diff --git a/target/linux/generic/patches-3.7/220-gc_sections.patch b/target/linux/generic/patches-3.7/220-gc_sections.patch
index 8a52a1eec8b..bdafdfe9c60 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/patches-3.7/220-gc_sections.patch
+++ b/target/linux/generic/patches-3.7/220-gc_sections.patch
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
  	BRANCH_PROFILE()						\
 -	TRACE_PRINTKS()
 +	TRACE_PRINTKS()							\
-+	*(.data.*)
++	*(.data.[a-zA-Z_]*)
  
  /*
   * Data section helpers
diff --git a/target/linux/generic/patches-3.8/220-gc_sections.patch b/target/linux/generic/patches-3.8/220-gc_sections.patch
index 19c0f159231..0edba227576 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/patches-3.8/220-gc_sections.patch
+++ b/target/linux/generic/patches-3.8/220-gc_sections.patch
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
  	BRANCH_PROFILE()						\
 -	TRACE_PRINTKS()
 +	TRACE_PRINTKS()							\
-+	*(.data.*)
++	*(.data.[a-zA-Z_]*)
  
  /*
   * Data section helpers