diff --git a/arch/arm/core/fatal.c b/arch/arm/core/fatal.c
index a049c91cece..1c296128549 100644
--- a/arch/arm/core/fatal.c
+++ b/arch/arm/core/fatal.c
@@ -38,14 +38,15 @@
  * Define a default ESF for use with _NanoFatalErrorHandler() in the event
  * the caller does not have a NANO_ESF to pass
  */
-const NANO_ESF _default_esf = {0xdeaddead, /* a1 */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* a2 */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* a3 */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* a4 */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* ip */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* lr */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* pc */
-						      0xdeaddead, /* xpsr */
+const NANO_ESF _default_esf = {
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r0/a1 */
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r1/a2 */
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r2/a3 */
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r3/a4 */
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r12/ip */
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r14/lr */
+	{0xdeaddead}, /* r15/pc */
+	 0xdeaddead,  /* xpsr */
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/arch/arm/cortex_m/exc.h b/include/arch/arm/cortex_m/exc.h
index 7e04e98f138..7a96ff8ce2a 100644
--- a/include/arch/arm/cortex_m/exc.h
+++ b/include/arch/arm/cortex_m/exc.h
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ GTEXT(_ExcExit);
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 struct __esf {
-	uint32_t a1; /* r0 */
-	uint32_t a2; /* r1 */
-	uint32_t a3; /* r2 */
-	uint32_t a4; /* r3 */
-	uint32_t ip; /* r12 */
-	uint32_t lr; /* r14 */
-	uint32_t pc; /* r15 */
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(a1, r0);
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(a2, r1);
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(a3, r2);
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(a4, r3);
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(ip, r12);
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(lr, r14);
+	sys_define_gpr_with_alias(pc, r15);
 	uint32_t xpsr;
 };