diff --git a/src/include/sof/common.h b/src/include/sof/common.h
index c41a07a5b5be..8db626b178a5 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/common.h
+++ b/src/include/sof/common.h
@@ -13,10 +13,70 @@
 
 /* Align the number to the nearest alignment value */
 #define IS_ALIGNED(size, alignment) ((size) % (alignment) == 0)
-#define ALIGN_UP(size, alignment) \
-	((size) + (alignment) - 1 - ((size) + (alignment) - 1) % (alignment))
-#define ALIGN_DOWN(size, alignment) \
-	((size) - ((size) % (alignment)))
+
+#define is_non0_power_of_2(x) ((x) && !((x) & ((x) - 1)))
+
+#define compile_fail_zero_or_true(x) (sizeof(struct{int _f : 1 - !(x); }))
+#define compile_fail_zero_or_false_fn(x) ({int _f[(x) - 1]; 0 & _f[0]; })
+
+#define ALIGN_UP_INTERNAL(val, align) (((val) + (align) - 1) & ~((align) - 1))
+
+#define VERIFY_ALIGN
+#ifdef VERIFY_ALIGN
+
+/* For data initializers etc. */
+#define ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(size, alignment)					\
+	(compile_fail_zero_or_true(is_non0_power_of_2(alignment)) ?		\
+	 ALIGN_UP_INTERNAL(size, alignment) : 0)
+
+#ifdef __XCC__
+
+/*
+ * xcc doesn't support __builtin_constant_p() so we can only do run-time
+ * verification
+ */
+
+#define ALIGN_UP(size, alignment) ({						\
+	if (!is_non0_power_of_2(alignment))					\
+		panic(SOF_IPC_PANIC_ASSERT);					\
+	ALIGN_UP_INTERNAL(size, alignment);					\
+})
+
+#define ALIGN_DOWN(size, alignment) ({						\
+	if (!is_non0_power_of_2(alignment))					\
+		panic(SOF_IPC_PANIC_ASSERT);					\
+	(size) & ~((alignment) - 1);						\
+})
+
+#else
+
+#define COMPILE_TIME_ALIGNED(align) (!__builtin_constant_p(align) ||		\
+				     is_non0_power_of_2(align))
+
+#define ALIGN_UP(size, alignment) ({						\
+	if (compile_fail_zero_or_false_fn(COMPILE_TIME_ALIGNED(alignment)) ||	\
+	    !is_non0_power_of_2(alignment))					\
+		panic(SOF_IPC_PANIC_ASSERT);					\
+	ALIGN_UP_INTERNAL(size, alignment);					\
+})
+
+#define ALIGN_DOWN(size, alignment) ({						\
+	if (compile_fail_zero_or_false_fn(COMPILE_TIME_ALIGNED(alignment)) ||	\
+	    !is_non0_power_of_2(alignment))					\
+		panic(SOF_IPC_PANIC_ASSERT);					\
+	(size) & ~((alignment) - 1);						\
+})
+
+#endif
+
+#else
+
+#define ALIGN_UP(size, alignment) ALIGN_UP_INTERNAL(size, alignment)
+#define ALIGN_UP_COMPILE ALIGN_UP
+#define ALIGN_DOWN(size, alignment) ((size) & ~((alignment) - 1))
+
+#endif
+
 #define ALIGN ALIGN_UP
 #define DIV_ROUND_UP(val, div) (((val) + (div) - 1) / (div))
 
diff --git a/src/init/ext_manifest.c b/src/init/ext_manifest.c
index 6568ffebf419..9a8a33fd6bba 100644
--- a/src/init/ext_manifest.c
+++ b/src/init/ext_manifest.c
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
 const struct ext_man_fw_version ext_man_fw_ver
 	__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") = {
 	.hdr.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_FW_VERSION,
-	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_fw_version),
-				  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_fw_version),
+					  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	.version = {
 		.hdr.size = sizeof(struct sof_ipc_fw_version),
 		.micro = SOF_MICRO,
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ const struct ext_man_fw_version ext_man_fw_ver
 const struct ext_man_cc_version ext_man_cc_ver
 	__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") = {
 	.hdr.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_CC_VERSION,
-	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_cc_version),
-				  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_cc_version),
+					  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	.cc_version = {
 		.ext_hdr.hdr.size = sizeof(struct sof_ipc_cc_version),
 		.ext_hdr.hdr.cmd = SOF_IPC_FW_READY,
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ const struct ext_man_cc_version ext_man_cc_ver
 const struct ext_man_probe_support ext_man_probe
 	__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") = {
 	.hdr.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_PROBE_INFO,
-	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_probe_support),
-				  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_probe_support),
+					  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	.probe = {
 		.ext_hdr.hdr.size = sizeof(struct sof_ipc_probe_support),
 		.ext_hdr.hdr.cmd = SOF_IPC_FW_READY,
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ const struct ext_man_probe_support ext_man_probe
 const struct ext_man_dbg_abi ext_man_dbg_info
 	__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") = {
 	.hdr.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_DBG_ABI,
-	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_dbg_abi),
-				  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_dbg_abi),
+					  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	.dbg_abi = {
 		.ext_hdr.hdr.size = sizeof(struct sof_ipc_user_abi_version),
 		.ext_hdr.hdr.cmd = SOF_IPC_FW_READY,
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ const struct ext_man_dbg_abi ext_man_dbg_info
 const struct ext_man_config_data ext_man_config
 	__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") = {
 	.hdr.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_CONFIG_DATA,
-	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_config_data) +
-				  sizeof(struct config_elem) * CONFIG_ELEM_CNT,
-				  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_config_data) +
+					  sizeof(struct config_elem) * CONFIG_ELEM_CNT,
+					  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	.elems = {
 		{EXT_MAN_CONFIG_IPC_MSG_SIZE, SOF_IPC_MSG_MAX_SIZE},
 		{EXT_MAN_CONFIG_MEMORY_USAGE_SCAN, IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEBUG_MEMORY_USAGE_SCAN)},
diff --git a/src/platform/baytrail/platform.c b/src/platform/baytrail/platform.c
index e04888fbb433..c0e54fb3eefc 100644
--- a/src/platform/baytrail/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/baytrail/platform.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ const struct ext_man_windows xsram_window
 		__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") __unused = {
 	.hdr = {
 		.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_WINDOW,
-		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	},
 	.window = {
 		.ext_hdr	= {
diff --git a/src/platform/haswell/platform.c b/src/platform/haswell/platform.c
index 47f43a5c32b9..6bcd0e36819d 100644
--- a/src/platform/haswell/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/haswell/platform.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ const struct ext_man_windows xsram_window
 		__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") __unused = {
 	.hdr = {
 		.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_WINDOW,
-		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	},
 	.window = {
 		.ext_hdr	= {
diff --git a/src/platform/imx8/platform.c b/src/platform/imx8/platform.c
index 67f4f0ef8834..e5232549feb8 100644
--- a/src/platform/imx8/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/imx8/platform.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ const struct ext_man_windows xsram_window
 		__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") __unused = {
 	.hdr = {
 		.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_WINDOW,
-		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	},
 	.window = {
 		.ext_hdr	= {
diff --git a/src/platform/imx8m/platform.c b/src/platform/imx8m/platform.c
index 349baabedb72..9175e742cf86 100644
--- a/src/platform/imx8m/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/imx8m/platform.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ const struct ext_man_windows xsram_window
 		__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") __unused = {
 	.hdr = {
 		.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_WINDOW,
-		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	},
 	.window = {
 		.ext_hdr	= {
diff --git a/src/platform/intel/cavs/ext_manifest.c b/src/platform/intel/cavs/ext_manifest.c
index 4325c46aca2c..50309a734770 100644
--- a/src/platform/intel/cavs/ext_manifest.c
+++ b/src/platform/intel/cavs/ext_manifest.c
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 const struct ext_man_cavs_config_data ext_man_cavs_config
 	__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") = {
 	.hdr.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_PLATFORM_CONFIG_DATA,
-	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_cavs_config_data) +
-				  sizeof(struct config_elem) * CAVS_CONFIG_ELEM_CNT,
-				  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+	.hdr.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_cavs_config_data) +
+					  sizeof(struct config_elem) * CAVS_CONFIG_ELEM_CNT,
+					  EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	.elems = {
 		{EXT_MAN_CAVS_CONFIG_LPRO,  IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_CAVS_LPRO_ONLY)},
 		{EXT_MAN_CAVS_CONFIG_OUTBOX_SIZE, SRAM_OUTBOX_SIZE},
diff --git a/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c b/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c
index 53f866718222..ae85a8bca227 100644
--- a/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/intel/cavs/platform.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ const struct ext_man_windows xsram_window
 		__aligned(EXT_MAN_ALIGN) __section(".fw_metadata") __unused = {
 	.hdr = {
 		.type = EXT_MAN_ELEM_WINDOW,
-		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
+		.elem_size = ALIGN_UP_COMPILE(sizeof(struct ext_man_windows), EXT_MAN_ALIGN),
 	},
 	.window = {
 		.ext_hdr	= {