diff --git a/armsrc/Makefile b/armsrc/Makefile
index bc0fbc74b..60b23c9f7 100644
--- a/armsrc/Makefile
+++ b/armsrc/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ endif
 #in the next section to remove that particular feature from compilation.
 # NO space,TABs after the "\" sign.
 APP_CFLAGS = $(PLATFORM_DEFS) \
-             -DON_DEVICE \
              -fno-strict-aliasing -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
 
 SRC_LF = lfops.c lfsampling.c pcf7931.c lfdemod.c lfadc.c
diff --git a/common/default_version.c b/common/default_version.c
index e04c88d2a..0f42590e8 100644
--- a/common/default_version.c
+++ b/common/default_version.c
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 #include "common.h"
 /* This is the default version.c file that Makefile.common falls back to if neither sh nor perl are available */
-const struct version_information __attribute__((section(".version_information"))) version_information = {
+#ifndef ON_DEVICE
+#define SECTVERSINFO
+#else
+#define SECTVERSINFO __attribute__((section(".version_information")))
+#endif
+
+const struct version_information SECTVERSINFO version_information = {
     VERSION_INFORMATION_MAGIC,
     1, /* version 1 */
     0, /* version information not present */
diff --git a/common_arm/Makefile.common b/common_arm/Makefile.common
index 8b5836e73..e2c3ae3bc 100644
--- a/common_arm/Makefile.common
+++ b/common_arm/Makefile.common
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ ifeq ($(NOERROR),1)
 endif
 
 CFLAGS ?= $(DEFCFLAGS)
-CFLAGS += $(ARMCFLAGS) -c $(INCLUDE) -std=c99 $(APP_CFLAGS)
+CFLAGS += $(ARMCFLAGS) -c $(INCLUDE) -std=c99 -DON_DEVICE $(APP_CFLAGS)
 
 LDFLAGS += -nostartfiles -nodefaultlibs -Wl,-gc-sections -Wl,--build-id=none -n
 LIBS = -lgcc
diff --git a/tools/mkversion.pl b/tools/mkversion.pl
index eecacbd72..0d8b9de29 100644
--- a/tools/mkversion.pl
+++ b/tools/mkversion.pl
@@ -66,7 +66,13 @@ $fullgitinfo = substr $fullgitinfo, 0, 49;
 print <<EOF
 #include "common.h"
 /* Generated file, do not edit */
-const struct version_information __attribute__((section(".version_information"))) version_information = {
+#ifndef ON_DEVICE
+#define SECTVERSINFO
+#else
+#define SECTVERSINFO __attribute__((section(".version_information")))
+#endif
+
+const struct version_information SECTVERSINFO version_information = {
     VERSION_INFORMATION_MAGIC,
     1,
     1,
diff --git a/tools/mkversion.sh b/tools/mkversion.sh
index 60f68004a..cc713d635 100755
--- a/tools/mkversion.sh
+++ b/tools/mkversion.sh
@@ -49,7 +49,13 @@ fi
 cat <<EOF
 #include "common.h"
 /* Generated file, do not edit */
-const struct version_information __attribute__((section(".version_information"))) version_information = {
+#ifndef ON_DEVICE
+#define SECTVERSINFO
+#else
+#define SECTVERSINFO __attribute__((section(".version_information")))
+#endif
+
+const struct version_information SECTVERSINFO version_information = {
     VERSION_INFORMATION_MAGIC,
     1,
     1,