diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 714d36a3289..957ba0fe140 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -186,9 +186,8 @@ struct _k_object_assignment {
 #define K_THREAD_ACCESS_GRANT(name_, ...) \
 	static void * const _CONCAT(_object_list_, name_)[] = \
 		{ __VA_ARGS__, NULL }; \
-	static __used __in_section_unique(object_access) \
-		const Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct _k_object_assignment) \
-		_CONCAT(_object_access_, name_) = \
+	static const Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(_k_object_assignment, \
+					_CONCAT(_object_access_, name_)) = \
 			{ (&_k_thread_obj_ ## name_), \
 			  (_CONCAT(_object_list_, name_)) }
 
@@ -968,9 +967,8 @@ struct _static_thread_data {
 			entry, p1, p2, p3,                               \
 			prio, options, delay)                            \
 	K_THREAD_STACK_DEFINE(_k_thread_stack_##name, stack_size);	 \
-	struct k_thread _k_thread_obj_##name;			 \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct _static_thread_data) _k_thread_data_##name   \
-		__in_section(_static_thread_data, static, name) =        \
+	struct k_thread _k_thread_obj_##name;				 \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(_static_thread_data, _k_thread_data_##name) =\
 		_THREAD_INITIALIZER(&_k_thread_obj_##name,		 \
 				    _k_thread_stack_##name, stack_size,  \
 				entry, p1, p2, p3, prio, options, delay, \
@@ -1468,8 +1466,7 @@ typedef void (*k_timer_stop_t)(struct k_timer *timer);
  * @param stop_fn   Function to invoke if the timer is stopped while running.
  */
 #define K_TIMER_DEFINE(name, expiry_fn, stop_fn) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_timer) name \
-		__in_section(_k_timer, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_timer, name) = \
 		Z_TIMER_INITIALIZER(name, expiry_fn, stop_fn)
 
 /**
@@ -2050,8 +2047,7 @@ static inline void *z_impl_k_queue_peek_tail(struct k_queue *queue)
  * @param name Name of the queue.
  */
 #define K_QUEUE_DEFINE(name) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_queue) name \
-		__in_section(_k_queue, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_queue, name) = \
 		_K_QUEUE_INITIALIZER(name)
 
 /** @} */
@@ -2266,8 +2262,7 @@ struct k_fifo {
  * @req K-FIFO-002
  */
 #define K_FIFO_DEFINE(name) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_fifo) name \
-		__in_section(_k_queue, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_fifo, name) = \
 		Z_FIFO_INITIALIZER(name)
 
 /** @} */
@@ -2378,8 +2373,7 @@ struct k_lifo {
  * @req K-LIFO-002
  */
 #define K_LIFO_DEFINE(name) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_lifo) name \
-		__in_section(_k_queue, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_lifo, name) = \
 		_K_LIFO_INITIALIZER(name)
 
 /** @} */
@@ -2514,8 +2508,7 @@ __syscall int k_stack_pop(struct k_stack *stack, u32_t *data, s32_t timeout);
 #define K_STACK_DEFINE(name, stack_num_entries)                \
 	u32_t __noinit                                      \
 		_k_stack_buf_##name[stack_num_entries];        \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_stack) name                                    \
-		__in_section(_k_stack, static, name) =    \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_stack, name) = \
 		_K_STACK_INITIALIZER(name, _k_stack_buf_##name, \
 				    stack_num_entries)
 
@@ -2949,8 +2942,7 @@ struct k_mutex {
  * @req K-MUTEX-001
  */
 #define K_MUTEX_DEFINE(name) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_mutex) name \
-		__in_section(_k_mutex, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_mutex, name) = \
 		_K_MUTEX_INITIALIZER(name)
 
 /**
@@ -3150,8 +3142,7 @@ static inline unsigned int z_impl_k_sem_count_get(struct k_sem *sem)
  * @req K-SEM-002
  */
 #define K_SEM_DEFINE(name, initial_count, count_limit) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_sem) name \
-		__in_section(_k_sem, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_sem, name) = \
 		Z_SEM_INITIALIZER(name, initial_count, count_limit); \
 	BUILD_ASSERT(((count_limit) != 0) && \
 		     ((initial_count) <= (count_limit)));
@@ -3237,12 +3228,11 @@ struct k_msgq_attrs {
  *
  * @req K-MSGQ-001
  */
-#define K_MSGQ_DEFINE(q_name, q_msg_size, q_max_msgs, q_align)      \
-	static char __noinit __aligned(q_align)              \
-		_k_fifo_buf_##q_name[(q_max_msgs) * (q_msg_size)];  \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_msgq) q_name                                        \
-		__in_section(_k_msgq, static, q_name) =        \
-	       _K_MSGQ_INITIALIZER(q_name, _k_fifo_buf_##q_name,     \
+#define K_MSGQ_DEFINE(q_name, q_msg_size, q_max_msgs, q_align)		\
+	static char __noinit __aligned(q_align)				\
+		_k_fifo_buf_##q_name[(q_max_msgs) * (q_msg_size)];	\
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_msgq, q_name) =			\
+	       _K_MSGQ_INITIALIZER(q_name, _k_fifo_buf_##q_name,	\
 				  q_msg_size, q_max_msgs)
 
 /**
@@ -3504,8 +3494,7 @@ struct k_mbox {
  * @req K-MBOX-001
  */
 #define K_MBOX_DEFINE(name) \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_mbox) name \
-		__in_section(_k_mbox, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_mbox, name) = \
 		_K_MBOX_INITIALIZER(name) \
 
 /**
@@ -3707,8 +3696,7 @@ struct k_pipe {
 #define K_PIPE_DEFINE(name, pipe_buffer_size, pipe_align)		\
 	static unsigned char __noinit __aligned(pipe_align)	\
 		_k_pipe_buf_##name[pipe_buffer_size];			\
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_pipe) name						\
-		__in_section(_k_pipe, static, name) =			\
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_pipe, name) = \
 		_K_PIPE_INITIALIZER(name, _k_pipe_buf_##name, pipe_buffer_size)
 
 /**
@@ -3888,8 +3876,7 @@ struct k_mem_slab {
 #define K_MEM_SLAB_DEFINE(name, slab_block_size, slab_num_blocks, slab_align) \
 	char __noinit __aligned(slab_align) \
 		_k_mem_slab_buf_##name[(slab_num_blocks) * (slab_block_size)]; \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_mem_slab) name \
-		__in_section(_k_mem_slab, static, name) = \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_mem_slab, name) = \
 		_K_MEM_SLAB_INITIALIZER(name, _k_mem_slab_buf_##name, \
 				      slab_block_size, slab_num_blocks)
 
@@ -4025,8 +4012,7 @@ struct k_mem_pool {
 	char __aligned(align) _mpool_buf_##name[_ALIGN4(maxsz * nmax)	\
 				  + _MPOOL_BITS_SIZE(maxsz, minsz, nmax)]; \
 	struct sys_mem_pool_lvl _mpool_lvls_##name[Z_MPOOL_LVLS(maxsz, minsz)]; \
-	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct k_mem_pool) name \
-		__in_section(_k_mem_pool, static, name) = { \
+	Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(k_mem_pool, name) = { \
 		.base = {						\
 			.buf = _mpool_buf_##name,			\
 			.max_sz = maxsz,				\
diff --git a/include/linker/common-ram.ld b/include/linker/common-ram.ld
index 856188ac79a..edda3a0fcfc 100644
--- a/include/linker/common-ram.ld
+++ b/include/linker/common-ram.ld
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 	SECTION_DATA_PROLOGUE(_static_thread_area,,SUBALIGN(4))
 	{
 		_static_thread_data_list_start = .;
-		KEEP(*(SORT_BY_NAME("._static_thread_data.static.*")))
+		KEEP(*(SORT_BY_NAME(".__static_thread_data.static.*")))
 		_static_thread_data_list_end = .;
 	} GROUP_DATA_LINK_IN(RAMABLE_REGION, ROMABLE_REGION)
 
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@
 	{
 		_k_queue_list_start = .;
 		KEEP(*("._k_queue.static.*"))
+		KEEP(*("._k_fifo.static.*"))
+		KEEP(*("._k_lifo.static.*"))
 		_k_queue_list_end = .;
 	} GROUP_DATA_LINK_IN(RAMABLE_REGION, ROMABLE_REGION)
 
diff --git a/include/linker/common-rom.ld b/include/linker/common-rom.ld
index 24cbbb519bc..44ee750241c 100644
--- a/include/linker/common-rom.ld
+++ b/include/linker/common-rom.ld
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 	SECTION_PROLOGUE(object_access,,)
 	{
 		__object_access_start = .;
-		KEEP(*(".object_access.*"))
+		KEEP(*(".__k_object_assignment.*"))
 		__object_access_end = .;
 	} GROUP_LINK_IN(ROMABLE_REGION)
 #endif
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
 	SECTION_DATA_PROLOGUE(_bt_settings_area,,SUBALIGN(4))
 	{
 		_bt_settings_start = .;
-		KEEP(*(SORT_BY_NAME("._bt_settings.static.*")))
+		KEEP(*(SORT_BY_NAME("._bt_settings_handler.static.*")))
 		_bt_settings_end = .;
 	} GROUP_LINK_IN(ROMABLE_REGION)
 #endif
diff --git a/include/toolchain/common.h b/include/toolchain/common.h
index 143eaa13ca6..85f5f2a6423 100644
--- a/include/toolchain/common.h
+++ b/include/toolchain/common.h
@@ -163,4 +163,13 @@
  */
 #define Z_DECL_ALIGN(type) __aligned(__alignof(type)) type
 
+/*
+ * Convenience helper combining __in_section() and Z_DECL_ALIGN().
+ * The section name is the struct type prepended with an underscore.
+ * The subsection is "static" and the subsubsection is the variable name.
+ */
+#define Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(struct_type, name) \
+	Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct struct_type) name \
+	__in_section(_##struct_type, static, name) __used
+
 #endif /* ZEPHYR_INCLUDE_TOOLCHAIN_COMMON_H_ */
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h b/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h
index 81b75c9aa91..88f436dd63c 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/settings.h
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ struct bt_settings_handler {
 };
 
 #define BT_SETTINGS_DEFINE(_name, _set, _commit, _export)               \
-	const Z_DECL_ALIGN(struct bt_settings_handler) _name            \
-			__in_section(_bt_settings, static, _name) = {   \
+	const Z_STRUCT_SECTION_ITERABLE(bt_settings_handler, _name) = { \
 				.name = STRINGIFY(_name),               \
 				.set = _set,                            \
 				.commit = _commit,                      \