diff --git a/include/linker/app_smem_aligned.ld b/include/linker/app_smem_aligned.ld
index 4325b16a68a..ce365679676 100644
--- a/include/linker/app_smem_aligned.ld
+++ b/include/linker/app_smem_aligned.ld
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 */
 
-/* space holder  */
-APP_SMEM_SECTION()
+/* Empty file  */
diff --git a/include/linker/app_smem_unaligned.ld b/include/linker/app_smem_unaligned.ld
index 4325b16a68a..ddc31d4f702 100644
--- a/include/linker/app_smem_unaligned.ld
+++ b/include/linker/app_smem_unaligned.ld
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 */
 
-/* space holder  */
-APP_SMEM_SECTION()
+/* Empty file */
diff --git a/include/linker/linker-defs.h b/include/linker/linker-defs.h
index 48abc28a8d4..2fb73bfd787 100644
--- a/include/linker/linker-defs.h
+++ b/include/linker/linker-defs.h
@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@
  * their shell commands are automatically initialized by the kernel.
  */
 
-#define APP_SMEM_SECTION() KEEP(*(SORT("data_smem_*")))
-
 #elif defined(_ASMLANGUAGE)
 
 /* Assembly FILES: declaration defined by the linker script */