diff --git a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/kernel-space.ld b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/kernel-space.ld
index a07cfc5f5a..5c8de20ede 100644
--- a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/kernel-space.ld
+++ b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/kernel-space.ld
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _etext = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > kflash
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .init_section : {
+    .init_section :  ALIGN(4) {
         _sinit = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.init_array .init_array.*)
         _einit = ABSOLUTE(.);
@@ -69,9 +68,8 @@ SECTIONS
         *(.ARM.extab*)
     } > kflash
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
     __exidx_start = ABSOLUTE(.);
-    .ARM.exidx : {
+    .ARM.exidx :  ALIGN(4) {
         *(.ARM.exidx*)
     } > kflash
 
@@ -79,8 +77,7 @@ SECTIONS
 
     _eronly = ABSOLUTE(.);
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .data : {
+    .data :  ALIGN(4) {
         _sdata = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.data .data.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.d.*)
@@ -88,7 +85,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _edata = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > ksram AT > kflash
 
-    .bss : {
+    .bss :  ALIGN(4) {
         _sbss = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.bss .bss.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.b.*)
diff --git a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-app.ld b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-app.ld
index c97b0b219c..62fa9c1a0a 100644
--- a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-app.ld
+++ b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-app.ld
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _etext = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > FLASH
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .init_section : {
+    .init_section : ALIGN(4) {
         _sinit = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.init_array .init_array.*)
         _einit = ABSOLUTE(.);
@@ -89,9 +88,8 @@ SECTIONS
         *(.ARM.extab*)
     } > FLASH
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
     __exidx_start = ABSOLUTE(.);
-    .ARM.exidx : {
+    .ARM.exidx : ALIGN(4) {
         *(.ARM.exidx*)
     } > FLASH
 
@@ -99,8 +97,7 @@ SECTIONS
 
     _eronly = ABSOLUTE(.);
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .data : {
+    .data : ALIGN(4) {
         _sdata = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.data .data.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.d.*)
@@ -108,7 +105,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _edata = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > SRAM AT > FLASH
 
-    .bss : {
+    .bss : ALIGN(4) {
         _sbss = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.bss .bss.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.b.*)
@@ -116,7 +113,6 @@ SECTIONS
         _ebss = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > SRAM
 
-
     /* Stabs debugging sections */
 
     .stab 0 : { *(.stab) }
diff --git a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-boot.ld b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-boot.ld
index e43c7c0883..ef117e57bb 100644
--- a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-boot.ld
+++ b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/link-flash-boot.ld
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _etext = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > FLASH
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .init_section : {
+    .init_section :  ALIGN(4) {
         _sinit = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.init_array .init_array.*)
         _einit = ABSOLUTE(.);
@@ -87,9 +86,8 @@ SECTIONS
         *(.ARM.extab*)
     } > FLASH
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
     __exidx_start = ABSOLUTE(.);
-    .ARM.exidx : {
+    .ARM.exidx :  ALIGN(4) {
         *(.ARM.exidx*)
     } > FLASH
 
@@ -97,8 +95,7 @@ SECTIONS
 
     _eronly = ABSOLUTE(.);
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .data : {
+    .data :  ALIGN(4) {
         _sdata = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.data .data.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.d.*)
@@ -106,7 +103,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _edata = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > SRAM AT > FLASH
 
-    .bss : {
+    .bss :  ALIGN(4) {
         _sbss = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.bss .bss.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.b.*)
@@ -114,7 +111,6 @@ SECTIONS
         _ebss = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > SRAM
 
-
     /* Stabs debugging sections */
 
     .stab 0 : { *(.stab) }
diff --git a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/user-space.ld b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/user-space.ld
index c7f16c1f5c..ea1f7fe1f1 100644
--- a/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/user-space.ld
+++ b/boards/arm/lpc17xx_40xx/lx_cpu/scripts/user-space.ld
@@ -59,20 +59,18 @@ SECTIONS
         _etext = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > uflash
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .init_section : {
+    .init_section : ALIGN(4) {
         _sinit = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.init_array .init_array.*)
         _einit = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > uflash
 
-    .ARM.extab : {
+    .ARM.extab : ALIGN(4) {
         *(.ARM.extab*)
     } > uflash
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
     __exidx_start = ABSOLUTE(.);
-    .ARM.exidx : {
+    .ARM.exidx : ALIGN(4) {
         *(.ARM.exidx*)
     } > uflash
 
@@ -80,8 +78,7 @@ SECTIONS
 
     _eronly = ABSOLUTE(.);
 
-    . = ALIGN(4);
-    .data : {
+    .data : ALIGN(4) {
         _sdata = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.data .data.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.d.*)
@@ -89,7 +86,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _edata = ABSOLUTE(.);
     } > usram AT > uflash
 
-    .bss : {
+    .bss : ALIGN(4) {
         _sbss = ABSOLUTE(.);
         *(.bss .bss.*)
         *(.gnu.linkonce.b.*)
diff --git a/boards/arm/tiva/lm3s8962-ek/scripts/ld.script b/boards/arm/tiva/lm3s8962-ek/scripts/ld.script
index 2e252c0219..93c8c23bec 100644
--- a/boards/arm/tiva/lm3s8962-ek/scripts/ld.script
+++ b/boards/arm/tiva/lm3s8962-ek/scripts/ld.script
@@ -64,21 +64,18 @@ SECTIONS
                 _etext = ABSOLUTE(.);
         } > flash
 
-        . = ALIGN(4);
-        .init_section : {
+        .init_section : ALIGN(4) {
                 _sinit = ABSOLUTE(.);
                 *(.init_array .init_array.*)
                 _einit = ABSOLUTE(.);
         } > flash
 
-        . = ALIGN(4);
-        .ARM.extab : {
+        .ARM.extab : ALIGN(4) {
                 *(.ARM.extab*)
         } > flash
 
-        . = ALIGN(4);
         __exidx_start = ABSOLUTE(.);
-        .ARM.exidx : {
+        .ARM.exidx : ALIGN(4) {
                 *(.ARM.exidx*)
         } > flash
         __exidx_end = ABSOLUTE(.);
@@ -87,8 +84,7 @@ SECTIONS
 
         /* The LM3S6918 has 64Kb of SRAM beginning at the following address */
 
-        . = ALIGN(4);
-        .data : {
+        .data : ALIGN(4){
                 _sdata = ABSOLUTE(.);
                 *(.data .data.*)
                 *(.gnu.linkonce.d.*)
@@ -96,7 +92,7 @@ SECTIONS
                 _edata = ABSOLUTE(.);
         } > sram AT > flash
 
-        .bss : {                        /* BSS                          */
+        .bss : ALIGN(4) {               /* BSS                          */
                 _sbss = ABSOLUTE(.);
                 *(.bss .bss.*)
                 *(.gnu.linkonce.b.*)