diff --git a/common/backtrace/backtrace.c b/common/backtrace/backtrace.c
index 89380b3e4..f994ae5b6 100644
--- a/common/backtrace/backtrace.c
+++ b/common/backtrace/backtrace.c
@@ -54,17 +54,6 @@ static inline uintptr_t extract_address(uintptr_t address)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-const char *get_el_str(unsigned int el)
-{
-	if (el == 3U) {
-		return "EL3";
-	} else if (el == 2U) {
-		return "EL2";
-	} else {
-		return "S-EL1";
-	}
-}
-
 /*
  * Returns true if the address points to a virtual address that can be read at
  * the current EL, false otherwise.
diff --git a/include/common/debug.h b/include/common/debug.h
index a7ca0d788..af47999c3 100644
--- a/include/common/debug.h
+++ b/include/common/debug.h
@@ -91,9 +91,10 @@
 # define VERBOSE(...)	no_tf_log(LOG_MARKER_VERBOSE __VA_ARGS__)
 #endif
 
+const char *get_el_str(unsigned int el);
+
 #if ENABLE_BACKTRACE
 void backtrace(const char *cookie);
-const char *get_el_str(unsigned int el);
 #else
 #define backtrace(x)
 #endif
diff --git a/plat/common/aarch64/plat_common.c b/plat/common/aarch64/plat_common.c
index 8f998af3f..851ed24fb 100644
--- a/plat/common/aarch64/plat_common.c
+++ b/plat/common/aarch64/plat_common.c
@@ -67,17 +67,15 @@ int plat_sdei_validate_entry_point(uintptr_t ep, unsigned int client_mode)
 }
 #endif
 
-#if !ENABLE_BACKTRACE
-static const char *get_el_str(unsigned int el)
+const char *get_el_str(unsigned int el)
 {
 	if (el == MODE_EL3) {
 		return "EL3";
 	} else if (el == MODE_EL2) {
 		return "EL2";
 	}
-	return "S-EL1";
+	return "EL1";
 }
-#endif /* !ENABLE_BACKTRACE */
 
 /* RAS functions common to AArch64 ARM platforms */
 void plat_default_ea_handler(unsigned int ea_reason, uint64_t syndrome, void *cookie,
diff --git a/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_ea.c b/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_ea.c
index bc12845a5..fd4e3b247 100644
--- a/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_ea.c
+++ b/plat/marvell/armada/a3k/common/a3700_ea.c
@@ -16,18 +16,6 @@
 
 #define A53_SERR_INT_AXI_SLVERR_ON_EXTERNAL_ACCESS 0xbf000002
 
-#if !ENABLE_BACKTRACE
-static const char *get_el_str(unsigned int el)
-{
-	if (el == MODE_EL3) {
-		return "EL3";
-	} else if (el == MODE_EL2) {
-		return "EL2";
-	}
-	return "S-EL1";
-}
-#endif /* !ENABLE_BACKTRACE */
-
 /*
  * This source file with custom plat_ea_handler function is compiled only when
  * building TF-A with compile option HANDLE_EA_EL3_FIRST=1