diff --git a/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.cpp b/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.cpp
index 9e1deece6e5050..0939333e62436e 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.cpp
@@ -208,16 +208,7 @@ check_fw_result_t check_good_firmware(void)
 
 #if !defined(HAL_BOOTLOADER_BUILD)
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL &hal;
-
-/*
-  declare constant app_descriptor in flash
- */
 extern const app_descriptor_t app_descriptor;
-#if CONFIG_HAL_BOARD == HAL_BOARD_CHIBIOS
-const app_descriptor_t app_descriptor __attribute__((section(".app_descriptor")));
-#else
-const app_descriptor_t app_descriptor;
-#endif
 
 /*
   this is needed to ensure we don't elide the app_descriptor
diff --git a/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.h b/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.h
index a9812a20e33eb7..deffec6a1e6375 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmware.h
@@ -57,45 +57,45 @@ enum class check_fw_result_t : uint8_t {
 #define AP_APP_DESCRIPTOR_SIGNATURE_UNSIGNED { 0x40, 0xa2, 0xe4, 0xf1, 0x64, 0x68, 0x91, 0x06 }
 
 struct app_descriptor_unsigned {
-    uint8_t sig[8] = AP_APP_DESCRIPTOR_SIGNATURE_UNSIGNED;
+    uint8_t sig[8];
     // crc1 is the crc32 from firmware start to start of image_crc1
-    uint32_t image_crc1 = 0;
+    uint32_t image_crc1;
     // crc2 is the crc32 from the start of version_major to the end of the firmware
-    uint32_t image_crc2 = 0;
+    uint32_t image_crc2;
     // total size of firmware image in bytes
-    uint32_t image_size = 0;
-    uint32_t git_hash = 0;
+    uint32_t image_size;
+    uint32_t git_hash;
 
     // software version number
-    uint8_t  version_major = APP_FW_MAJOR;
-    uint8_t version_minor = APP_FW_MINOR;
+    uint8_t  version_major;
+    uint8_t version_minor;
     // APJ_BOARD_ID (hardware version). This is also used in CAN NodeInfo
     // with high byte in HardwareVersion.major and low byte in HardwareVersion.minor
-    uint16_t  board_id = APJ_BOARD_ID;
-    uint8_t reserved[8] = { 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff };
+    uint16_t  board_id;
+    uint8_t reserved[8];
 };
 
 struct app_descriptor_signed {
-    uint8_t sig[8] = AP_APP_DESCRIPTOR_SIGNATURE_SIGNED;
+    uint8_t sig[8];
     // crc1 is the crc32 from firmware start to start of image_crc1
-    uint32_t image_crc1 = 0;
+    uint32_t image_crc1;
     // crc2 is the crc32 from the start of version_major to the end of the firmware
-    uint32_t image_crc2 = 0;
+    uint32_t image_crc2;
     // total size of firmware image in bytes
-    uint32_t image_size = 0;
-    uint32_t git_hash = 0;
+    uint32_t image_size;
+    uint32_t git_hash;
 
     // firmware signature
-    uint32_t signature_length = 0;
-    uint8_t signature[72] = {};
+    uint32_t signature_length;
+    uint8_t signature[72];
 
     // software version number
-    uint8_t  version_major = APP_FW_MAJOR;
-    uint8_t version_minor = APP_FW_MINOR;
+    uint8_t  version_major;
+    uint8_t version_minor;
     // APJ_BOARD_ID (hardware version). This is also used in CAN NodeInfo
     // with high byte in HardwareVersion.major and low byte in HardwareVersion.minor
-    uint16_t  board_id = APJ_BOARD_ID;
-    uint8_t reserved[8] = { 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff };
+    uint16_t  board_id;
+    uint8_t reserved[8];
 };
 
 extern const struct app_descriptor_signed *signed_app_descriptor;
diff --git a/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmwareDefine.h b/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmwareDefine.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..0daf7733a5b8d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_CheckFirmware/AP_CheckFirmwareDefine.h
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#ifndef FORCE_VERSION_H_INCLUDE
+#error AP_CheckFirmwareDefines.h should never be included directly. You probably want to include AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.h
+#endif
+#include "AP_CheckFirmware.h"
+
+#if AP_CHECK_FIRMWARE_ENABLED
+/*
+  declare constant app_descriptor in flash
+ */
+#if CONFIG_HAL_BOARD == HAL_BOARD_CHIBIOS
+extern const app_descriptor_t app_descriptor;
+const app_descriptor_t app_descriptor __attribute__((section(".app_descriptor"))) = {
+    .sig = AP_APP_DESCRIPTOR_SIGNATURE_UNSIGNED,
+    .image_crc1 = 0,
+    .image_crc2 = 0,
+    .image_size = 0,
+    .git_hash = 0,
+#if AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE
+    .signature_length = 0,
+    .signature = {},
+#endif
+    .version_major = APP_FW_MAJOR,
+    .version_minor = APP_FW_MINOR,
+    .board_id = APJ_BOARD_ID,
+    .reserved = { 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff }
+};
+#else
+const app_descriptor_t app_descriptor = {
+    .sig = AP_APP_DESCRIPTOR_SIGNATURE_UNSIGNED,
+    .image_crc1 = 0,
+    .image_crc2 = 0,
+    .image_size = 0,
+    .git_hash = 0,
+#if AP_SIGNED_FIRMWARE
+    .signature_length = 0,
+    .signature = {},
+#endif
+    .version_major = APP_FW_MAJOR,
+    .version_minor = APP_FW_MINOR,
+    .board_id = APJ_BOARD_ID,
+    .reserved = { 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff }
+};
+#endif
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file