diff --git a/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/cavs_v20/linker.ld b/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/cavs_v20/linker.ld
index 6371b88ae8af0..dafcc240558c2 100644
--- a/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/cavs_v20/linker.ld
+++ b/soc/xtensa/intel_adsp/cavs_v20/linker.ld
@@ -44,8 +44,15 @@ PROVIDE(_MemErrorHandler = 0x00000000);
  *
  * (Note clumsy syntax because XCC doesn't understand the "~" operator)
  */
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
 #define SEGSTART_CACHED   (ALIGN(64) | 0x20000000)
 #define SEGSTART_UNCACHED (ALIGN(64) & 0xdfffffff) /* == ~0x20000000 */
+#else
+#define SEGSTART_CACHED   /**/
+#define SEGSTART_UNCACHED /**/
+#define ucram ram
+#define ucram_phdr ram_phdr
+#endif
 
 MEMORY
 {
@@ -115,9 +122,11 @@ MEMORY
   ram :
 	org = RAM_BASE,
 	len = RAM_SIZE
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
   ucram :
 	org = RAM_BASE - 0x20000000,
 	len = RAM_SIZE
+#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_GEN_ISR_TABLES
   IDT_LIST :
 	org = IDT_BASE,
@@ -166,7 +175,9 @@ PHDRS
   vector_double_lit_phdr PT_LOAD;
   vector_double_text_phdr PT_LOAD;
   ram_phdr PT_LOAD;
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
   ucram_phdr PT_LOAD;
+#endif
   static_uuid_entries_phdr PT_NOTE;
   static_log_entries_phdr PT_NOTE;
   metadata_entries_phdr PT_NOTE;
@@ -456,17 +467,14 @@ SECTIONS
     *(.gnu.linkonce.lit4.*)
     _lit4_end = ABSOLUTE(.);
   } >ram :ram_phdr
-  .cached :
-  {
-    *(.cached .cached.*)
-  } >ram :ram_phdr
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
 /* These values need to change in our scheme, where the common-ram
  * sections need to be linked in safe/uncached memory but common-rom
  * wants to use the cache
  */
-
   . = SEGSTART_UNCACHED;
+#endif
 
 #undef RAMABLE_REGION
 #undef ROMABLE_REGION
@@ -479,10 +487,19 @@ SECTIONS
     *(.tm_clone_table)
   } >ram :ram_phdr
 
-  .bss (NOLOAD) : ALIGN(4096)
+  /* This section is cached.  By default it contains only declared
+   * thread stacks, but applications can put symbols here too.
+   */
+  .cached SEGSTART_CACHED :
   {
-    . = ALIGN(4096);
-    _bss_start = ABSOLUTE(.);
+    *(.cached .cached.*)
+  } >ram :ram_phdr
+
+  . = ALIGN(4096);
+
+  .bss SEGSTART_UNCACHED (NOLOAD) : ALIGN(4096)
+  {
+    _bss_start = .;
     *(.dynsbss)
     *(.sbss)
     *(.sbss.*)
@@ -497,18 +514,24 @@ SECTIONS
     *(.gnu.linkonce.b.*)
     *(COMMON)
     . = ALIGN(8);
-    _bss_end = ABSOLUTE(.);
+    _bss_end = .;
   } >ucram :ucram_phdr
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
   . = SEGSTART_UNCACHED;
+#endif
   _end = ALIGN(8);
   PROVIDE(end = ALIGN(8));
 
   /* Re-adjust to the upper mapping for the final symbols below */
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
   . = SEGSTART_CACHED;
+#endif
   __stack = L2_SRAM_BASE + L2_SRAM_SIZE;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
   . = SEGSTART_UNCACHED;
+#endif
 
   /* dma buffers */
   .lpbuf (NOLOAD): ALIGN(4)
@@ -519,7 +542,9 @@ SECTIONS
   } >LP_SRAM_REGION
 
   . = L2_SRAM_BASE + L2_SRAM_SIZE;
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
   . = SEGSTART_UNCACHED;
+#endif
   _heap_sentry = .;
 
   .comment  0 :  { *(.comment) }