diff --git a/include/linker/common-rom.ld b/include/linker/common-rom.ld
index 6b700941d08..ee474f3bc02 100644
--- a/include/linker/common-rom.ld
+++ b/include/linker/common-rom.ld
@@ -109,15 +109,6 @@
 	} GROUP_LINK_IN(ROMABLE_REGION)
 #endif
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_BT_SETTINGS)
-	SECTION_DATA_PROLOGUE(_bt_settings_area,,SUBALIGN(4))
-	{
-		_bt_settings_start = .;
-		KEEP(*(SORT_BY_NAME("._bt_settings_handler.static.*")))
-		_bt_settings_end = .;
-	} GROUP_LINK_IN(ROMABLE_REGION)
-#endif
-
 	SECTION_DATA_PROLOGUE(log_const_sections,,)
 	{
 		__log_const_start = .;
diff --git a/include/settings/settings.h b/include/settings/settings.h
index 30110218eb8..5917a357438 100644
--- a/include/settings/settings.h
+++ b/include/settings/settings.h
@@ -150,17 +150,29 @@ struct settings_handler_static {
 };
 
 /**
- * Register a static handler for settings items
+ * Define a static handler for settings items
  *
- * @param _handler Structure containing registration info, this must be const
- *	  The handler name in ROM needs to be unique, it is generated from
- *	  _handler and the linenumber of SETTINGS_REGISTER_STATIC()
+ * @param _hname handler name
+ * @param _tree subtree name
+ * @param _get get routine (can be NULL)
+ * @param _set set routine (can be NULL)
+ * @param _commit commit routine (can be NULL)
+ * @param _export export routine (can be NULL)
+ *
+ * This createa a variable _hname prepended by settings_handler_.
  *
  */
-#define SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(_handler)	\
-	const Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(settings_handler_static, \
-					_CONCAT(_handler, __LINE__))\
-					= _handler
+
+#define SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(_hname, _tree, _get, _set, _commit,   \
+				       _export)				     \
+	const Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(settings_handler_static,	     \
+					settings_handler_ ## _hname) = {     \
+		.name = _tree,						     \
+		.h_get = _get,						     \
+		.h_set = _set,						     \
+		.h_commit = _commit,					     \
+		.h_export = _export,					     \
+	}
 
 /**
  * Initialization of settings and backend
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/gatt.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/gatt.c
index 285ab1f0a80..49528eadfb1 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/gatt.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/gatt.c
@@ -3629,7 +3629,7 @@ static int ccc_set(const char *name, size_t len_rd, settings_read_cb read_cb,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(ccc, ccc_set, NULL, NULL);
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt_ccc, "bt/ccc", NULL, ccc_set, NULL, NULL);
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_BT_GATT_CACHING)
 static int cf_set(const char *name, size_t len_rd, settings_read_cb read_cb,
@@ -3676,7 +3676,7 @@ static int cf_set(const char *name, size_t len_rd, settings_read_cb read_cb,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(cf, cf_set, NULL, NULL);
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt_cf, "bt/cf", NULL, cf_set, NULL, NULL);
 
 static u8_t stored_hash[16];
 
@@ -3719,6 +3719,7 @@ static int db_hash_commit(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(hash, db_hash_set, db_hash_commit, NULL);
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt_hash, "bt/hash", NULL, db_hash_set,
+			       db_hash_commit, NULL);
 #endif /*CONFIG_BT_GATT_CACHING */
 #endif /* CONFIG_BT_SETTINGS */
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/keys.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/keys.c
index b37a1d445ea..7719693ae37 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/keys.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/keys.c
@@ -365,5 +365,7 @@ static int keys_commit(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(keys, keys_set, keys_commit, NULL);
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt_keys, "bt/keys", NULL, keys_set, keys_commit,
+			       NULL);
+
 #endif /* CONFIG_BT_SETTINGS */
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/mesh/settings.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/mesh/settings.c
index e7c6f3bed7f..d2b69cb5a09 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/mesh/settings.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/mesh/settings.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #define LOG_MODULE_NAME bt_mesh_settings
 #include "common/log.h"
 
-#include "../settings.h"
 #include "mesh.h"
 #include "net.h"
 #include "crypto.h"
@@ -824,7 +823,8 @@ static int mesh_commit(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(mesh, mesh_set, mesh_commit, NULL);
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt_mesh, "bt/mesh", NULL, mesh_set, mesh_commit,
+			       NULL);
 
 /* Pending flags that use K_NO_WAIT as the storage timeout */
 #define NO_WAIT_PENDING_BITS (BIT(BT_MESH_NET_PENDING) |           \
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.c
index e2a0483a992..abf3d7d81b4 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.c
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@
 #include "hci_core.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 
-/* Linker-defined symbols bound to the bt_settings_handler structs */
-extern const struct bt_settings_handler _bt_settings_start[];
-extern const struct bt_settings_handler _bt_settings_end[];
-
 void bt_settings_encode_key(char *path, size_t path_size, const char *subsys,
 			    bt_addr_le_t *addr, const char *key)
 {
@@ -90,7 +86,6 @@ static int set(const char *name, size_t len_rd, settings_read_cb read_cb,
 	       void *cb_arg)
 {
 	ssize_t len;
-	const struct bt_settings_handler *h;
 	const char *next;
 
 	if (!name) {
@@ -100,12 +95,6 @@ static int set(const char *name, size_t len_rd, settings_read_cb read_cb,
 
 	len = settings_name_next(name, &next);
 
-	for (h = _bt_settings_start; h < _bt_settings_end; h++) {
-		if (!strncmp(name, h->name, len)) {
-			return h->set(next, len_rd, read_cb, cb_arg);
-		}
-	}
-
 	if (!strncmp(name, "id", len)) {
 		/* Any previously provided identities supersede flash */
 		if (atomic_test_bit(bt_dev.flags, BT_DEV_PRESET_ID)) {
@@ -211,8 +200,6 @@ void bt_settings_save_id(void)
 
 static int commit(void)
 {
-	const struct bt_settings_handler *h;
-
 	BT_DBG("");
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_BT_DEVICE_NAME_DYNAMIC)
@@ -234,36 +221,10 @@ static int commit(void)
 		bt_finalize_init();
 	}
 
-	for (h = _bt_settings_start; h < _bt_settings_end; h++) {
-		if (h->commit) {
-			h->commit();
-		}
-	}
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int export(int (*export_func)(const char *name, const void *val,
-				     size_t val_len))
-
-{
-	const struct bt_settings_handler *h;
-
-	for (h = _bt_settings_start; h < _bt_settings_end; h++) {
-		if (h->export) {
-			h->export(export_func);
-		}
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static struct settings_handler bt_settings = {
-	.name = "bt",
-	.h_set = set,
-	.h_commit = commit,
-	.h_export = export,
-};
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt, "bt", NULL, set, commit, NULL);
 
 int bt_settings_init(void)
 {
@@ -277,11 +238,5 @@ int bt_settings_init(void)
 		return err;
 	}
 
-	err = settings_register(&bt_settings);
-	if (err) {
-		BT_ERR("settings_register failed (err %d)", err);
-		return err;
-	}
-
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h b/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h
index 069346d9eae..c918ad426c4 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h
@@ -4,23 +4,6 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
-struct bt_settings_handler {
-	const char *name;
-	int (*set)(const char *name, size_t len, settings_read_cb read_cb,
-		   void *cb_arg);
-	int (*commit)(void);
-	int (*export)(int (*func)(const char *name,
-				  const void *val, size_t val_len));
-};
-
-#define BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(_name, _set, _commit, _export)               \
-	const Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(bt_settings_handler, _name) = { \
-				.name = STRINGIFY(_name),               \
-				.set = _set,                            \
-				.commit = _commit,                      \
-				.export = _export,                      \
-			}
-
 /* Max settings key length (with all components) */
 #define BT_SETTINGS_KEY_MAX 36
 
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/services/dis.c b/subsys/bluetooth/services/dis.c
index 65df95070ba..36026ee649b 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/services/dis.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/services/dis.c
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
 #include <bluetooth/uuid.h>
 #include <bluetooth/gatt.h>
 
-#include "../host/settings.h"
-
 #define BT_DBG_ENABLED IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_BT_DEBUG_SERVICE)
 #define LOG_MODULE_NAME bt_dis
 #include "common/log.h"
@@ -235,5 +233,6 @@ static int dis_set(const char *name, size_t len_rd,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(dis, dis_set, NULL, NULL);
+SETTINGS_STATIC_HANDLER_DEFINE(bt_dis, "bt/dis", NULL, dis_set, NULL, NULL);
+
 #endif /* CONFIG_BT_GATT_DIS_SETTINGS && CONFIG_BT_SETTINGS*/