diff --git a/src/basic/static-destruct.c b/src/basic/static-destruct.c
index c39a1b38164..442f5fe7ba4 100644
--- a/src/basic/static-destruct.c
+++ b/src/basic/static-destruct.c
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
 
-#include "memory-util.h"
 #include "static-destruct.h"
 
 void static_destruct_impl(const StaticDestructor *start, const StaticDestructor *end) {
         if (!start)
                 return;
 
-        for (const StaticDestructor *d = ALIGN_PTR(start); d < end; d = ALIGN_PTR(d + 1))
+        for (const StaticDestructor *d = start; d < end; d++)
                 switch (d->type) {
                 case STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_SIMPLE:
                         d->simple.destroy(d->simple.data);
diff --git a/src/basic/static-destruct.h b/src/basic/static-destruct.h
index 00087ad779e..fdc4c7c41ec 100644
--- a/src/basic/static-destruct.h
+++ b/src/basic/static-destruct.h
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ typedef struct StaticDestructor {
         };
 } StaticDestructor;
 
+assert_cc(sizeof(StaticDestructor) % sizeof(void*) == 0);
+
 #define STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(variable, func) \
         _STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(UNIQ, variable, func)
 
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.c
index be64e4a6c8b..bee843e3380 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-error.c
@@ -83,22 +83,17 @@ static int bus_error_name_to_errno(const char *name) {
                                 }
                         }
 
-        const sd_bus_error_map *elf_map = ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP);
-        while (elf_map < __stop_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP) {
+        assert_cc(sizeof(sd_bus_error_map) % sizeof(void*) == 0);
+
+        for (const sd_bus_error_map *m = __start_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP; m < __stop_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP; m++) {
                 /* For magic ELF error maps, the end marker might appear in the middle of things, since
-                 * multiple maps might appear in the same section. Hence, let's skip over it, but realign
-                 * the pointer to the next 8 byte boundary, which is the selected alignment for the arrays. */
-                if (elf_map->code == BUS_ERROR_MAP_END_MARKER) {
-                        elf_map = ALIGN_PTR(elf_map + 1);
-                        continue;
-                }
+                 * multiple maps might appear in the same section. Skip over it. */
 
-                if (streq(elf_map->name, name)) {
-                        assert(elf_map->code > 0);
-                        return elf_map->code;
+                if (m->code != BUS_ERROR_MAP_END_MARKER &&
+                    streq(m->name, name)) {
+                        assert(m->code > 0);
+                        return m->code;
                 }
-
-                elf_map++;
         }
 
         return EIO;
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/test-bus-error.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/test-bus-error.c
index 3f89a907eb6..a91a014a38c 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/test-bus-error.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/test-bus-error.c
@@ -128,19 +128,12 @@ extern const sd_bus_error_map __start_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP[];
 extern const sd_bus_error_map __stop_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP[];
 
 static int dump_mapping_table(void) {
-        const sd_bus_error_map *m;
-
         printf("----- errno mappings ------\n");
-        m = ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP);
-        while (m < __stop_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP) {
+        for (const sd_bus_error_map *m = __start_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP; m < __stop_SYSTEMD_BUS_ERROR_MAP; m++) {
+                assert((uintptr_t) m % sizeof(void*) == 0);
 
-                if (m->code == BUS_ERROR_MAP_END_MARKER) {
-                        m = ALIGN_PTR(m + 1);
-                        continue;
-                }
-
-                printf("%s -> %i/%s\n", strna(m->name), m->code, ERRNO_NAME(m->code));
-                m++;
+                if (m->code != BUS_ERROR_MAP_END_MARKER)
+                        printf("%s -> %i/%s\n", strna(m->name), m->code, ERRNO_NAME(m->code));
         }
         printf("---------------------------\n");
 
diff --git a/src/shared/options.h b/src/shared/options.h
index c2283dc4063..fd3ab008d36 100644
--- a/src/shared/options.h
+++ b/src/shared/options.h
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
 #pragma once
 
-#include "memory-util.h"
 #include "shared-forward.h"
 
 /* Option namespace/group explanation:
@@ -240,10 +239,10 @@ int option_parse(
 
 /* Iterate over options. Don't forget to handle errors (negative c)! */
 #define FOREACH_OPTION(c, state)                                        \
-        for (int c; (c = option_parse(ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS), __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, state)) != 0; )
+        for (int c; (c = option_parse(__start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, state)) != 0; )
 
 #define FOREACH_OPTION_OR_RETURN(c, state)                              \
-        for (int c; (c = option_parse(ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS), __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, state)) != 0; ) \
+        for (int c; (c = option_parse(__start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, state)) != 0; ) \
                 if (c < 0)                                              \
                         return c;                                       \
                 else
@@ -268,7 +267,7 @@ int _option_parser_get_help_table_full(
                 const char *group,
                 Table **ret);
 #define option_parser_get_help_table_full(namespace, group, ret)        \
-        _option_parser_get_help_table_full(ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS), __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, namespace, group, ret)
+        _option_parser_get_help_table_full(__start_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, __stop_SYSTEMD_OPTIONS, namespace, group, ret)
 #define option_parser_get_help_table_ns(ns, ret)                        \
         option_parser_get_help_table_full(ns, /* group= */ NULL, ret)
 #define option_parser_get_help_table_group(group, ret)                  \
diff --git a/src/shared/tests.c b/src/shared/tests.c
index 84945343a46..176c7fb13f3 100644
--- a/src/shared/tests.c
+++ b/src/shared/tests.c
@@ -380,20 +380,18 @@ int run_test_table(const TestFunc *start, const TestFunc *end) {
         _cleanup_strv_free_ char **tests = NULL;
         int r = EXIT_SUCCESS;
         bool ran = false;
-        const char *e;
 
         if (!start)
                 return r;
 
-        e = getenv("TESTFUNCS");
+        const char *e = getenv("TESTFUNCS");
         if (e) {
                 r = strv_split_full(&tests, e, ":", EXTRACT_DONT_COALESCE_SEPARATORS);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse $TESTFUNCS: %m");
         }
 
-        for (const TestFunc *t = ALIGN_PTR(start); t + 1 <= end; t = ALIGN_PTR(t + 1)) {
-
+        for (const TestFunc *t = start; t + 1 <= end; t++) {
                 if (tests && !strv_contains(tests, t->name))
                         continue;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/verbs.c b/src/shared/verbs.c
index aab24c06819..bd665fc7fa2 100644
--- a/src/shared/verbs.c
+++ b/src/shared/verbs.c
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ static bool verb_is_metadata(const Verb *verb) {
 
 const Verb* verbs_find_verb(const char *name, const Verb verbs[], const Verb verbs_end[]) {
         assert(verbs);
+        assert(verbs_end > verbs);
+        assert((uintptr_t) verbs % sizeof(void*) == 0);
+        assert(verbs[0].verb);
 
         for (const Verb *verb = verbs; verb < verbs_end; verb++) {
                 if (verb_is_metadata(verb))
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ int _dispatch_verb_with_args(char **args, const Verb verbs[], const Verb verbs_e
 
         assert(verbs);
         assert(verbs_end > verbs);
+        assert((uintptr_t) verbs % sizeof(void*) == 0);
         assert(verbs[0].verb);
 
         const char *name = args ? args[0] : NULL;
@@ -150,6 +154,7 @@ int dispatch_verb(int argc, char *argv[], const Verb verbs[], void *userdata) {
         /* getopt wrapper for _dispatch_verb_with_args.
          * TBD: remove this function when all programs with verbs have been converted. */
 
+        assert((uintptr_t) verbs % sizeof(void*) == 0);
         assert(argc >= 0);
         assert(argv);
         assert(argc >= optind);
@@ -234,6 +239,9 @@ int _verbs_get_help_table(
                 Table **ret) {
         int r;
 
+        assert(verbs);
+        assert(verbs_end > verbs);
+        assert((uintptr_t) verbs % sizeof(void*) == 0);
         assert(ret);
 
         _cleanup_(table_unrefp) Table *table = table_new("verb", "help");
diff --git a/src/shared/verbs.h b/src/shared/verbs.h
index e071cc5d89a..a5d210c8931 100644
--- a/src/shared/verbs.h
+++ b/src/shared/verbs.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ const Verb* verbs_find_verb(const char *name, const Verb verbs[], const Verb ver
 
 int _dispatch_verb_with_args(char **args, const Verb verbs[], const Verb verbs_end[], void *userdata);
 #define dispatch_verb_with_args(args, userdata) \
-        _dispatch_verb_with_args(args, ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_VERBS), __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS, userdata)
+        _dispatch_verb_with_args(args, __start_SYSTEMD_VERBS, __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS, userdata)
 
 int dispatch_verb(int argc, char *argv[], const Verb verbs[], void *userdata);
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ int _verbs_get_help_table(
                 const char *group,
                 Table **ret);
 #define verbs_get_help_table_group(group, ret)                          \
-        _verbs_get_help_table(ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_VERBS), __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS, group, ret)
+        _verbs_get_help_table(__start_SYSTEMD_VERBS, __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS, group, ret)
 #define verbs_get_help_table(ret)                                       \
         verbs_get_help_table_group(/* group= */ NULL, ret)
 
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
index d5473cdc0af..6ea4e50fb4a 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
@@ -1112,9 +1112,9 @@ VERB_SCOPE(, verb_start,             "condrestart",      NULL, 2,      VERB_ANY,
 VERB_SCOPE(, verb_is_active,         "check",            NULL, 2,      VERB_ANY, VERB_ONLINE_ONLY, /* help= */ NULL); /* deprecated alias of is-active */
 
 int systemctl_main(char **args) {
-        const Verb *verb = verbs_find_verb(args[0],
-                                           ALIGN_PTR(__start_SYSTEMD_VERBS),
-                                           __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS);
+        assert((uintptr_t) __start_SYSTEMD_VERBS % sizeof(void*) == 0);
+        const Verb *verb = verbs_find_verb(args[0], __start_SYSTEMD_VERBS, __stop_SYSTEMD_VERBS);
+
         if (verb && (verb->flags & VERB_ONLINE_ONLY) && arg_root)
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
                                        "Verb '%s' cannot be used with --root= or --image=.",