diff --git a/timers.c b/timers.c
index e7b8c5a33..321dc36af 100644
--- a/timers.c
+++ b/timers.c
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@
  * configUSE_TIMERS is set to 1 in FreeRTOSConfig.h. */
 #if ( configUSE_TIMERS == 1 )
 
+/*
+ * Some kernel aware debuggers require the data the debugger needs access to be
+ * global, rather than file scope.
+ */
+    #ifdef portREMOVE_STATIC_QUALIFIER
+        #define STATIC
+    #else
+        #define STATIC    static
+    #endif
+
 /* Misc definitions. */
     #define tmrNO_DELAY                    ( ( TickType_t ) 0U )
     #define tmrMAX_TIME_BEFORE_OVERFLOW    ( ( TickType_t ) -1 )
@@ -79,6 +89,31 @@
     #define tmrSTATUS_IS_STATICALLY_ALLOCATED    ( 0x02U )
     #define tmrSTATUS_IS_AUTORELOAD              ( 0x04U )
 
+/*
+ * Macros to mark the start and end of a critical code region.
+ */
+    #if ( portUSING_GRANULAR_LOCKS == 1 )
+        #define tmrENTER_CRITICAL()    taskDATA_GROUP_ENTER_CRITICAL( &xTimerTaskSpinlock, &xTimerISRSpinlock )
+        #define tmrEXIT_CRITICAL()     taskDATA_GROUP_EXIT_CRITICAL( &xTimerTaskSpinlock, &xTimerISRSpinlock )
+    #else /* #if ( portUSING_GRANULAR_LOCKS == 1 ) */
+        #define tmrENTER_CRITICAL()    taskENTER_CRITICAL()
+        #define tmrEXIT_CRITICAL()     taskEXIT_CRITICAL()
+    #endif /* #if ( portUSING_GRANULAR_LOCKS == 1 ) */
+
+/*
+ * Macros to mark the start and end of a critical code region that only reads a
+ * single BaseType_t sized timer member. Ports that can read such a member
+ * atomically define portBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL() away, so that path must be
+ * preserved wherever a data group critical section is not required.
+ */
+    #if ( configNUMBER_OF_CORES > 1 )
+        #define tmrBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL()    tmrENTER_CRITICAL()
+        #define tmrBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL()     tmrEXIT_CRITICAL()
+    #else
+        #define tmrBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL()    portBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL()
+        #define tmrBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL()     portBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL()
+    #endif /* #if ( configNUMBER_OF_CORES > 1 ) */
+
 /* The definition of the timers themselves. */
     typedef struct tmrTimerControl                                               /* The old naming convention is used to prevent breaking kernel aware debuggers. */
     {
@@ -150,13 +185,8 @@
     PRIVILEGED_DATA static TaskHandle_t xTimerTaskHandle = NULL;
 
     #if ( ( portUSING_GRANULAR_LOCKS == 1 ) && ( configNUMBER_OF_CORES > 1 ) )
-        #ifdef portREMOVE_STATIC_QUALIFIER
-            PRIVILEGED_DATA portSPINLOCK_TYPE xTimerTaskSpinlock = portINIT_SPINLOCK_STATIC;
-            PRIVILEGED_DATA portSPINLOCK_TYPE xTimerISRSpinlock = portINIT_SPINLOCK_STATIC;
-        #else
-            PRIVILEGED_DATA static portSPINLOCK_TYPE xTimerTaskSpinlock = portINIT_SPINLOCK_STATIC;
-            PRIVILEGED_DATA static portSPINLOCK_TYPE xTimerISRSpinlock = portINIT_SPINLOCK_STATIC;
-        #endif
+        PRIVILEGED_DATA STATIC portSPINLOCK_TYPE xTimerTaskSpinlock = portINIT_SPINLOCK_STATIC;
+        PRIVILEGED_DATA STATIC portSPINLOCK_TYPE xTimerISRSpinlock = portINIT_SPINLOCK_STATIC;
     #endif /* #if ( ( portUSING_GRANULAR_LOCKS == 1 ) && ( configNUMBER_OF_CORES > 1 ) ) */
 
 /*-----------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -584,7 +614,7 @@
         traceENTER_vTimerSetReloadMode( xTimer, xAutoReload );
 
         configASSERT( xTimer );
-        taskENTER_CRITICAL();
+        tmrENTER_CRITICAL();
         {
             if( xAutoReload != pdFALSE )
             {
@@ -595,7 +625,7 @@
                 pxTimer->ucStatus &= ( ( uint8_t ) ~tmrSTATUS_IS_AUTORELOAD );
             }
         }
-        taskEXIT_CRITICAL();
+        tmrEXIT_CRITICAL();
 
         traceRETURN_vTimerSetReloadMode();
     }
@@ -609,7 +639,7 @@
         traceENTER_xTimerGetReloadMode( xTimer );
 
         configASSERT( xTimer );
-        portBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL();
+        tmrBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL();
         {
             if( ( pxTimer->ucStatus & tmrSTATUS_IS_AUTORELOAD ) == 0U )
             {
@@ -622,7 +652,7 @@
                 xReturn = pdTRUE;
             }
         }
-        portBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL();
+        tmrBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL();
 
         traceRETURN_xTimerGetReloadMode( xReturn );
 
@@ -1128,7 +1158,7 @@
         /* Check that the list from which active timers are referenced, and the
          * queue used to communicate with the timer service, have been
          * initialised. */
-        taskENTER_CRITICAL();
+        tmrENTER_CRITICAL();
         {
             if( xTimerQueue == NULL )
             {
@@ -1170,7 +1200,7 @@
                 mtCOVERAGE_TEST_MARKER();
             }
         }
-        taskEXIT_CRITICAL();
+        tmrEXIT_CRITICAL();
     }
 /*-----------------------------------------------------------*/
 
@@ -1184,7 +1214,7 @@
         configASSERT( xTimer );
 
         /* Is the timer in the list of active timers? */
-        portBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL();
+        tmrBASE_TYPE_ENTER_CRITICAL();
         {
             if( ( pxTimer->ucStatus & tmrSTATUS_IS_ACTIVE ) == 0U )
             {
@@ -1195,7 +1225,7 @@
                 xReturn = pdTRUE;
             }
         }
-        portBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL();
+        tmrBASE_TYPE_EXIT_CRITICAL();
 
         traceRETURN_xTimerIsTimerActive( xReturn );
 
@@ -1212,11 +1242,11 @@
 
         configASSERT( xTimer );
 
-        taskENTER_CRITICAL();
+        tmrENTER_CRITICAL();
         {
             pvReturn = pxTimer->pvTimerID;
         }
-        taskEXIT_CRITICAL();
+        tmrEXIT_CRITICAL();
 
         traceRETURN_pvTimerGetTimerID( pvReturn );
 
@@ -1233,11 +1263,11 @@
 
         configASSERT( xTimer );
 
-        taskENTER_CRITICAL();
+        tmrENTER_CRITICAL();
         {
             pxTimer->pvTimerID = pvNewID;
         }
-        taskEXIT_CRITICAL();
+        tmrEXIT_CRITICAL();
 
         traceRETURN_vTimerSetTimerID();
     }