diff --git a/arch/arm/platforms/fsl_frdm_k64f/board.h b/arch/arm/platforms/fsl_frdm_k64f/board.h
index 44a58136cb6..2f8e728ffaa 100644
--- a/arch/arm/platforms/fsl_frdm_k64f/board.h
+++ b/arch/arm/platforms/fsl_frdm_k64f/board.h
@@ -156,8 +156,6 @@
 
 #define UART_IRQ_FLAGS 0
 
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-
 /* Uart console settings */
 #if defined(CONFIG_UART_CONSOLE)
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/platforms/ti_lm3s6965/board.h b/arch/arm/platforms/ti_lm3s6965/board.h
index 9a2abb4a046..2e6a7a70701 100644
--- a/arch/arm/platforms/ti_lm3s6965/board.h
+++ b/arch/arm/platforms/ti_lm3s6965/board.h
@@ -94,8 +94,6 @@
 
 #define UART_IRQ_FLAGS 0
 
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-
 #endif /* !_ASMLANGUAGE */
 
 #endif /* _BOARD__H_ */
diff --git a/arch/x86/platforms/galileo/board.h b/arch/x86/platforms/galileo/board.h
index 9d3f8a8ced1..ede50f6dcc4 100644
--- a/arch/x86/platforms/galileo/board.h
+++ b/arch/x86/platforms/galileo/board.h
@@ -54,11 +54,6 @@
 #define NUM_STD_IRQS 16   /* number of "standard" IRQs on an x86 platform */
 #define INT_VEC_IRQ0 0x20 /* Vector number for IRQ0 */
 
-/* UART console */
-#ifndef _ASMLANGUAGE
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-#endif
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_DW_0
 #if defined(CONFIG_GPIO_DW_0_FALLING_EDGE)
 #define GPIO_DW_0_IRQ_FLAGS (IOAPIC_EDGE | IOAPIC_LOW)
diff --git a/arch/x86/platforms/ia32/board.h b/arch/x86/platforms/ia32/board.h
index bf18a6c1213..3210a1344a4 100644
--- a/arch/x86/platforms/ia32/board.h
+++ b/arch/x86/platforms/ia32/board.h
@@ -53,14 +53,4 @@
 
 #define INT_VEC_IRQ0 0x20 /* vector number for IRQ0 */
 
-/* uart configuration settings */
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_NS16550
-
-#ifndef _ASMLANGUAGE
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-#endif
-
-#endif /* CONFIG_UART_NS16550 */
-
 #endif /* __INCboardh */
diff --git a/arch/x86/platforms/ia32_pci/board.h b/arch/x86/platforms/ia32_pci/board.h
index 9c7c328dbed..8c1a69f7e20 100644
--- a/arch/x86/platforms/ia32_pci/board.h
+++ b/arch/x86/platforms/ia32_pci/board.h
@@ -54,12 +54,6 @@
 #define NUM_STD_IRQS 16   /* number of "standard" IRQs on an x86 platform */
 #define INT_VEC_IRQ0 0x20 /* Vector number for IRQ0 */
 
-/* uart configuration settings */
-
-#ifndef _ASMLANGUAGE
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-#endif
-
 #ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_DW_0
 #if defined(CONFIG_GPIO_DW_0_FALLING_EDGE)
 #define GPIO_DW_0_IRQ_FLAGS (IOAPIC_EDGE | IOAPIC_LOW)
diff --git a/arch/x86/platforms/quark_d2000/board.h b/arch/x86/platforms/quark_d2000/board.h
index 9bb4b61a54a..5cfb9c8f403 100644
--- a/arch/x86/platforms/quark_d2000/board.h
+++ b/arch/x86/platforms/quark_d2000/board.h
@@ -126,10 +126,6 @@ struct scss_interrupt {
 /* UART uses level triggered interrupt, low level */
 #define UART_IOAPIC_FLAGS       (IOAPIC_LEVEL)
 
-#ifndef _ASMLANGUAGE
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-#endif
-
 /* Watchdog */
 #define WDT_BASE_ADDR			0xB0000000
 #define INT_WDT_IRQ			0x10
diff --git a/arch/x86/platforms/quark_se/board.h b/arch/x86/platforms/quark_se/board.h
index 8545dd290ae..fd030de2c41 100644
--- a/arch/x86/platforms/quark_se/board.h
+++ b/arch/x86/platforms/quark_se/board.h
@@ -89,10 +89,6 @@
 /* UART uses level triggered interrupt, low level */
 #define UART_IOAPIC_FLAGS       (IOAPIC_LEVEL | IOAPIC_LOW)
 
-/* uart configuration settings */
-
-extern struct device * const uart_devs[];
-
 #endif /* CONFIG_UART_NS16550 */
 
 
diff --git a/drivers/serial/uart_k20.c b/drivers/serial/uart_k20.c
index 2921169bb39..63259200115 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/uart_k20.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/uart_k20.c
@@ -506,31 +506,3 @@ SYS_DEFINE_DEVICE(uart_k20_4, &uart_k20_dev_data_4, PRIMARY,
 		  CONFIG_KERNEL_INIT_PRIORITY_DEVICE);
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_UART_K20_PORT_4 */
-
-struct device * const uart_devs[] = {
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_K20_PORT_0
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_k20_0),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_K20_PORT_1
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_k20_1),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_K20_PORT_2
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_k20_2),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_K20_PORT_3
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_k20_3),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_K20_PORT_4
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_k20_4),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-};
diff --git a/drivers/serial/uart_ns16550.c b/drivers/serial/uart_ns16550.c
index 2bbe9abb1a8..c734056a9c7 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/uart_ns16550.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/uart_ns16550.c
@@ -621,17 +621,3 @@ SYS_DEFINE_DEVICE(uart_ns16550_1, &uart_ns16550_dev_data_1,
 		  PRIMARY, CONFIG_KERNEL_INIT_PRIORITY_DEVICE);
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_UART_NS16550_PORT_1 */
-
-/**< UART Devices */
-struct device * const uart_devs[] = {
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_NS16550_PORT_0
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_ns16550_0),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_NS16550_PORT_1
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_ns16550_1),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-};
diff --git a/drivers/serial/uart_stellaris.c b/drivers/serial/uart_stellaris.c
index feed981ddbc..c5ece7f9915 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/uart_stellaris.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/uart_stellaris.c
@@ -659,22 +659,3 @@ SYS_DEFINE_DEVICE(uart_stellaris2, NULL, PRIMARY,
 		  CONFIG_KERNEL_INIT_PRIORITY_DEVICE);
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_UART_STELLARIS_PORT_2 */
-
-/**< UART Devices */
-struct device * const uart_devs[] = {
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_STELLARIS_PORT_0
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_stellaris0),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_STELLARIS_PORT_1
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_stellaris1),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_STELLARIS_PORT_2
-	SYS_GET_DEVICE(uart_stellaris2),
-#else
-	NULL,
-#endif
-};
diff --git a/samples/microkernel/apps/nfc_hello/src/main.c b/samples/microkernel/apps/nfc_hello/src/main.c
index 90b2f56fa47..91ac9f71591 100644
--- a/samples/microkernel/apps/nfc_hello/src/main.c
+++ b/samples/microkernel/apps/nfc_hello/src/main.c
@@ -22,11 +22,12 @@
 #include <board.h>
 #include <uart.h>
 
-#define UART1 (uart_devs[1])
 #define UART1_IRQ CONFIG_UART_NS16550_PORT_1_IRQ
 #define UART1_IRQ_PRI CONFIG_UART_NS16550_PORT_1_IRQ_PRI
 #define BUF_MAXSIZE 256
 
+struct device *uart1_dev;
+
 #define D(fmt, args...)					\
 do {							\
 	printf("%s() " fmt "\n", __func__, ## args);	\
@@ -54,18 +55,20 @@ static void msg_dump(const char *s, uint8_t *data, unsigned len)
 
 static void uart1_isr(void *x)
 {
-	int len = uart_fifo_read(UART1, buf, BUF_MAXSIZE);
+	int len = uart_fifo_read(uart1_dev, buf, BUF_MAXSIZE);
 	ARG_UNUSED(x);
 	msg_dump(__func__, buf, len);
 }
 
 static void uart1_init(void)
 {
+	uart1_dev = device_get_binding("UART_1");
+
 	irq_connect(UART1_IRQ, UART1_IRQ_PRI, uart1_isr, 0, UART_IRQ_FLAGS);
 
 	irq_enable(UART1_IRQ);
 
-	uart_irq_rx_enable(UART1);
+	uart_irq_rx_enable(uart1_dev);
 
 	D("done");
 }
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ void main(void)
 
 	memcpy(pdu + sizeof(*len), nci_reset, sizeof(nci_reset));
 
-	uart_fifo_fill(UART1, pdu, sizeof(*len) + sizeof(nci_reset));
+	uart_fifo_fill(uart1_dev, pdu, sizeof(*len) + sizeof(nci_reset));
 
 	while (1) {
 		nano_task_timer_start(&t, MSEC(500));