diff --git a/drivers/segger/Make.defs b/drivers/segger/Make.defs
index ee0f58fc29..54085a515e 100644
--- a/drivers/segger/Make.defs
+++ b/drivers/segger/Make.defs
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT),y)
   CFLAGS += -Wno-shadow -Wno-array-bounds
 
   ifneq ($(CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT_SECTION),"")
-    CFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" SEGGER_RTT_SECTION=CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT_SECTION}
+    CFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}SEGGER_RTT_SECTION=CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT_SECTION
   endif
 
   ifneq ($(CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT_BUFFER_SECTION),"")
-    CFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" SEGGER_RTT_BUFFER_SECTION=CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT_BUFFER_SECTION}
+    CFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}SEGGER_RTT_BUFFER_SECTION=CONFIG_SEGGER_RTT_BUFFER_SECTION
   endif
 
   CFLAGS += ${shell $(INCDIR) "$(CC)" segger$(DELIM)config}
diff --git a/drivers/syslog/Make.defs b/drivers/syslog/Make.defs
index 9bdc0165c5..2b49d2a6f9 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/Make.defs
+++ b/drivers/syslog/Make.defs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_RAMLOG),y)
   CSRCS += ramlog.c
 
   ifneq ($(CONFIG_RAMLOG_BUFFER_SECTION),"")
-    CFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" RAMLOG_BUFFER_SECTION=CONFIG_RAMLOG_BUFFER_SECTION}
+    CFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}RAMLOG_BUFFER_SECTION=CONFIG_RAMLOG_BUFFER_SECTION
   endif
 endif
 
diff --git a/libs/libxx/libcxx.defs b/libs/libxx/libcxx.defs
index 52f64f9086..f08576cb22 100644
--- a/libs/libxx/libcxx.defs
+++ b/libs/libxx/libcxx.defs
@@ -50,10 +50,11 @@ ifeq ($(wildcard libcxx/.git),)
 	$(call DELDIR, libcxx)
 endif
 
-CXXFLAGS += -std=c++17 ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" _LIBCPP_BUILDING_LIBRARY}
+CXXFLAGS += -std=c++17
+CXXFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}_LIBCPP_BUILDING_LIBRARY
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_LIBSUPCXX), y)
-CXXFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" __GLIBCXX__}
+CXXFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}__GLIBCXX__
 endif
 
 # Workaround the following warning with "c++ (Ubuntu 9.3.0-10ubuntu2) 9.3.0"
diff --git a/libs/libxx/libcxxabi.defs b/libs/libxx/libcxxabi.defs
index ba7209bec6..874f5ddd45 100644
--- a/libs/libxx/libcxxabi.defs
+++ b/libs/libxx/libcxxabi.defs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ context:: libcxxabi
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_LIBCXXABI), y)
-CXXFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" LIBCXX_BUILDING_LIBCXXABI}
+CXXFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}LIBCXX_BUILDING_LIBCXXABI
 CXXFLAGS += -I $(TOPDIR)/libs/libxx/libcxxabi/include
 endif
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ CPPSRCS += stdlib_exception.cpp stdlib_new_delete.cpp stdlib_stdexcept.cpp stdli
 CPPSRCS += abort_message.cpp fallback_malloc.cpp private_typeinfo.cpp
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_CXX_EXCEPTION), y)
-CXXFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" LIBCXXABI_ENABLE_EXCEPTIONS}
+CXXFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}LIBCXXABI_ENABLE_EXCEPTIONS
 CPPSRCS += cxa_exception.cpp cxa_personality.cpp
 else
 CPPSRCS += cxa_noexception.cpp
diff --git a/mm/iob/Make.defs b/mm/iob/Make.defs
index 5ecd99cc93..fab7171de0 100644
--- a/mm/iob/Make.defs
+++ b/mm/iob/Make.defs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES),y)
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_IOB_SECTION),"")
-  CFLAGS += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" IOB_SECTION=CONFIG_IOB_SECTION}
+  CFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}IOB_SECTION=CONFIG_IOB_SECTION
 endif
 
 # Include iob build support
diff --git a/tools/Config.mk b/tools/Config.mk
index c9f7f1d47b..73a0601889 100644
--- a/tools/Config.mk
+++ b/tools/Config.mk
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ endif
 # This define is passed as EXTRAFLAGS for kernel-mode builds.  It is also passed
 # during PASS1 (but not PASS2) context and depend targets.
 
-KDEFINE ?= ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" __KERNEL__}
+KDEFINE ?= ${DEFINE_PREFIX}__KERNEL__
 
 # DELIM - Path segment delimiter character
 #
@@ -577,11 +577,12 @@ $(1)_$(2):
 
 endef
 
-# ARCHxxx means the predefined setting(either toolchain, arch, or system specific)
+export DEFINE_PREFIX := $(subst X,,${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" "X"})
 
-ARCHDEFINES += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" __NuttX__}
+# ARCHxxx means the predefined setting(either toolchain, arch, or system specific)
+ARCHDEFINES += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}__NuttX__
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_NDEBUG),y)
-  ARCHDEFINES += ${shell $(DEFINE) "$(CC)" NDEBUG}
+  ARCHDEFINES += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}NDEBUG
 endif
 
 # The default C/C++ search path