diff --git a/offload/liboffload/API/Common.td b/offload/liboffload/API/Common.td
index a621de081a0c..6eaf604c8ebb 100644
--- a/offload/liboffload/API/Common.td
+++ b/offload/liboffload/API/Common.td
@@ -74,10 +74,9 @@ def : Handle {
   let desc = "Handle of program object";
 }
 
-def : Typedef {
-  let name = "ol_kernel_handle_t";
-  let desc = "Handle of kernel object";
-  let value = "void *";
+def : Handle {
+  let name = "ol_symbol_handle_t";
+  let desc = "Handle of an object in a device's memory for a specific program";
 }
 
 def ErrorCode : Enum {
@@ -112,6 +111,7 @@ def ErrorCode : Enum {
     Etor<"INVALID_DEVICE", "invalid device">,
     Etor<"INVALID_QUEUE", "invalid queue">,
     Etor<"INVALID_EVENT", "invalid event">,
+    Etor<"SYMBOL_KIND", "the operation does not support this symbol kind">,
   ];
 }
 
diff --git a/offload/liboffload/API/Kernel.td b/offload/liboffload/API/Kernel.td
index 0913a036fa04..7cb3016afd59 100644
--- a/offload/liboffload/API/Kernel.td
+++ b/offload/liboffload/API/Kernel.td
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 //
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 //
-// This file contains Offload API definitions related to the kernel handle
+// This file contains Offload API definitions related to loading and launching
+// kernels
 //
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 
@@ -14,12 +15,12 @@ def : Function {
     let name = "olGetKernel";
     let desc = "Get a kernel from the function identified by `KernelName` in the given program.";
     let details = [
-        "The kernel handle returned is owned by the device so does not need to be destroyed."
+        "Symbol handles are owned by the program and do not need to be manually destroyed."
     ];
     let params = [
         Param<"ol_program_handle_t", "Program", "handle of the program", PARAM_IN>,
         Param<"const char*", "KernelName", "name of the kernel entry point in the program", PARAM_IN>,
-        Param<"ol_kernel_handle_t*", "Kernel", "output pointer for the fetched kernel", PARAM_OUT>
+        Param<"ol_symbol_handle_t*", "Kernel", "output pointer for the fetched kernel", PARAM_OUT>
     ];
     let returns = [];
 }
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ def : Function {
     let params = [
         Param<"ol_queue_handle_t", "Queue", "handle of the queue", PARAM_IN_OPTIONAL>,
         Param<"ol_device_handle_t", "Device", "handle of the device to execute on", PARAM_IN>,
-        Param<"ol_kernel_handle_t", "Kernel", "handle of the kernel", PARAM_IN>,
+        Param<"ol_symbol_handle_t", "Kernel", "handle of the kernel", PARAM_IN>,
         Param<"const void*", "ArgumentsData", "pointer to the kernel argument struct", PARAM_IN_OPTIONAL>,
         Param<"size_t", "ArgumentsSize", "size of the kernel argument struct", PARAM_IN>,
         Param<"const ol_kernel_launch_size_args_t*", "LaunchSizeArgs", "pointer to the struct containing launch size parameters", PARAM_IN>,
@@ -55,5 +56,6 @@ def : Function {
         Return<"OL_ERRC_INVALID_ARGUMENT", ["`Queue == NULL && EventOut != NULL`"]>,
         Return<"OL_ERRC_INVALID_ARGUMENT", ["`ArgumentsSize > 0 && ArgumentsData == NULL`"]>,
         Return<"OL_ERRC_INVALID_DEVICE", ["If Queue is non-null but does not belong to Device"]>,
+        Return<"OL_ERRC_SYMBOL_KIND", ["The provided symbol is not a kernel"]>,
     ];
 }
diff --git a/offload/liboffload/API/OffloadAPI.td b/offload/liboffload/API/OffloadAPI.td
index f9829155b6ce..1b78edf4c774 100644
--- a/offload/liboffload/API/OffloadAPI.td
+++ b/offload/liboffload/API/OffloadAPI.td
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ include "Queue.td"
 include "Event.td"
 include "Program.td"
 include "Kernel.td"
+include "Symbol.td"
diff --git a/offload/liboffload/API/Symbol.td b/offload/liboffload/API/Symbol.td
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cf4d45b09f03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/offload/liboffload/API/Symbol.td
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+//===-- Symbol.td - Symbol definitions for Offload ---------*- tablegen -*-===//
+//
+// Part of the LLVM Project, under the Apache License v2.0 with LLVM Exceptions.
+// See https://llvm.org/LICENSE.txt for license information.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+//
+//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
+//
+// This file contains Offload API definitions related to the symbol handle.
+//
+//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
+
+def : Enum {
+  let name = "ol_symbol_kind_t";
+  let desc = "The kind of a symbol";
+  let etors =[
+    Etor<"KERNEL", "a kernel object">,
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/offload/liboffload/src/OffloadImpl.cpp b/offload/liboffload/src/OffloadImpl.cpp
index 6ed163d165a4..fa5d18c04404 100644
--- a/offload/liboffload/src/OffloadImpl.cpp
+++ b/offload/liboffload/src/OffloadImpl.cpp
@@ -84,9 +84,17 @@ struct ol_program_impl_t {
         DeviceImage(DeviceImage) {}
   plugin::DeviceImageTy *Image;
   std::unique_ptr<llvm::MemoryBuffer> ImageData;
+  std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ol_symbol_impl_t>> Symbols;
   __tgt_device_image DeviceImage;
 };
 
+struct ol_symbol_impl_t {
+  ol_symbol_impl_t(GenericKernelTy *Kernel)
+      : PluginImpl(Kernel), Kind(OL_SYMBOL_KIND_KERNEL) {}
+  std::variant<GenericKernelTy *> PluginImpl;
+  ol_symbol_kind_t Kind;
+};
+
 namespace llvm {
 namespace offload {
 
@@ -653,7 +661,7 @@ Error olDestroyProgram_impl(ol_program_handle_t Program) {
 }
 
 Error olGetKernel_impl(ol_program_handle_t Program, const char *KernelName,
-                       ol_kernel_handle_t *Kernel) {
+                       ol_symbol_handle_t *Kernel) {
 
   auto &Device = Program->Image->getDevice();
   auto KernelImpl = Device.constructKernel(KernelName);
@@ -663,13 +671,15 @@ Error olGetKernel_impl(ol_program_handle_t Program, const char *KernelName,
   if (auto Err = KernelImpl->init(Device, *Program->Image))
     return Err;
 
-  *Kernel = &*KernelImpl;
+  *Kernel = Program->Symbols
+                .emplace_back(std::make_unique<ol_symbol_impl_t>(&*KernelImpl))
+                .get();
 
   return Error::success();
 }
 
 Error olLaunchKernel_impl(ol_queue_handle_t Queue, ol_device_handle_t Device,
-                          ol_kernel_handle_t Kernel, const void *ArgumentsData,
+                          ol_symbol_handle_t Kernel, const void *ArgumentsData,
                           size_t ArgumentsSize,
                           const ol_kernel_launch_size_args_t *LaunchSizeArgs,
                           ol_event_handle_t *EventOut) {
@@ -680,6 +690,10 @@ Error olLaunchKernel_impl(ol_queue_handle_t Queue, ol_device_handle_t Device,
         "device specified does not match the device of the given queue");
   }
 
+  if (Kernel->Kind != OL_SYMBOL_KIND_KERNEL)
+    return createOffloadError(ErrorCode::SYMBOL_KIND,
+                              "provided symbol is not a kernel");
+
   auto *QueueImpl = Queue ? Queue->AsyncInfo : nullptr;
   AsyncInfoWrapperTy AsyncInfoWrapper(*DeviceImpl, QueueImpl);
   KernelArgsTy LaunchArgs{};
@@ -698,7 +712,7 @@ Error olLaunchKernel_impl(ol_queue_handle_t Queue, ol_device_handle_t Device,
   // Don't do anything with pointer indirection; use arg data as-is
   LaunchArgs.Flags.IsCUDA = true;
 
-  auto *KernelImpl = reinterpret_cast<GenericKernelTy *>(Kernel);
+  auto *KernelImpl = std::get<GenericKernelTy *>(Kernel->PluginImpl);
   auto Err = KernelImpl->launch(*DeviceImpl, LaunchArgs.ArgPtrs, nullptr,
                                 LaunchArgs, AsyncInfoWrapper);
 
diff --git a/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/common/Fixtures.hpp b/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/common/Fixtures.hpp
index 5a7f8cd51be1..e443d9761f30 100644
--- a/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/common/Fixtures.hpp
+++ b/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/common/Fixtures.hpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ struct OffloadKernelTest : OffloadProgramTest {
     RETURN_ON_FATAL_FAILURE(OffloadProgramTest::TearDown());
   }
 
-  ol_kernel_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
+  ol_symbol_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
 };
 
 struct OffloadQueueTest : OffloadDeviceTest {
diff --git a/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olGetKernel.cpp b/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olGetKernel.cpp
index 83755e554ebe..34870f1fbf0a 100644
--- a/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olGetKernel.cpp
+++ b/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olGetKernel.cpp
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ using olGetKernelTest = OffloadProgramTest;
 OFFLOAD_TESTS_INSTANTIATE_DEVICE_FIXTURE(olGetKernelTest);
 
 TEST_P(olGetKernelTest, Success) {
-  ol_kernel_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
+  ol_symbol_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
   ASSERT_SUCCESS(olGetKernel(Program, "foo", &Kernel));
   ASSERT_NE(Kernel, nullptr);
 }
 
 TEST_P(olGetKernelTest, InvalidNullProgram) {
-  ol_kernel_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
+  ol_symbol_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
   ASSERT_ERROR(OL_ERRC_INVALID_NULL_HANDLE,
                olGetKernel(nullptr, "foo", &Kernel));
 }
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ TEST_P(olGetKernelTest, InvalidNullKernelPointer) {
 
 // Error code returning from plugin interface not yet supported
 TEST_P(olGetKernelTest, InvalidKernelName) {
-  ol_kernel_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
+  ol_symbol_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
   ASSERT_ERROR(OL_ERRC_NOT_FOUND,
                olGetKernel(Program, "invalid_kernel_name", &Kernel));
 }
diff --git a/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olLaunchKernel.cpp b/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olLaunchKernel.cpp
index 41d5c79c42de..acda4795edec 100644
--- a/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olLaunchKernel.cpp
+++ b/offload/unittests/OffloadAPI/kernel/olLaunchKernel.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ struct LaunchSingleKernelTestBase : LaunchKernelTestBase {
     ASSERT_SUCCESS(olGetKernel(Program, kernel, &Kernel));
   }
 
-  ol_kernel_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
+  ol_symbol_handle_t Kernel = nullptr;
 };
 
 #define KERNEL_TEST(NAME, KERNEL)                                              \
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct LaunchMultipleKernelTestBase : LaunchKernelTestBase {
       ASSERT_SUCCESS(olGetKernel(Program, K, &Kernels[I++]));
   }
 
-  std::vector<ol_kernel_handle_t> Kernels;
+  std::vector<ol_symbol_handle_t> Kernels;
 };
 
 #define KERNEL_MULTI_TEST(NAME, PROGRAM, ...)                                  \