diff --git a/builder/src/firmware.rs b/builder/src/firmware.rs
index 8e759ceb94..c9dab807ba 100644
--- a/builder/src/firmware.rs
+++ b/builder/src/firmware.rs
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ pub const FMC_FAKE_WITH_UART: FwId = FwId {
 pub const APP: FwId = FwId {
     crate_name: "caliptra-runtime",
     bin_name: "caliptra-runtime",
-    features: &["fips_self_test"],
+    features: &["fips_self_test", "arbitrary_max_handles"],
 };
 
 pub const APP_WITH_UART: FwId = FwId {
     crate_name: "caliptra-runtime",
     bin_name: "caliptra-runtime",
-    features: &["emu", "fips_self_test"],
+    features: &["emu", "fips_self_test", "arbitrary_max_handles"],
 };
 
 pub const APP_WITH_UART_FPGA: FwId = FwId {
diff --git a/drivers/src/memory_layout.rs b/drivers/src/memory_layout.rs
index 1de4524454..e9760e07d6 100644
--- a/drivers/src/memory_layout.rs
+++ b/drivers/src/memory_layout.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ pub const RTALIAS_TBS_SIZE: u32 = 1024;
 pub const PCR_LOG_SIZE: u32 = 1024;
 pub const MEASUREMENT_LOG_SIZE: u32 = 1024;
 pub const FUSE_LOG_SIZE: u32 = 1024;
-pub const DPE_SIZE: u32 = 4 * 1024;
+pub const DPE_SIZE: u32 = 5 * 1024;
 pub const PCR_RESET_COUNTER_SIZE: u32 = 1024;
 pub const DATA_SIZE: u32 = 78 * 1024;
 pub const STACK_SIZE: u32 = 22 * 1024;
diff --git a/drivers/src/persistent.rs b/drivers/src/persistent.rs
index e58ed69706..4e0bfddcdc 100644
--- a/drivers/src/persistent.rs
+++ b/drivers/src/persistent.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ pub const PCR_LOG_MAX_COUNT: usize = 17;
 pub const FUSE_LOG_MAX_COUNT: usize = 62;
 pub const MEASUREMENT_MAX_COUNT: usize = 8;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+const DPE_DCCM_STORAGE: usize = size_of::<DpeInstance>()
+    + size_of::<u32>() * MAX_HANDLES
+    + size_of::<U8Bool>() * MAX_HANDLES
+    + size_of::<U8Bool>();
+
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+const _: () = assert!(DPE_DCCM_STORAGE < memory_layout::DPE_SIZE as usize);
+
 pub type PcrLogArray = [PcrLogEntry; PCR_LOG_MAX_COUNT];
 pub type FuseLogArray = [FuseLogEntry; FUSE_LOG_MAX_COUNT];
 pub type StashMeasurementArray = [MeasurementLogEntry; MEASUREMENT_MAX_COUNT];
@@ -63,11 +72,7 @@ pub struct PersistentData {
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
     pub attestation_disabled: U8Bool,
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
-    reserved6: [u8; memory_layout::DPE_SIZE as usize
-        - size_of::<DpeInstance>()
-        - size_of::<u32>() * MAX_HANDLES
-        - size_of::<U8Bool>() * MAX_HANDLES
-        - size_of::<U8Bool>()],
+    reserved6: [u8; memory_layout::DPE_SIZE as usize - DPE_DCCM_STORAGE],
     #[cfg(not(feature = "runtime"))]
     dpe: [u8; memory_layout::DPE_SIZE as usize],
     #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
diff --git a/runtime/build.rs b/runtime/build.rs
index dc1c5989f9..284605d429 100644
--- a/runtime/build.rs
+++ b/runtime/build.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ fn main() {
 
             println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=-Tlink.x");
             println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
+            println!("cargo:rustc-env=ARBITRARY_MAX_HANDLES=32");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/runtime/build.sh b/runtime/build.sh
index 0699c1e463..4d38168cfd 100755
--- a/runtime/build.sh
+++ b/runtime/build.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 
 cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
 
-ARBITRARY_MAX_HANDLES=24 cargo build \
- --features arbitrary_max_handles \
+cargo build \
   --locked \
   --target riscv32imc-unknown-none-elf \
   --profile=firmware \
diff --git a/runtime/src/lib.rs b/runtime/src/lib.rs
index eb4d8e77b4..b2d6b879e0 100644
--- a/runtime/src/lib.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/lib.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ pub const DPE_SUPPORT: Support = Support::all();
 pub const MAX_CERT_CHAIN_SIZE: usize = 4096;
 
 pub const PL0_PAUSER_FLAG: u32 = 1;
+#[cfg(not(feature = "arbitrary_max_handles"))]
 pub const PL0_DPE_ACTIVE_CONTEXT_THRESHOLD: usize = 8;
+#[cfg(feature = "arbitrary_max_handles")]
+pub const PL0_DPE_ACTIVE_CONTEXT_THRESHOLD: usize = 16;
 pub const PL1_DPE_ACTIVE_CONTEXT_THRESHOLD: usize = 16;
 
 pub struct CptraDpeTypes;