diff --git a/sycl/include/sycl/detail/common.hpp b/sycl/include/sycl/detail/common.hpp
index 72249f860067c..8032d4d34c39e 100644
--- a/sycl/include/sycl/detail/common.hpp
+++ b/sycl/include/sycl/detail/common.hpp
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ namespace detail {
 //   template <class T>
 //   friend decltype(T::impl) detail::getSyclObjImpl(const T &SyclObject);
 template <class Obj> decltype(Obj::impl) getSyclObjImpl(const Obj &SyclObject) {
+  assert(SyclObject.impl && "every constructor should create an impl");
   return SyclObject.impl;
 }
 
diff --git a/sycl/include/sycl/handler.hpp b/sycl/include/sycl/handler.hpp
index 5a27567ce90ed..bcb6cc2fdefda 100644
--- a/sycl/include/sycl/handler.hpp
+++ b/sycl/include/sycl/handler.hpp
@@ -1290,6 +1290,8 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
   std::shared_ptr<detail::kernel_bundle_impl>
   getOrInsertHandlerKernelBundle(bool Insert) const;
 
+  void setHandlerKernelBundle(kernel Kernel);
+
   void setHandlerKernelBundle(
       const std::shared_ptr<detail::kernel_bundle_impl> &NewKernelBundleImpPtr);
 
@@ -1918,7 +1920,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     verifyKernelInvoc(Kernel);
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     // No need to check if range is out of INT_MAX limits as it's compile-time
     // known constant
     MNDRDesc.set(range<1>{1});
@@ -1991,7 +1993,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
   void single_task(kernel Kernel, _KERNELFUNCPARAM(KernelFunc)) {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     using NameT =
         typename detail::get_kernel_name_t<KernelName, KernelType>::name;
     verifyUsedKernelBundle(detail::KernelInfo<NameT>::getName());
@@ -2037,7 +2039,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
                     _KERNELFUNCPARAM(KernelFunc)) {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     using NameT =
         typename detail::get_kernel_name_t<KernelName, KernelType>::name;
     verifyUsedKernelBundle(detail::KernelInfo<NameT>::getName());
@@ -2075,7 +2077,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
                     id<Dims> WorkItemOffset, _KERNELFUNCPARAM(KernelFunc)) {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     using NameT =
         typename detail::get_kernel_name_t<KernelName, KernelType>::name;
     verifyUsedKernelBundle(detail::KernelInfo<NameT>::getName());
@@ -2113,7 +2115,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
                     _KERNELFUNCPARAM(KernelFunc)) {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     using NameT =
         typename detail::get_kernel_name_t<KernelName, KernelType>::name;
     verifyUsedKernelBundle(detail::KernelInfo<NameT>::getName());
@@ -2155,7 +2157,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
                                _KERNELFUNCPARAM(KernelFunc)) {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     using NameT =
         typename detail::get_kernel_name_t<KernelName, KernelType>::name;
     verifyUsedKernelBundle(detail::KernelInfo<NameT>::getName());
@@ -2195,7 +2197,7 @@ class __SYCL_EXPORT handler {
                                _KERNELFUNCPARAM(KernelFunc)) {
     throwIfActionIsCreated();
     // Ignore any set kernel bundles and use the one associated with the kernel
-    setHandlerKernelBundle(detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel.get_kernel_bundle()));
+    setHandlerKernelBundle(Kernel);
     using NameT =
         typename detail::get_kernel_name_t<KernelName, KernelType>::name;
     verifyUsedKernelBundle(detail::KernelInfo<NameT>::getName());
diff --git a/sycl/source/handler.cpp b/sycl/source/handler.cpp
index ca3b6d6b06ae8..5b751590f403c 100644
--- a/sycl/source/handler.cpp
+++ b/sycl/source/handler.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,15 @@ void handler::setHandlerKernelBundle(
   MImpl->MKernelBundle = NewKernelBundleImpPtr;
 }
 
+void handler::setHandlerKernelBundle(kernel Kernel) {
+  // Kernel may not have an associated kernel bundle if it is created from a
+  // program. As such, apply getSyclObjImpl directly on the kernel, i.e. not
+  //  the other way around: getSyclObjImp(Kernel->get_kernel_bundle()).
+  std::shared_ptr<detail::kernel_bundle_impl> KernelBundleImpl =
+      detail::getSyclObjImpl(Kernel)->get_kernel_bundle();
+  setHandlerKernelBundle(KernelBundleImpl);
+}
+
 event handler::finalize() {
   // This block of code is needed only for reduction implementation.
   // It is harmless (does nothing) for everything else.
diff --git a/sycl/test/abi/sycl_symbols_linux.dump b/sycl/test/abi/sycl_symbols_linux.dump
index 0536819dede58..8dfeecc077c44 100644
--- a/sycl/test/abi/sycl_symbols_linux.dump
+++ b/sycl/test/abi/sycl_symbols_linux.dump
@@ -3957,6 +3957,7 @@ _ZN4sycl3_V17handler18extractArgsAndReqsEv
 _ZN4sycl3_V17handler20DisableRangeRoundingEv
 _ZN4sycl3_V17handler20associateWithHandlerEPNS0_6detail16AccessorBaseHostENS0_6access6targetE
 _ZN4sycl3_V17handler20setStateSpecConstSetEv
+_ZN4sycl3_V17handler22setHandlerKernelBundleENS0_6kernelE
 _ZN4sycl3_V17handler22setHandlerKernelBundleERKSt10shared_ptrINS0_6detail18kernel_bundle_implEE
 _ZN4sycl3_V17handler22verifyUsedKernelBundleERKNSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEE
 _ZN4sycl3_V17handler24GetRangeRoundingSettingsERmS2_S2_