diff --git a/boards/arm/stm32/photon/scripts/Make.defs b/boards/arm/stm32/photon/scripts/Make.defs
index 0e7224660f9..6cafd40bfe6 100644
--- a/boards/arm/stm32/photon/scripts/Make.defs
+++ b/boards/arm/stm32/photon/scripts/Make.defs
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_DEBUG_NOOPT),y)
   ARCHOPTIMIZATION += $(MAXOPTIMIZATION) -fno-strict-aliasing
 endif
 
-ARCHCFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin
-ARCHCXXFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin -fno-exceptions -fcheck-new -fno-rtti
+ARCHCFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
+ARCHCXXFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin -fno-exceptions -fcheck-new -fno-rtti -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
 ARCHWARNINGS = -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wshadow -Wundef
 ARCHWARNINGSXX = -Wall -Wshadow -Wundef
 ARCHPICFLAGS = -fpic -msingle-pic-base -mpic-register=r10
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_DEBUG_SYMBOLS),y)
   LDFLAGS += -g
 endif
 
+LDFLAGS += --gc-sections
+
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_DFU_BINARY),y)
 
 define FLASH
diff --git a/boards/arm/stm32/stm32f4discovery/scripts/Make.defs b/boards/arm/stm32/stm32f4discovery/scripts/Make.defs
index 4efc15e7578..013f8ce02e2 100644
--- a/boards/arm/stm32/stm32f4discovery/scripts/Make.defs
+++ b/boards/arm/stm32/stm32f4discovery/scripts/Make.defs
@@ -34,11 +34,10 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_DEBUG_NOOPT),y)
   ARCHOPTIMIZATION += $(MAXOPTIMIZATION) -fno-strict-aliasing
 endif
 
-ARCHCFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin
-ifeq ($(CONFIG_CXX_EXCEPTION),y)
-  ARCHCXXFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin
-else
-  ARCHCXXFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin -fno-exceptions -fcheck-new
+ARCHCFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
+ARCHCXXFLAGS = -fno-common -fno-builtin -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_CXX_EXCEPTION),y)
+  ARCHCXXFLAGS = -fno-exceptions -fcheck-new
 endif
 
 ARCHWARNINGS = -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wshadow -Wundef
@@ -65,6 +64,8 @@ NXFLATLDFLAGS1 = -r -d -warn-common
 NXFLATLDFLAGS2 = $(NXFLATLDFLAGS1) -T$(TOPDIR)/binfmt/libnxflat/gnu-nxflat-pcrel.ld -no-check-sections
 LDNXFLATFLAGS = -e main -s 2048
 
+LDFLAGS += --gc-sections
+
 # Loadable module definitions
 
 CMODULEFLAGS = $(CFLAGS) -mlong-calls # --target1-abs