diff --git a/etc/cmake/options.cmake b/etc/cmake/options.cmake
index 812295720..b1a124ab1 100644
--- a/etc/cmake/options.cmake
+++ b/etc/cmake/options.cmake
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ option(OT_FTD "enable FTD" ON)
 option(OT_MTD "enable MTD" ON)
 option(OT_RCP "enable RCP" ON)
 
+option(OT_LINKER_MAP "generate .map files for example apps" ON)
+
 message(STATUS OT_APP_CLI=${OT_APP_CLI})
 message(STATUS OT_APP_NCP=${OT_APP_NCP})
 message(STATUS OT_APP_RCP=${OT_APP_RCP})
diff --git a/examples/apps/cli/ftd.cmake b/examples/apps/cli/ftd.cmake
index b8aac6e56..9ed9be18c 100644
--- a/examples/apps/cli/ftd.cmake
+++ b/examples/apps/cli/ftd.cmake
@@ -48,5 +48,13 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-cli-ftd PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli-ftd PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-cli-ftd.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli-ftd PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-cli-ftd.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 install(TARGETS ot-cli-ftd
     DESTINATION bin)
diff --git a/examples/apps/cli/mtd.cmake b/examples/apps/cli/mtd.cmake
index df1729673..786f74161 100644
--- a/examples/apps/cli/mtd.cmake
+++ b/examples/apps/cli/mtd.cmake
@@ -48,5 +48,13 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-cli-mtd PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli-mtd PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-cli-mtd.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli-mtd PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-cli-mtd.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 install(TARGETS ot-cli-mtd
     DESTINATION bin)
diff --git a/examples/apps/cli/radio.cmake b/examples/apps/cli/radio.cmake
index 715c0f687..b2fe5d968 100644
--- a/examples/apps/cli/radio.cmake
+++ b/examples/apps/cli/radio.cmake
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-cli-radio PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli-radio PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-cli-radio.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli-radio PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-cli-radio.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 install(TARGETS ot-cli-radio
     DESTINATION bin
 )
diff --git a/examples/apps/ncp/ftd.cmake b/examples/apps/ncp/ftd.cmake
index 353b21bac..a7ffa51ad 100644
--- a/examples/apps/ncp/ftd.cmake
+++ b/examples/apps/ncp/ftd.cmake
@@ -48,4 +48,12 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-ncp-ftd PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-ncp-ftd PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-ncp-ftd.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-ncp-ftd PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-ncp-ftd.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 install(TARGETS ot-ncp-ftd DESTINATION bin)
diff --git a/examples/apps/ncp/mtd.cmake b/examples/apps/ncp/mtd.cmake
index 6a548ee9a..2fecbacc0 100644
--- a/examples/apps/ncp/mtd.cmake
+++ b/examples/apps/ncp/mtd.cmake
@@ -48,4 +48,12 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-ncp-mtd PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-ncp-mtd PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-ncp-mtd.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-ncp-mtd PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-ncp-mtd.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 install(TARGETS ot-ncp-mtd DESTINATION bin)
diff --git a/examples/apps/ncp/rcp.cmake b/examples/apps/ncp/rcp.cmake
index 40334c339..0f8be335a 100644
--- a/examples/apps/ncp/rcp.cmake
+++ b/examples/apps/ncp/rcp.cmake
@@ -47,4 +47,12 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-rcp PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-rcp PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-rcp.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-rcp PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-rcp.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 install(TARGETS ot-rcp DESTINATION bin)
diff --git a/src/posix/cli.cmake b/src/posix/cli.cmake
index 4354374d2..4b7347b40 100644
--- a/src/posix/cli.cmake
+++ b/src/posix/cli.cmake
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ target_compile_options(ot-cli PRIVATE
     ${OT_CFLAGS}
 )
 
-target_link_libraries(ot-cli
+target_link_libraries(ot-cli PRIVATE
     openthread-cli-ftd
     openthread-posix
     openthread-ftd
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-cli
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-cli.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-cli PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-cli.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
 
 install(TARGETS ot-cli DESTINATION bin)
 
diff --git a/src/posix/daemon.cmake b/src/posix/daemon.cmake
index cf2c7b7d9..dd726df27 100644
--- a/src/posix/daemon.cmake
+++ b/src/posix/daemon.cmake
@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-daemon PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-daemon PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-daemon.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-daemon PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-daemon.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 add_executable(ot-ctl
     client.cpp
 )
@@ -68,6 +76,14 @@ target_link_libraries(ot-ctl PRIVATE
     ot-config
 )
 
+if(OT_LINKER_MAP)
+    if("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}" MATCHES "AppleClang")
+        target_link_libraries(ot-ctl PRIVATE -Wl,-map,ot-ctl.map)
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(ot-ctl PRIVATE -Wl,-Map=ot-ctl.map)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 target_include_directories(ot-ctl PRIVATE ${COMMON_INCLUDES})
 
 install(TARGETS ot-daemon