function fillBoards(boards, default_board) {
                         '<select name="board" id="board" class="form-select" aria-label="Select Board" onchange="onBoardChange(this.value);"></select>';
     let boardList = document.getElementById("board")
     boards.forEach(board => {
+        const boardName = (typeof board === 'object' && board !== null) ? board.name : board;
+        const hasCan = (typeof board === 'object' && board !== null) ? Boolean(board.has_can) : false;
+        if (!boardName) {
+            return;
+        }
         let opt = document.createElement('option');
-        opt.value = board;
-        opt.innerHTML = board;
-        opt.selected = (board === default_board);
+        opt.value = boardName;
+        opt.innerHTML = boardName;
+        opt.selected = (boardName === default_board);
+        opt.setAttribute('data-has-can', hasCan);
         boardList.appendChild(opt);
     });
 }
@@ -487,6 +500,38 @@ var toggle_all_categories = (() => {
     return toggle_method;
 })();
 
+function getSelectedBoardMetadata() {
+    const boardSelect = document.getElementById('board');
+    if (!boardSelect || boardSelect.selectedIndex < 0) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    const selectedName = boardSelect.value;
+    if (!selectedName) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    // Prefer the cached board objects which include has_can
+    const fromCache = (currentBoards || []).find((board) => {
+        if (board && typeof board === 'object') {
+            return board.name === selectedName;
+        }
+        return board === selectedName;
+    });
+
+    if (fromCache && typeof fromCache === 'object') {
+        return fromCache;
+    }
+
+    // Fallback: derive from the selected option's data attribute
+    const selectedOption = boardSelect.options[boardSelect.selectedIndex];
+    const hasCanAttr = selectedOption ? selectedOption.getAttribute('data-has-can') : null;
+    return {
+        name: selectedName,
+        has_can: hasCanAttr === null ? undefined : hasCanAttr === 'true',
+    };
+}
+
 function createCategoryCard(category_name, options, expanded) {
     options_html = "";
     options.forEach(option => {
@@ -535,27 +580,50 @@ function createCategoryCard(category_name, options, expanded) {
 }
 
 function fillBuildOptions(buildOptions) {
+    // Store current features for re-rendering when board changes
+    currentFeatures = buildOptions;
+    
+    const selectedBoard = getSelectedBoardMetadata();
+    // Default to hiding (false) if metadata is missing to be safe
+    const boardHasCan = selectedBoard && selectedBoard.has_can !== undefined
+        ? Boolean(selectedBoard.has_can)
+        : false; 
+
     let output = document.getElementById('build_options');
     output.innerHTML =  `<div class="d-flex mb-3 justify-content-between">
-                            <div class="d-flex d-flex align-items-center">
-                                <p class="card-text"><strong>Available features for the current selection are:</strong></p>
-                            </div>
-                            <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary" id="exp_col_button" onclick="toggle_all_categories();"><i class="bi bi-chevron-expand me-2"></i>Expand/Collapse all categories</button> 
-                        </div>`;
-
-    buildOptions.forEach((category, cat_idx) => {
-        if (cat_idx % 4 == 0) {
-            let new_row = document.createElement('div');
-            new_row.setAttribute('class', 'row');
-            new_row.id = 'category_'+parseInt(cat_idx/4)+'_row';
-            output.appendChild(new_row);
+                             <div class="d-flex d-flex align-items-center">
+                                 <p class="card-text"><strong>Available features for the current selection are:</strong></p>
+                             </div>
+                             <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary" id="exp_col_button" onclick="toggle_all_categories();"><i class="bi bi-chevron-expand me-2"></i>Expand/Collapse all categories</button> 
+                          </div>`;
+    
+    let visibleCategoryIdx = 0;
+
+    buildOptions.forEach((category) => {
+        // HIDE CAN CATEGORY IF BOARD HAS NO CAN
+        if (category.name && category.name.includes("CAN") && boardHasCan === false) {
+            return;
         }
-        let col_element = document.createElement('div');
-        col_element.setAttribute('class', 'col-md-3 col-sm-6 mb-2');
-        col_element.appendChild(createCategoryCard(category['name'], category['options'], init_categories_expanded));
-        document.getElementById('category_'+parseInt(cat_idx/4)+'_row').appendChild(col_element);
-    });
-}
+
+        if (visibleCategoryIdx % 4 === 0) {
+             let new_row = document.createElement('div');
+             new_row.setAttribute('class', 'row');
+             new_row.id = 'category_'+parseInt(visibleCategoryIdx/4)+'_row';
+             output.appendChild(new_row);
+         }
+
+         let col_element = document.createElement('div');
+         col_element.setAttribute('class', 'col-md-3 col-sm-6 mb-2');
+         col_element.appendChild(createCategoryCard(category['name'], category['options'], init_categories_expanded));
+        
+         let row = document.getElementById('category_'+parseInt(visibleCategoryIdx/4)+'_row');        
+         if (row) {
+            row.appendChild(col_element);
+         }
+
+         visibleCategoryIdx += 1;
+     });
+ }
 
 // returns a Promise
 // the promise is resolved when we recieve status code 200 from the AJAX request