diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 40661d8d628..63e903a9026 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -290,11 +290,6 @@ struct k_timer {
 
 extern void k_timer_init(struct k_timer *timer, void *data);
 
-#if (CONFIG_NUM_DYNAMIC_TIMERS > 0)
-extern struct k_timer *k_timer_alloc(void);
-extern void k_timer_free(struct k_timer *timer);
-#endif
-
 extern void k_timer_start(struct k_timer *timer,
 			  int32_t duration, int32_t period,
 			  void (*handler)(void *), void *handler_arg,
@@ -355,8 +350,6 @@ extern int64_t k_uptime_delta(int64_t *reftime);
 
 extern uint32_t k_uptime_delta_32(int64_t *reftime);
 
-extern bool k_timer_pool_is_empty(void);
-
 extern uint32_t k_cycle_get_32(void);
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/legacy.h b/include/legacy.h
index 85510b1ceed..3cfead7e379 100644
--- a/include/legacy.h
+++ b/include/legacy.h
@@ -655,8 +655,14 @@ static inline int nano_stack_pop(struct nano_stack *stack, uint32_t *data,
 
 #define ktimer_t struct k_timer *
 
-#define task_timer_alloc k_timer_alloc
-#define task_timer_free k_timer_free
+#if (CONFIG_NUM_DYNAMIC_TIMERS > 0)
+extern struct k_timer *_k_timer_alloc(void);
+#define task_timer_alloc _k_timer_alloc
+
+extern void _k_timer_free(struct k_timer *timer);
+#define task_timer_free _k_timer_free
+#endif
+
 
 extern void task_timer_start(ktimer_t timer, int32_t duration,
 			     int32_t period, ksem_t sema);
diff --git a/kernel/unified/timer.c b/kernel/unified/timer.c
index af82085d41b..5f9686d7ebf 100644
--- a/kernel/unified/timer.c
+++ b/kernel/unified/timer.c
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ void k_timer_init(struct k_timer *timer, void *data)
 
 #if (CONFIG_NUM_DYNAMIC_TIMERS > 0)
 
+/* Implements legacy API support for dynamic timers */
+
 static struct k_timer _dynamic_timers[CONFIG_NUM_DYNAMIC_TIMERS];
 static sys_dlist_t _timer_pool;
 
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ static int init_dyamic_timers(struct device *dev)
  *
  * @return pointer to the new timer structure
  */
-struct k_timer *k_timer_alloc(void)
+struct k_timer *_k_timer_alloc(void)
 {
 	k_sched_lock();
 
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ struct k_timer *k_timer_alloc(void)
  *
  * @return N/A
  */
-void k_timer_free(struct k_timer *timer)
+void _k_timer_free(struct k_timer *timer)
 {
 	k_timer_stop(timer);
 	k_sched_lock();
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ void k_timer_free(struct k_timer *timer)
  *
  * @return true if the timer pool is empty, false otherwise
  */
-bool k_timer_pool_is_empty(void)
+bool _k_timer_pool_is_empty(void)
 {
 	k_sched_lock();
 
diff --git a/tests/kernel/test_timer/microkernel/src/timer.c b/tests/kernel/test_timer/microkernel/src/timer.c
index f1834e3a030..8a43ebde654 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/test_timer/microkernel/src/timer.c
+++ b/tests/kernel/test_timer/microkernel/src/timer.c
@@ -31,9 +31,12 @@ This module tests the following microkernel timer routines:
 
 #include "fifo_timeout.c"
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_KERNEL_V2
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_V2
+extern bool _k_timer_pool_is_empty(void);    /* For white box testing only */
+#define timer_pool_is_empty _k_timer_pool_is_empty
+#else
 extern struct nano_lifo _k_timer_free;    /* For white box testing only */
-static inline bool k_timer_pool_is_empty(void)
+static inline bool timer_pool_is_empty(void)
 {
 	return (bool)(_k_timer_free.list == NULL);
 }
@@ -267,7 +270,7 @@ int testLowTimerGet(void)
 
 		/* Whitebox test to ensure that all timers were allocated. */
 
-		if (!k_timer_pool_is_empty()) {
+		if (!timer_pool_is_empty()) {
 			TC_ERROR("** Not all timers were allocated!\n");
 		}