diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/alternative.c b/xen/arch/arm/alternative.c
index 52ed7ed..b79536d 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/alternative.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/alternative.c
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ static int __apply_alternatives_multi_stop(void *unused)
     {
         int ret;
         struct alt_region region;
-        mfn_t xen_mfn = virt_to_mfn(_start);
-        paddr_t xen_size = _end - _start;
+        mfn_t xen_mfn = virt_to_mfn(start_);
+        paddr_t xen_size = end_ - start_;
         unsigned int xen_order = get_order_from_bytes(xen_size);
         void *xenmap;
 
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ static int __apply_alternatives_multi_stop(void *unused)
         region.begin = __alt_instructions;
         region.end = __alt_instructions_end;
 
-        ret = __apply_alternatives(&region, xenmap - (void *)_start);
+        ret = __apply_alternatives(&region, (uintptr_t)xenmap - start_);
         /* The patching is not expected to fail during boot. */
         BUG_ON(ret != 0);
 
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/arm32/Makefile b/xen/arch/arm/arm32/Makefile
index 0ac254f..983fb82 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/arm32/Makefile
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/arm32/Makefile
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@ obj-y += proc-v7.o proc-caxx.o
 obj-y += smpboot.o
 obj-y += traps.o
 obj-y += vfp.o
+obj-y += var.o
 
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/arm32/livepatch.c b/xen/arch/arm/arm32/livepatch.c
index 41378a5..ad9e9ca 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/arm32/livepatch.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/arm32/livepatch.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void arch_livepatch_apply(struct livepatch_func *func)
     else
         insn = 0xe1a00000; /* mov r0, r0 */
 
-    new_ptr = func->old_addr - (void *)_start + vmap_of_xen_text;
+    new_ptr = (uintptr_t)func->old_addr - start_ + (uintptr_t)vmap_of_xen_text;
     len = len / sizeof(uint32_t);
 
     /* PATCH! */
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/arm32/var.S b/xen/arch/arm/arm32/var.S
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8b94a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/arm32/var.S
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+GLOBAL(start_)
+  .long  _start
+GLOBAL(end_)
+  .long  _end
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/arm64/Makefile b/xen/arch/arm/arm64/Makefile
index c4f3a28..a5d9558 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/arm64/Makefile
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/arm64/Makefile
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ obj-y += smpboot.o
 obj-y += traps.o
 obj-y += vfp.o
 obj-y += vsysreg.o
+obj-y += var.o
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/arm64/livepatch.c b/xen/arch/arm/arm64/livepatch.c
index 2247b92..60616d6 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/arm64/livepatch.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/arm64/livepatch.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ void arch_livepatch_apply(struct livepatch_func *func)
     /* Verified in livepatch_verify_distance. */
     ASSERT(insn != AARCH64_BREAK_FAULT);
 
-    new_ptr = func->old_addr - (void *)_start + vmap_of_xen_text;
+    new_ptr = (uintptr_t)func->old_addr - start_ + (uintptr_t)vmap_of_xen_text;
     len = len / sizeof(uint32_t);
 
     /* PATCH! */
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/arm64/var.S b/xen/arch/arm/arm64/var.S
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..566e06c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/arm64/var.S
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+GLOBAL(start_)
+  .quad  _start
+GLOBAL(end_)
+  .quad  _end
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/livepatch.c b/xen/arch/arm/livepatch.c
index 279d52c..7ab66d3 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/livepatch.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/livepatch.c
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ int arch_livepatch_quiesce(void)
     if ( vmap_of_xen_text )
         return -EINVAL;
 
-    text_mfn = virt_to_mfn(_start);
-    text_order = get_order_from_bytes(_end - _start);
+    text_mfn = virt_to_mfn(start_);
+    text_order = get_order_from_bytes(end_ - start_);
 
     /*
      * The text section is read-only. So re-map Xen to be able to patch
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void arch_livepatch_revert(const struct livepatch_func *func)
     uint32_t *new_ptr;
     unsigned int len;
 
-    new_ptr = func->old_addr - (void *)_start + vmap_of_xen_text;
+    new_ptr = (uintptr_t)func->old_addr - start_ + (uintptr_t)vmap_of_xen_text;
 
     len = livepatch_insn_len(func);
     memcpy(new_ptr, func->opaque, len);
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/mm.c b/xen/arch/arm/mm.c
index 01ae2cc..2a083be 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/mm.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/mm.c
@@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ int modify_xen_mappings(unsigned long s, unsigned long e, unsigned int flags)
 }
 
 enum mg { mg_clear, mg_ro, mg_rw, mg_rx };
-static void set_pte_flags_on_range(const char *p, unsigned long l, enum mg mg)
+static void set_pte_flags_on_range(const uintptr_t p, unsigned long l, enum mg mg)
 {
     lpae_t pte;
     int i;
@@ -1084,8 +1084,8 @@ static void set_pte_flags_on_range(const char *p, unsigned long l, enum mg mg)
     ASSERT(!((unsigned long) p & ~PAGE_MASK));
     ASSERT(!(l & ~PAGE_MASK));
 
-    for ( i = (p - _start) / PAGE_SIZE; 
-          i < (p + l - _start) / PAGE_SIZE; 
+    for ( i = (p - start_) / PAGE_SIZE; 
+          i < (p + l - start_) / PAGE_SIZE; 
           i++ )
     {
         pte = xen_xenmap[i];
@@ -1127,7 +1127,7 @@ void free_init_memory(void)
     unsigned int i, nr = len / sizeof(insn);
     uint32_t *p;
 
-    set_pte_flags_on_range(__init_begin, len, mg_rw);
+    set_pte_flags_on_range((uintptr_t)__init_begin, len, mg_rw);
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARM_32
     /* udf instruction i.e (see A8.8.247 in ARM DDI 0406C.c) */
     insn = 0xe7f000f0;
@@ -1138,7 +1138,7 @@ void free_init_memory(void)
     for ( i = 0; i < nr; i++ )
         *(p + i) = insn;
 
-    set_pte_flags_on_range(__init_begin, len, mg_clear);
+    set_pte_flags_on_range((uintptr_t)__init_begin, len, mg_clear);
     init_domheap_pages(pa, pa + len);
     printk("Freed %ldkB init memory.\n", (long)(__init_end-__init_begin)>>10);
 }
diff --git a/xen/arch/arm/setup.c b/xen/arch/arm/setup.c
index 444857a..9a0df43 100644
--- a/xen/arch/arm/setup.c
+++ b/xen/arch/arm/setup.c
@@ -772,8 +772,8 @@ void __init start_xen(unsigned long boot_phys_offset,
 
     /* Register Xen's load address as a boot module. */
     xen_bootmodule = add_boot_module(BOOTMOD_XEN,
-                             (paddr_t)(uintptr_t)(_start + boot_phys_offset),
-                             (paddr_t)(uintptr_t)(_end - _start + 1), false);
+                             (start_ + boot_phys_offset),
+                             (end_ - start_ + 1), false);
     BUG_ON(!xen_bootmodule);
 
     setup_pagetables(boot_phys_offset);
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/boot/Makefile b/xen/arch/x86/boot/Makefile
index e103882..8327d2a 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/boot/Makefile
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/boot/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 obj-bin-y += head.o
+obj-bin-y += var.o
 
 DEFS_H_DEPS = defs.h $(BASEDIR)/include/xen/stdbool.h
 
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/boot/var.S b/xen/arch/x86/boot/var.S
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..566e06c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/boot/var.S
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+GLOBAL(start_)
+  .quad  _start
+GLOBAL(end_)
+  .quad  _end
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/setup.c b/xen/arch/x86/setup.c
index 06eb483..7d6c3ec 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/setup.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/setup.c
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ void __init noreturn __start_xen(unsigned long mbi_p)
          * Is the region size greater than zero and does it begin
          * at or above the end of current Xen image placement?
          */
-        if ( (end > s) && (end - reloc_size + XEN_IMG_OFFSET >= __pa(_end)) )
+        if ( (end > s) && (end - reloc_size + XEN_IMG_OFFSET >= __pa(end_)) )
         {
             l4_pgentry_t *pl4e;
             l3_pgentry_t *pl3e;
@@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ void __init noreturn __start_xen(unsigned long mbi_p)
              * data until after we have switched to the relocated pagetables!
              */
             barrier();
-            move_memory(e + XEN_IMG_OFFSET, XEN_IMG_OFFSET, _end - _start, 1);
+            move_memory(e + XEN_IMG_OFFSET, XEN_IMG_OFFSET, end_ - start_, 1);
 
             /* Walk initial pagetables, relocating page directory entries. */
             pl4e = __va(__pa(idle_pg_table));
@@ -1382,7 +1382,7 @@ void __init noreturn __start_xen(unsigned long mbi_p)
     }
 #endif
 
-    xen_virt_end = ((unsigned long)_end + (1UL << L2_PAGETABLE_SHIFT) - 1) &
+    xen_virt_end = (end_ + (1UL << L2_PAGETABLE_SHIFT) - 1) &
                    ~((1UL << L2_PAGETABLE_SHIFT) - 1);
     destroy_xen_mappings(xen_virt_end, XEN_VIRT_START + BOOTSTRAP_MAP_BASE);
 
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/x86_64/machine_kexec.c b/xen/arch/x86/x86_64/machine_kexec.c
index f4a005c..cf435ac 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/x86_64/machine_kexec.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/x86_64/machine_kexec.c
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 
 int machine_kexec_get_xen(xen_kexec_range_t *range)
 {
-        range->start = virt_to_maddr(_start);
-        range->size = virt_to_maddr(_end) - (unsigned long)range->start;
+        range->start = virt_to_maddr(start_);
+        range->size = virt_to_maddr(end_) - (unsigned long)range->start;
         return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/xen/include/asm-arm/mm.h b/xen/include/asm-arm/mm.h
index eafa26f..e72ffb2 100644
--- a/xen/include/asm-arm/mm.h
+++ b/xen/include/asm-arm/mm.h
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ extern vaddr_t xenheap_virt_start;
 #endif
 
 #define is_xen_fixed_mfn(mfn)                                   \
-    ((pfn_to_paddr(mfn) >= virt_to_maddr(&_start)) &&       \
-     (pfn_to_paddr(mfn) <= virt_to_maddr(&_end)))
+    ((pfn_to_paddr(mfn) >= virt_to_maddr(&start_)) &&       \
+     (pfn_to_paddr(mfn) <= virt_to_maddr(&end_)))
 
 #define page_get_owner(_p)    (_p)->v.inuse.domain
 #define page_set_owner(_p,_d) ((_p)->v.inuse.domain = (_d))
diff --git a/xen/include/xen/kernel.h b/xen/include/xen/kernel.h
index 548b64d..b508f65 100644
--- a/xen/include/xen/kernel.h
+++ b/xen/include/xen/kernel.h
@@ -65,10 +65,11 @@
 	1;                                      \
 })
 
-extern char _start[], _end[], start[];
-#define is_kernel(p) ({                         \
-    char *__p = (char *)(unsigned long)(p);     \
-    (__p >= _start) && (__p < _end);            \
+extern char start[];
+extern uintptr_t start_, end_;
+#define is_kernel(p) ({                                    \
+    const uintptr_t p__ = (const uintptr_t)(p);            \
+    (p__ >= start_) && (p__ < end_);                       \
 })
 
 extern char _stext[], _etext[];