diff --git a/src/helper/command.c b/src/helper/command.c
index e2726f258..b44e4667f 100644
--- a/src/helper/command.c
+++ b/src/helper/command.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ static int script_command(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 {
 	/* the private data is stashed in the interp structure */
 
-	struct command *c = interp->cmdPrivData;
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
 	assert(c);
 	script_debug(interp, argc, argv);
 	return script_command_run(interp, argc, argv, c);
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ static struct command *register_command(struct command_context *context,
 	int retval = JIM_OK;
 	if (NULL != cr->jim_handler && NULL == parent) {
 		retval = Jim_CreateCommand(context->interp, cr->name,
-				cr->jim_handler, NULL, NULL);
+				cr->jim_handler, c, NULL);
 	} else if (NULL != cr->handler || NULL != parent)
 		retval = register_command_handler(context, command_root(c));
 
@@ -501,8 +501,7 @@ static int unregister_command(struct command_context *context,
 
 void command_set_handler_data(struct command *c, void *p)
 {
-	if (NULL != c->handler || NULL != c->jim_handler)
-		c->jim_handler_data = p;
+	c->jim_handler_data = p;
 	for (struct command *cc = c->children; NULL != cc; cc = cc->next)
 		command_set_handler_data(cc, p);
 }
@@ -1085,7 +1084,6 @@ static int command_unknown(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 		if (!command_can_run(cmd_ctx, c))
 			return JIM_ERR;
 
-		interp->cmdPrivData = c->jim_handler_data;
 		return (*c->jim_handler)(interp, count, start);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/helper/command.h b/src/helper/command.h
index b0c84bb43..cb088d743 100644
--- a/src/helper/command.h
+++ b/src/helper/command.h
@@ -195,6 +195,15 @@ struct command {
 	struct command *next;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Return the struct command pointer kept in private data
+ * Used to enforce check on data type
+ */
+static inline struct command *jim_to_command(Jim_Interp *interp)
+{
+	return Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+}
+
 /*
  * Commands should be registered by filling in one or more of these
  * structures and passing them to [un]register_commands().
diff --git a/src/target/arm_tpiu_swo.c b/src/target/arm_tpiu_swo.c
index 2da52e892..543b4f008 100644
--- a/src/target/arm_tpiu_swo.c
+++ b/src/target/arm_tpiu_swo.c
@@ -559,7 +559,8 @@ static int jim_arm_tpiu_swo_configure(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * co
 			"missing: -option ...");
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
-	struct arm_tpiu_swo_object *obj = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct arm_tpiu_swo_object *obj = c->jim_handler_data;
 	return arm_tpiu_swo_configure(&goi, obj);
 }
 
@@ -583,7 +584,8 @@ static int wrap_read_u32(struct target *target, struct adiv5_ap *tpiu_ap,
 
 static int jim_arm_tpiu_swo_enable(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 {
-	struct arm_tpiu_swo_object *obj = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct arm_tpiu_swo_object *obj = c->jim_handler_data;
 	struct command_context *cmd_ctx = current_command_context(interp);
 	struct adiv5_ap *tpiu_ap = dap_ap(obj->spot.dap, obj->spot.ap_num);
 	uint32_t value;
@@ -786,7 +788,8 @@ error_exit:
 
 static int jim_arm_tpiu_swo_disable(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 {
-	struct arm_tpiu_swo_object *obj = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct arm_tpiu_swo_object *obj = c->jim_handler_data;
 
 	if (argc != 1) {
 		Jim_WrongNumArgs(interp, 1, argv, "Too many parameters");
diff --git a/src/target/nds32_cmd.c b/src/target/nds32_cmd.c
index 1684ea882..89da845d3 100644
--- a/src/target/nds32_cmd.c
+++ b/src/target/nds32_cmd.c
@@ -722,7 +722,8 @@ static int jim_nds32_bulk_write(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *a
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	int result;
 
 	result = target_write_buffer(target, address, count * 4, (const uint8_t *)data);
@@ -751,7 +752,8 @@ static int jim_nds32_multi_write(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *
 	if (e != JIM_OK)
 		return e;
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	struct aice_port_s *aice = target_to_aice(target);
 	int result;
 	uint32_t address;
@@ -812,7 +814,8 @@ static int jim_nds32_bulk_read(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *ar
 	if (goi.argc != 0)
 		return JIM_ERR;
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	uint32_t *data = malloc(count * sizeof(uint32_t));
 	int result;
 	result = target_read_buffer(target, address, count * 4, (uint8_t *)data);
@@ -863,7 +866,8 @@ static int jim_nds32_read_edm_sr(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *
 	else
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	struct aice_port_s *aice = target_to_aice(target);
 	char data_str[11];
 
@@ -911,7 +915,8 @@ static int jim_nds32_write_edm_sr(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const
 	else
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	struct aice_port_s *aice = target_to_aice(target);
 
 	aice_write_debug_reg(aice, edm_sr_number, value);
diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index 200368b13..e481d526c 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -5206,21 +5206,24 @@ static int jim_target_configure(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *a
 				 "missing: -option ...");
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	return target_configure(&goi, target);
 }
 
 static int jim_target_mem2array(Jim_Interp *interp,
 		int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 {
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	return target_mem2array(interp, target, argc - 1, argv + 1);
 }
 
 static int jim_target_array2mem(Jim_Interp *interp,
 		int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 {
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	return target_array2mem(interp, target, argc - 1, argv + 1);
 }
 
@@ -5252,7 +5255,8 @@ static int jim_target_examine(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv
 		allow_defer = true;
 	}
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	if (!target->tap->enabled)
 		return jim_target_tap_disabled(interp);
 
@@ -5270,7 +5274,8 @@ static int jim_target_examine(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv
 
 static int jim_target_was_examined(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *argv)
 {
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 
 	Jim_SetResultBool(interp, target_was_examined(target));
 	return JIM_OK;
@@ -5278,7 +5283,8 @@ static int jim_target_was_examined(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const
 
 static int jim_target_examine_deferred(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *argv)
 {
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 
 	Jim_SetResultBool(interp, target->defer_examine);
 	return JIM_OK;
@@ -5290,7 +5296,8 @@ static int jim_target_halt_gdb(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *arg
 		Jim_WrongNumArgs(interp, 1, argv, "[no parameters]");
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 
 	if (target_call_event_callbacks(target, TARGET_EVENT_GDB_HALT) != ERROR_OK)
 		return JIM_ERR;
@@ -5304,7 +5311,8 @@ static int jim_target_poll(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 		Jim_WrongNumArgs(interp, 1, argv, "[no parameters]");
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	if (!target->tap->enabled)
 		return jim_target_tap_disabled(interp);
 
@@ -5341,7 +5349,8 @@ static int jim_target_reset(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 	if (e != JIM_OK)
 		return e;
 
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(goi.interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(goi.interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	if (!target->tap->enabled)
 		return jim_target_tap_disabled(interp);
 
@@ -5374,7 +5383,8 @@ static int jim_target_halt(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 		Jim_WrongNumArgs(interp, 1, argv, "[no parameters]");
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	if (!target->tap->enabled)
 		return jim_target_tap_disabled(interp);
 	int e = target->type->halt(target);
@@ -5404,7 +5414,8 @@ static int jim_target_wait_state(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *a
 	e = Jim_GetOpt_Wide(&goi, &a);
 	if (e != JIM_OK)
 		return e;
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	if (!target->tap->enabled)
 		return jim_target_tap_disabled(interp);
 
@@ -5448,7 +5459,8 @@ static int jim_target_current_state(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const
 		Jim_WrongNumArgs(interp, 1, argv, "[no parameters]");
 		return JIM_ERR;
 	}
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	Jim_SetResultString(interp, target_state_name(target), -1);
 	return JIM_OK;
 }
@@ -5467,7 +5479,8 @@ static int jim_target_invoke_event(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const
 		Jim_GetOpt_NvpUnknown(&goi, nvp_target_event, 1);
 		return e;
 	}
-	struct target *target = Jim_CmdPrivData(interp);
+	struct command *c = jim_to_command(interp);
+	struct target *target = c->jim_handler_data;
 	target_handle_event(target, n->value);
 	return JIM_OK;
 }