diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_and_run_test_app_usb.yml b/.github/workflows/build_and_run_test_app_usb.yml
index 0d0629cc..b2bbdfa6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_and_run_test_app_usb.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_and_run_test_app_usb.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        idf_ver: ["release-v5.0", "release-v5.1", "release-v5.2", "latest"]
+        idf_ver: ["release-v4.4", "release-v5.0", "release-v5.1", "release-v5.2", "latest"]
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     container: espressif/idf:${{ matrix.idf_ver }}
     steps:
diff --git a/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/CMakeLists.txt b/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/CMakeLists.txt
index 3ac869f1..2faba3ed 100644
--- a/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,4 +2,14 @@
 # CMakeLists in this exact order for cmake to work correctly
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
 include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
+
+# Set the components to include the tests for.
+set(TEST_COMPONENTS)
+set(EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS)
+
+if("${IDF_VERSION_MAJOR}.${IDF_VERSION_MINOR}" VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL "5.0")
+    list(APPEND EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS ../)
+    list(APPEND TEST_COMPONENTS "esp_tinyusb")
+endif()
+
 project(test_app_usb_device_esp_tinyusb)
diff --git a/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt b/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 02fd48c9..caa61dd1 100644
--- a/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,26 @@
+include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/version.cmake)
+set (TINYUSB_LIB)
+if("${IDF_VERSION_MAJOR}.${IDF_VERSION_MINOR}" VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL "5.0")
+    set(TINYUSB_LIB "esp_tinyusb")
+else()
+    set(TINYUSB_LIB "tinyusb")
+endif()
+
+# TODO: once IDF_v4.4 is at the EOL support, use WHOLE_ARCHIVE
 idf_component_register(SRCS "test_esp_tinyusb.c" "test_bvalid_sig.c" "test_app_main.c"
                        INCLUDE_DIRS "."
-                       REQUIRES unity esp_tinyusb
-                       WHOLE_ARCHIVE)
+                       REQUIRES unity ${TINYUSB_LIB})
+
+# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
+# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+
+# Due to the backward compatibility to IDFv4.4 (in which WHOLE_ARCHIVE is not implemented) we use following approach:
+#   Any non-static function from test_app/main/*.c (apart from test_app_main.c) file is added as an undefined symbol
+#   because otherwise the linker will ignore test_app/main/*.c as it has no other files depending on any
+#   symbols in it.
+
+# force-link test_bvalid_sig.c
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u tud_mount_cb")
+# force-link test_esp_tinyusb.c -  void function linker_hook created because:
+# no non-static function, no dependency to already force-linked test_bvalid_sig.c
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u linker_hook")
diff --git a/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/test_esp_tinyusb.c b/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/test_esp_tinyusb.c
index de8a7ea6..b71d4870 100644
--- a/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/test_esp_tinyusb.c
+++ b/device/esp_tinyusb/test_app/main/test_esp_tinyusb.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 
 #define VFS_PATH "/dev/usb-cdc1"
 
+// idf_component_register(WHOLE_ARCHIVE) backward compatibility to IDF_v4.4
+void linker_hook(void) {};
+
 static const tusb_desc_device_t cdc_device_descriptor = {
     .bLength = sizeof(cdc_device_descriptor),
     .bDescriptorType = TUSB_DESC_DEVICE,
diff --git a/host/class/cdc/usb_host_cdc_acm/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt b/host/class/cdc/usb_host_cdc_acm/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 1c29af0e..24599850 100644
--- a/host/class/cdc/usb_host_cdc_acm/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/host/class/cdc/usb_host_cdc_acm/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,18 @@ else()
     set(TINYUSB_LIB "tinyusb")
 endif()
 
-# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
-# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+# TODO: once IDF_v4.4 is at the EOL support, use WHOLE_ARCHIVE
 idf_component_register(SRCS "test_cdc_acm_host.c" "usb_device.c" "test_app_main.c"
                        INCLUDE_DIRS "."
-                       REQUIRES usb_host_cdc_acm unity ${TINYUSB_LIB}
-                       WHOLE_ARCHIVE)
+                       REQUIRES usb_host_cdc_acm unity ${TINYUSB_LIB})
+
+# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
+# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+
+# Due to the backward compatibility to IDFv4.4 (in which WHOLE_ARCHIVE is not implemented) we use following approach:
+#   Any non-static function test_app/main/*.c (apart from test_app_main.c) file is added as an undefined symbol
+#   because otherwise the linker will ignore test_app/main/*.c as it has no other files depending on any
+#   symbols in it.
+
+# force-link test_cdc_acm_host.c
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u usb_lib_task")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/host/class/hid/usb_host_hid/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt b/host/class/hid/usb_host_hid/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f90214f..00e10eca 100644
--- a/host/class/hid/usb_host_hid/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/host/class/hid/usb_host_hid/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,20 @@ else()
     set(TINYUSB_LIB "tinyusb")
 endif()
 
-# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
-# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+# TODO: once IDF_v4.4 is at the EOL support, use WHOLE_ARCHIVE
 idf_component_register(SRC_DIRS .
                        INCLUDE_DIRS .
-                       REQUIRES unity usb usb_host_hid ${TINYUSB_LIB}
-                       WHOLE_ARCHIVE)
+                       REQUIRES unity usb usb_host_hid ${TINYUSB_LIB})
+
+# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
+# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+
+# Due to the backward compatibility to IDFv4.4 (in which WHOLE_ARCHIVE is not implemented) we use following approach:
+#   Any non-static function test_app/main/*.c (apart from test_app_main.c) file is added as an undefined symbol
+#   because otherwise the linker will ignore test_app/main/*.c as it has no other files depending on any
+#   symbols in it.
+
+# force-link test_hid_basic.c
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u test_hid_setup")
+# force-link test_hid_err_handling.c
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u test_interface_callback_handler")
diff --git a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 5fabfc35..e1d5d55a 100644
--- a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,19 @@ else()
     set(TINYUSB_LIB "tinyusb")
 endif()
 
-# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
-# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+# TODO: once IDF_v4.4 is at the EOL support, use WHOLE_ARCHIVE
 idf_component_register(SRC_DIRS .
                        INCLUDE_DIRS .
-                       REQUIRES unity usb usb_host_msc ${TINYUSB_LIB}
-                       WHOLE_ARCHIVE)
+                       REQUIRES unity usb usb_host_msc ${TINYUSB_LIB})
+
+# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
+# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+
+# Due to the backward compatibility to IDFv4.4 (in which WHOLE_ARCHIVE is not implemented) we use following approach:
+#   Any non-static function test_app/main/*.c (apart from test_app_main.c) file is added as an undefined symbol
+#   because otherwise the linker will ignore test_app/main/*.c as it has no other files depending on any
+#   symbols in it.
+
+# force-link test_msc.c -  void function linker_hook created because:
+# no non-static function
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u linker_hook")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c
index bdf4048f..05f03f6e 100644
--- a/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c
+++ b/host/class/msc/usb_host_msc/test_app/main/test_msc.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 
 #if SOC_USB_OTG_SUPPORTED
 
+// idf_component_register(WHOLE_ARCHIVE) backward compatibility to IDF_v4.4
+void linker_hook(void) {};
+
 static const char *TAG = "APP";
 
 #define ESP_OK_ASSERT(exp) TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(ESP_OK, exp)
diff --git a/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt b/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 4707f6fc..bf85849f 100644
--- a/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,19 @@ else()
     set(TINYUSB_LIB "tinyusb")
 endif()
 
-# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
-# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+# TODO: once IDF_v4.4 is at the EOL support, use WHOLE_ARCHIVE
 idf_component_register(SRCS "test_uvc.c" "libusb_parse.c" "test_app_main.c"
                        INCLUDE_DIRS "." "../../private_include"
-                       REQUIRES usb_host_uvc usb unity
-                       WHOLE_ARCHIVE)
+                       REQUIRES usb_host_uvc usb unity)
+
+# In order for the cases defined by `TEST_CASE` to be linked into the final elf,
+# the component can be registered as WHOLE_ARCHIVE
+
+# Due to the backward compatibility to IDFv4.4 (in which WHOLE_ARCHIVE is not implemented) we use following approach:
+#   Any non-static function from test_app/main/*.c (apart from test_app_main.c) file is added as an undefined symbol
+#   because otherwise the linker will ignore test_app/main/*.c as it has no other files depending on any
+#   symbols in it.
+
+# force-link test_uvc.c -  void function linker_hook created because:
+# no non-static function
+set_property(TARGET ${COMPONENT_LIB} APPEND PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "-u linker_hook")
diff --git a/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/test_uvc.c b/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/test_uvc.c
index c8f4ccbe..fac6b014 100644
--- a/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/test_uvc.c
+++ b/host/class/uvc/usb_host_uvc/test_app/main/test_uvc.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2022 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 int libusb_parse_configuration(struct libusb_config_descriptor *config, const uint8_t *buffer, int size);
 void libusb_clear_config_descriptor(struct libusb_config_descriptor *config);
 
+// idf_component_register(WHOLE_ARCHIVE) backward compatibility to IDF_v4.4
+void linker_hook(void) {};
+
 const uint8_t CANYON_CNE_CWC2[] = {
     0x09, 0x02, 0x7d, 0x02, 0x04, 0x01, 0x00, 0x80, 0xfa, 0x08, 0x0b, 0x00, 0x02, 0x0e, 0x03, 0x00,
     0x05, 0x09, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x0e, 0x01, 0x00, 0x05, 0x0d, 0x24, 0x01, 0x00, 0x01, 0x4d,