diff --git a/src/machine/machine_nrf_bare.go b/src/machine/machine_nrf_bare.go
index b94886ed9..fc0892853 100644
--- a/src/machine/machine_nrf_bare.go
+++ b/src/machine/machine_nrf_bare.go
@@ -7,3 +7,7 @@ package machine
 func GetRNG() (ret uint32, err error) {
 	return getRNG()
 }
+
+func isSoftDeviceEnabled() bool {
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/src/machine/machine_nrf_sd.go b/src/machine/machine_nrf_sd.go
index b816e62ee..b8fc781eb 100644
--- a/src/machine/machine_nrf_sd.go
+++ b/src/machine/machine_nrf_sd.go
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ import (
 
 // avoid a heap allocation in GetRNG.
 var (
-	softdeviceEnabled uint8
-	bytesAvailable    uint8
-	buf               [4]uint8
+	bytesAvailable uint8
+	buf            [4]uint8
 
 	errNoSoftDeviceSupport = errors.New("rng: softdevice not supported on this device")
 	errNotEnoughRandomData = errors.New("rng: not enough random data available")
@@ -24,9 +23,7 @@ var (
 func GetRNG() (ret uint32, err error) {
 	// First check whether the SoftDevice is enabled.
 	// sd_rand_application_bytes_available_get cannot be called when the SoftDevice is not enabled.
-	arm.SVCall1(0x12, &softdeviceEnabled) // sd_softdevice_is_enabled
-
-	if softdeviceEnabled == 0 {
+	if !isSoftDeviceEnabled() {
 		return getRNG()
 	}
 
@@ -57,3 +54,8 @@ func GetRNG() (ret uint32, err error) {
 
 	return uint32(buf[0]) | uint32(buf[1])<<8 | uint32(buf[2])<<16 | uint32(buf[3])<<24, nil
 }
+
+// This function is defined in the runtime, but we need it too.
+//
+//go:linkname isSoftDeviceEnabled runtime.isSoftDeviceEnabled
+func isSoftDeviceEnabled() bool
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime_nrf_softdevice.go b/src/runtime/runtime_nrf_softdevice.go
index 3fb6550ba..849ecb507 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime_nrf_softdevice.go
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime_nrf_softdevice.go
@@ -13,17 +13,24 @@ func sd_app_evt_wait()
 // This is a global variable to avoid a heap allocation in waitForEvents.
 var softdeviceEnabled uint8
 
+// Check whether the SoftDevice is currently enabled.
+// This function is also called from the machine package, so the signature has
+// to stay consistent.
+func isSoftDeviceEnabled() bool {
+	// First check whether the SoftDevice is enabled. Unfortunately,
+	// sd_app_evt_wait cannot be called when the SoftDevice is not enabled.
+	arm.SVCall1(0x12, &softdeviceEnabled) // sd_softdevice_is_enabled
+
+	return softdeviceEnabled != 0
+}
+
 func waitForEvents() {
 	// Call into the SoftDevice to sleep. This is necessary here because a
 	// normal wfe will not put the chip in low power mode (it still consumes
 	// 500µA-1mA). It is really needed to call sd_app_evt_wait for low power
 	// consumption.
 
-	// First check whether the SoftDevice is enabled. Unfortunately,
-	// sd_app_evt_wait cannot be called when the SoftDevice is not enabled.
-	arm.SVCall1(0x12, &softdeviceEnabled) // sd_softdevice_is_enabled
-
-	if softdeviceEnabled != 0 {
+	if isSoftDeviceEnabled() {
 		// Now pick the appropriate SVCall number. Hopefully they won't change
 		// in the future with a different SoftDevice version.
 		if nrf.Device == "nrf51" {