diff --git a/boards/nios2/altera_max10/altera_max10.dts b/boards/nios2/altera_max10/altera_max10.dts
index 37cda081111..fa37c83961d 100644
--- a/boards/nios2/altera_max10/altera_max10.dts
+++ b/boards/nios2/altera_max10/altera_max10.dts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 / {
 	model = "altera_max10";
-	compatible = "altera,nios2f";
+	compatible = "altera,nios2-max10";
 
 	aliases {
 		uart-0 = &uart0;
diff --git a/dts/bindings/cpu/altera,nios2f.yaml b/dts/bindings/cpu/altera,nios2f.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ebdd81bbb0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dts/bindings/cpu/altera,nios2f.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2018 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+description: Altera NIOS-2F CPU
+
+compatible: "altera,nios2f"
+
+include: [interrupt-controller.yaml, base.yaml]
+
+properties:
+  "#interrupt-cells":
+      const: 1
+
+interrupt-cells:
+  - irq
diff --git a/dts/bindings/cpu/qemu,nios2-zephyr.yaml b/dts/bindings/cpu/qemu,nios2-zephyr.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..654bc982a9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dts/bindings/cpu/qemu,nios2-zephyr.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2020 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+description: QEMU NIOS2 Zephyr CPU
+
+compatible: "qemu,nios2-zephyr"
+
+include: [interrupt-controller.yaml, base.yaml]
+
+properties:
+  "#interrupt-cells":
+      const: 1
+
+interrupt-cells:
+  - irq
diff --git a/dts/nios2/nios2-qemu.dtsi b/dts/nios2/nios2-qemu.dtsi
index b41845209c3..40cb031bc1a 100644
--- a/dts/nios2/nios2-qemu.dtsi
+++ b/dts/nios2/nios2-qemu.dtsi
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@
 		#address-cells = <1>;
 		#size-cells = <0>;
 
-		cpu@0 {
+		cpu: cpu@0 {
 			device_type = "cpu";
-			compatible = "qemu,nios2";
+			compatible = "qemu,nios2-zephyr";
 			reg = <0>;
+			interrupt-controller;
+			#interrupt-cells = <1>;
 		};
-
 	};
 
 	flash0: flash@420000 {
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 		#address-cells = <1>;
 		#size-cells = <1>;
 		compatible = "simple-bus";
+		interrupt-parent = <&cpu>;
 		ranges;
 
 		jtag_uart: uart@201000 {
@@ -42,12 +44,11 @@
 		ns16550_uart: uart@440000 {
 			compatible = "ns16550";
 			reg = <0x440000 0x400>;
-			/* interrupts = <1 0>; */
+			interrupts = <1>;
 			clock-frequency = <50000000>;
 			label = "UART_0";
 
 			status = "disabled";
 		};
-
 	};
 };
diff --git a/dts/nios2/nios2f.dtsi b/dts/nios2/nios2f.dtsi
index 82faa8f22ca..647a6a112ea 100644
--- a/dts/nios2/nios2f.dtsi
+++ b/dts/nios2/nios2f.dtsi
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
 		#address-cells = <1>;
 		#size-cells = <0>;
 
-		cpu@0 {
+		cpu: cpu@0 {
 			device_type = "cpu";
 			compatible = "altera,nios2f";
 			reg = <0>;
+			interrupt-controller;
+			#interrupt-cells = <1>;
 		};
-
 	};
 
 	flash0: flash@0 {
@@ -30,13 +31,14 @@
 		#address-cells = <1>;
 		#size-cells = <1>;
 		compatible = "simple-bus";
+		interrupt-parent = <&cpu>;
 		ranges;
 
 		uart0: uart@f0008000 {
 			compatible = "ns16550";
 			reg = <0xf0008000 0x400>;
 			clock-frequency = <50000000>;
-			/* interrupts = <1 0>; */
+			interrupts = <1 0>;
 			label = "UART_0";
 
 			status = "disabled";
diff --git a/soc/nios2/nios2-qemu/soc.h b/soc/nios2/nios2-qemu/soc.h
index d078efc3e1c..15f35f85c7e 100644
--- a/soc/nios2/nios2-qemu/soc.h
+++ b/soc/nios2/nios2-qemu/soc.h
@@ -10,7 +10,4 @@
 
 #include <system.h>
 
-/* Move to DTS once interrupt controller is defined there */
-#define DT_INST_0_NS16550_IRQ_0		A_16550_UART_0_IRQ
-
 #endif
diff --git a/soc/nios2/nios2f-zephyr/soc.h b/soc/nios2/nios2f-zephyr/soc.h
index 6f7bab482a5..d23ddaa9187 100644
--- a/soc/nios2/nios2f-zephyr/soc.h
+++ b/soc/nios2/nios2f-zephyr/soc.h
@@ -10,7 +10,4 @@
 
 #include <system.h>
 
-/* Move to DTS once interrupt controller is defined there */
-#define DT_INST_0_NS16550_IRQ_0		A_16550_UART_0_IRQ
-
 #endif