diff --git a/portable/CMakeLists.txt b/portable/CMakeLists.txt
index 819e2c116..553397589 100644
--- a/portable/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/portable/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -798,8 +798,8 @@ target_include_directories(freertos_kernel_port_headers INTERFACE
     $<$<STREQUAL:${FREERTOS_PORT},GCC_ARM_CA9>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/GCC/ARM_CA9>
 
     # ARMv8-A ports for GCC
-    $<$<STREQUAL:${FREERTOS_PORT},GCC_ARM_AARCH64>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/GCC/Arm_AARCH64>
-    $<$<STREQUAL:${FREERTOS_PORT},GCC_ARM_AARCH64_SRE>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/GCC/Arm_AARCH64_SRE>
+    $<$<STREQUAL:${FREERTOS_PORT},GCC_ARM_AARCH64>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/GCC/ARM_AARCH64>
+    $<$<STREQUAL:${FREERTOS_PORT},GCC_ARM_AARCH64_SRE>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/GCC/ARM_AARCH64_SRE>
 
     # ARMv6-M port for GCC
     $<$<STREQUAL:${FREERTOS_PORT},GCC_ARM_CM0>:${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/GCC/ARM_CM0>
diff --git a/portable/Common/mpu_wrappers_v2.c b/portable/Common/mpu_wrappers_v2.c
index 2dc36b33b..96f7734f1 100644
--- a/portable/Common/mpu_wrappers_v2.c
+++ b/portable/Common/mpu_wrappers_v2.c
@@ -3838,27 +3838,16 @@
             BaseType_t xReturn = pdFALSE;
             TimerHandle_t xInternalTimerHandle = NULL;
             int32_t lIndex;
-            BaseType_t xIsHigherPriorityTaskWokenWriteable = pdFALSE;
 
-            if( pxHigherPriorityTaskWoken != NULL )
+            lIndex = ( int32_t ) xTimer;
+
+            if( IS_EXTERNAL_INDEX_VALID( lIndex ) != pdFALSE )
             {
-                xIsHigherPriorityTaskWokenWriteable = xPortIsAuthorizedToAccessBuffer( pxHigherPriorityTaskWoken,
-                                                                                       sizeof( BaseType_t ),
-                                                                                       tskMPU_WRITE_PERMISSION );
-            }
+                xInternalTimerHandle = MPU_GetTimerHandleAtIndex( CONVERT_TO_INTERNAL_INDEX( lIndex ) );
 
-            if( ( pxHigherPriorityTaskWoken == NULL ) || ( xIsHigherPriorityTaskWokenWriteable == pdTRUE ) )
-            {
-                lIndex = ( int32_t ) xTimer;
-
-                if( IS_EXTERNAL_INDEX_VALID( lIndex ) != pdFALSE )
+                if( xInternalTimerHandle != NULL )
                 {
-                    xInternalTimerHandle = MPU_GetTimerHandleAtIndex( CONVERT_TO_INTERNAL_INDEX( lIndex ) );
-
-                    if( xInternalTimerHandle != NULL )
-                    {
-                        xReturn = xTimerGenericCommandFromISR( xInternalTimerHandle, xCommandID, xOptionalValue, pxHigherPriorityTaskWoken, xTicksToWait );
-                    }
+                    xReturn = xTimerGenericCommandFromISR( xInternalTimerHandle, xCommandID, xOptionalValue, pxHigherPriorityTaskWoken, xTicksToWait );
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/portable/MemMang/heap_4.c b/portable/MemMang/heap_4.c
index d1021ea09..f3cab000d 100644
--- a/portable/MemMang/heap_4.c
+++ b/portable/MemMang/heap_4.c
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ void * pvPortMalloc( size_t xWantedSize )
                     /* The block is being returned - it is allocated and owned
                      * by the application and has no "next" block. */
                     heapALLOCATE_BLOCK( pxBlock );
-                    pxBlock->pxNextFreeBlock = NULL;
+                    pxBlock->pxNextFreeBlock = heapPROTECT_BLOCK_POINTER( NULL );
                     xNumberOfSuccessfulAllocations++;
                 }
                 else
@@ -367,11 +367,11 @@ void vPortFree( void * pv )
 
         heapVALIDATE_BLOCK_POINTER( pxLink );
         configASSERT( heapBLOCK_IS_ALLOCATED( pxLink ) != 0 );
-        configASSERT( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == NULL );
+        configASSERT( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == heapPROTECT_BLOCK_POINTER( NULL ) );
 
         if( heapBLOCK_IS_ALLOCATED( pxLink ) != 0 )
         {
-            if( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == NULL )
+            if( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == heapPROTECT_BLOCK_POINTER( NULL ) )
             {
                 /* The block is being returned to the heap - it is no longer
                  * allocated. */
diff --git a/portable/MemMang/heap_5.c b/portable/MemMang/heap_5.c
index e0c566640..fccf79825 100644
--- a/portable/MemMang/heap_5.c
+++ b/portable/MemMang/heap_5.c
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ void * pvPortMalloc( size_t xWantedSize )
                     /* The block is being returned - it is allocated and owned
                      * by the application and has no "next" block. */
                     heapALLOCATE_BLOCK( pxBlock );
-                    pxBlock->pxNextFreeBlock = NULL;
+                    pxBlock->pxNextFreeBlock = heapPROTECT_BLOCK_POINTER( NULL );
                     xNumberOfSuccessfulAllocations++;
                 }
                 else
@@ -395,11 +395,11 @@ void vPortFree( void * pv )
 
         heapVALIDATE_BLOCK_POINTER( pxLink );
         configASSERT( heapBLOCK_IS_ALLOCATED( pxLink ) != 0 );
-        configASSERT( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == NULL );
+        configASSERT( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == heapPROTECT_BLOCK_POINTER( NULL ) );
 
         if( heapBLOCK_IS_ALLOCATED( pxLink ) != 0 )
         {
-            if( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == NULL )
+            if( pxLink->pxNextFreeBlock == heapPROTECT_BLOCK_POINTER( NULL ) )
             {
                 /* The block is being returned to the heap - it is no longer
                  * allocated. */
diff --git a/tasks.c b/tasks.c
index d60673a10..1e1a26970 100644
--- a/tasks.c
+++ b/tasks.c
@@ -3031,11 +3031,6 @@ static void prvInitialiseNewTask( TaskFunction_t pxTaskCode,
     {
         TCB_t * pxTCB;
         BaseType_t xCoreID;
-        UBaseType_t uxPrevCoreAffinityMask;
-
-        #if ( configUSE_PREEMPTION == 1 )
-            UBaseType_t uxPrevNotAllowedCores;
-        #endif
 
         traceENTER_vTaskCoreAffinitySet( xTask, uxCoreAffinityMask );
 
@@ -3043,7 +3038,6 @@ static void prvInitialiseNewTask( TaskFunction_t pxTaskCode,
         {
             pxTCB = prvGetTCBFromHandle( xTask );
 
-            uxPrevCoreAffinityMask = pxTCB->uxCoreAffinityMask;
             pxTCB->uxCoreAffinityMask = uxCoreAffinityMask;
 
             if( xSchedulerRunning != pdFALSE )
@@ -3063,17 +3057,14 @@ static void prvInitialiseNewTask( TaskFunction_t pxTaskCode,
                 {
                     #if ( configUSE_PREEMPTION == 1 )
                     {
-                        /* Calculate the cores on which this task was not allowed to
-                         * run previously. */
-                        uxPrevNotAllowedCores = ( ~uxPrevCoreAffinityMask ) & ( ( 1U << configNUMBER_OF_CORES ) - 1U );
-
-                        /* Does the new core mask enables this task to run on any of the
-                         * previously not allowed cores? If yes, check if this task can be
-                         * scheduled on any of those cores. */
-                        if( ( uxPrevNotAllowedCores & uxCoreAffinityMask ) != 0U )
-                        {
-                            prvYieldForTask( pxTCB );
-                        }
+                        /* The SMP scheduler requests a core to yield when a ready
+                         * task is able to run. It is possible that the core affinity
+                         * of the ready task is changed before the requested core
+                         * can select it to run. In that case, the task may not be
+                         * selected by the previously requested core due to core affinity
+                         * constraint and the SMP scheduler must select a new core to
+                         * yield for the task. */
+                        prvYieldForTask( xTask );
                     }
                     #else /* #if( configUSE_PREEMPTION == 1 ) */
                     {