diff --git a/cmake/compiler/clang/compiler_flags.cmake b/cmake/compiler/clang/compiler_flags.cmake
index acc9b629171..a64150eb58c 100644
--- a/cmake/compiler/clang/compiler_flags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/compiler/clang/compiler_flags.cmake
@@ -125,3 +125,5 @@ set_compiler_property(PROPERTY warning_error_coding_guideline
 )
 
 set_compiler_property(PROPERTY no_global_merge "-mno-global-merge")
+
+set_compiler_property(PROPERTY specs)
diff --git a/cmake/compiler/compiler_flags_template.cmake b/cmake/compiler/compiler_flags_template.cmake
index c72e9b70f5d..5a4386f49be 100644
--- a/cmake/compiler/compiler_flags_template.cmake
+++ b/cmake/compiler/compiler_flags_template.cmake
@@ -139,3 +139,7 @@ set_compiler_property(PROPERTY warning_shadow_variables)
 # Compiler flags to avoid recognizing built-in functions
 set_compiler_property(PROPERTY no_builtin)
 set_compiler_property(PROPERTY no_builtin_malloc)
+
+# Compiler flag for defining specs. Used only by gcc, other compilers may keep
+# this undefined.
+set_compiler_property(PROPERTY specs)
diff --git a/cmake/compiler/gcc/compiler_flags.cmake b/cmake/compiler/gcc/compiler_flags.cmake
index e982f75aa78..c346a750af4 100644
--- a/cmake/compiler/gcc/compiler_flags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/compiler/gcc/compiler_flags.cmake
@@ -241,3 +241,5 @@ set_compiler_property(PROPERTY warning_shadow_variables -Wshadow)
 
 set_compiler_property(PROPERTY no_builtin -fno-builtin)
 set_compiler_property(PROPERTY no_builtin_malloc -fno-builtin-malloc)
+
+set_compiler_property(PROPERTY specs -specs=)
diff --git a/cmake/linker/ld/gcc/linker_flags.cmake b/cmake/linker/ld/gcc/linker_flags.cmake
index 4cde7d96ff3..c442c9c8921 100644
--- a/cmake/linker/ld/gcc/linker_flags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/linker/ld/gcc/linker_flags.cmake
@@ -15,3 +15,5 @@ add_link_options(-gdwarf-4)
 
 # Extra warnings options for twister run
 set_property(TARGET linker PROPERTY warnings_as_errors -Wl,--fatal-warnings)
+
+set_linker_property(PROPERTY specs -specs=)
diff --git a/cmake/linker/linker_flags_template.cmake b/cmake/linker/linker_flags_template.cmake
index 870c597be24..8b0b948b028 100644
--- a/cmake/linker/linker_flags_template.cmake
+++ b/cmake/linker/linker_flags_template.cmake
@@ -49,3 +49,7 @@ set_property(TARGET linker PROPERTY no_relax)
 
 # Linker flag for enabling relaxation of address optimization for jump calls.
 set_property(TARGET linker PROPERTY relax)
+
+# Linker flag for defining specs. Defined only by gcc, when gcc is used as
+# front-end for ld.
+set_compiler_property(PROPERTY specs)
diff --git a/lib/libc/picolibc/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/libc/picolibc/CMakeLists.txt
index fcb4f9f2b57..14af66b7b7d 100644
--- a/lib/libc/picolibc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/libc/picolibc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ if(NOT CONFIG_PICOLIBC_USE_MODULE)
   # Use picolibc provided with the toolchain. This requires a new enough
   # toolchain so that the version of picolibc supports auto-detecting a
   # Zephyr build (via the __ZEPHYR__ macro) to expose the Zephyr C API
-
-  zephyr_compile_options(--specs=picolibc.specs)
-  zephyr_libc_link_libraries(--specs=picolibc.specs)
+  zephyr_compile_options(PROPERTY specs picolibc.specs)
+  zephyr_link_libraries(PROPERTY specs picolibc.specs)
   if(CONFIG_PICOLIBC_IO_FLOAT)
     zephyr_compile_definitions(PICOLIBC_DOUBLE_PRINTF_SCANF)
     zephyr_link_libraries(-DPICOLIBC_DOUBLE_PRINTF_SCANF)