diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 59f861039eb..4a41792546d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -795,6 +795,7 @@ if(CONFIG_HAS_DTS)
     --output-source dev_handles.c
     --kernel $<TARGET_FILE:${ZEPHYR_PREBUILT_EXECUTABLE}>
     --zephyr-base ${ZEPHYR_BASE}
+    --start-symbol "$<TARGET_PROPERTY:linker,devices_start_symbol>"
     DEPENDS ${ZEPHYR_PREBUILT_EXECUTABLE}
     )
   set_property(GLOBAL APPEND PROPERTY GENERATED_KERNEL_SOURCE_FILES dev_handles.c)
diff --git a/cmake/linker/arcmwdt/target.cmake b/cmake/linker/arcmwdt/target.cmake
index 4675f9344d5..9c0a6271e08 100644
--- a/cmake/linker/arcmwdt/target.cmake
+++ b/cmake/linker/arcmwdt/target.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+set_property(TARGET linker PROPERTY devices_start_symbol "__device_start")
 
 find_program(CMAKE_LINKER ${CROSS_COMPILE}lldac PATH ${TOOLCHAIN_HOME} NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
 
diff --git a/cmake/linker/ld/target.cmake b/cmake/linker/ld/target.cmake
index 571964fcbe9..2bef796673f 100644
--- a/cmake/linker/ld/target.cmake
+++ b/cmake/linker/ld/target.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+set_property(TARGET linker PROPERTY devices_start_symbol "__device_start")
 
 if(DEFINED TOOLCHAIN_HOME)
   # When Toolchain home is defined, then we are cross-compiling, so only look
diff --git a/cmake/linker/lld/target.cmake b/cmake/linker/lld/target.cmake
index a4d0b2f915d..6aca2d6f35b 100644
--- a/cmake/linker/lld/target.cmake
+++ b/cmake/linker/lld/target.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+set_property(TARGET linker PROPERTY devices_start_symbol "__device_start")
 
 find_program(CMAKE_LINKER     ld.lld )
 
diff --git a/cmake/target_toolchain.cmake b/cmake/target_toolchain.cmake
index 1edb6385172..0d8bbc2d32d 100644
--- a/cmake/target_toolchain.cmake
+++ b/cmake/target_toolchain.cmake
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION})
 # We are not building dynamically loadable libraries
 set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
 
+# Custom targets for compiler and linker flags.
+add_custom_target(asm)
+add_custom_target(compiler)
+add_custom_target(compiler-cpp)
+add_custom_target(linker)
+
 if(NOT (COMPILER STREQUAL "host-gcc"))
   include(${TOOLCHAIN_ROOT}/cmake/toolchain/${ZEPHYR_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT}/target.cmake)
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/target_toolchain_flags.cmake b/cmake/target_toolchain_flags.cmake
index b74c3e78722..35c1fb08f4f 100644
--- a/cmake/target_toolchain_flags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/target_toolchain_flags.cmake
@@ -24,12 +24,6 @@ set(TOOLCHAIN_SIGNATURE ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_MD5_SUM})
 string(MD5 COMPILER_SIGNATURE ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER}_${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}_${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION})
 set(TOOLCHAIN_SIGNATURE ${TOOLCHAIN_SIGNATURE}_${COMPILER_SIGNATURE})
 
-# Custom targets for compiler and linker flags.
-add_custom_target(asm)
-add_custom_target(compiler)
-add_custom_target(compiler-cpp)
-add_custom_target(linker)
-
 # Loading of templates are strictly not needed as they does not set any
 # properties.
 # They purely provides an overview as well as a starting point for supporting
diff --git a/scripts/gen_handles.py b/scripts/gen_handles.py
index 441ad6419a4..c8354d9ec83 100755
--- a/scripts/gen_handles.py
+++ b/scripts/gen_handles.py
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ def parse_args():
                         is not provided the environment will be checked for \
                         the ZEPHYR_BASE environment variable.")
 
+    parser.add_argument("-s", "--start-symbol", required=True,
+                        help="Symbol name of the section which contains the \
+                        devices. The symbol name must point to the first \
+                        device in that section.")
+
     args = parser.parse_args()
     if "VERBOSE" in os.environ:
         args.verbose = 1
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ class Device:
             else:
                 format += "Q"
                 size = 8
-            offset = self.ld_constants["DEVICE_STRUCT_HANDLES_OFFSET"]
+            offset = self.ld_constants["_DEVICE_STRUCT_HANDLES_OFFSET"]
             self.__handles = struct.unpack(format, data[offset:offset + size])[0]
         return self.__handles
 
@@ -172,7 +177,8 @@ def main():
     devices = []
     handles = []
     # Leading _ are stripped from the stored constant key
-    want_constants = set(["__device_start",
+
+    want_constants = set([args.start_symbol,
                           "_DEVICE_STRUCT_SIZEOF",
                           "_DEVICE_STRUCT_HANDLES_OFFSET"])
     ld_constants = dict()
@@ -181,7 +187,7 @@ def main():
         if isinstance(section, SymbolTableSection):
             for sym in section.iter_symbols():
                 if sym.name in want_constants:
-                    ld_constants[sym.name.lstrip("_")] = sym.entry.st_value
+                    ld_constants[sym.name] = sym.entry.st_value
                     continue
                 if sym.entry.st_info.type != 'STT_OBJECT':
                     continue
@@ -204,7 +210,7 @@ def main():
 
     devices = sorted(devices, key = lambda k: k.sym.entry.st_value)
 
-    device_start_addr = ld_constants["device_start"]
+    device_start_addr = ld_constants[args.start_symbol]
     device_size = 0
 
     assert len(devices) == len(handles), 'mismatch devices and handles'