diff --git a/tools/export/exporters.py b/tools/export/exporters.py
index 2273bf0482..9ccdfa7926 100644
--- a/tools/export/exporters.py
+++ b/tools/export/exporters.py
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ class OldLibrariesException(Exception): pass
 
 class FailedBuildException(Exception) : pass
 
+# Exporter descriptor for TARGETS
+# TARGETS as class attribute for backward compatibility (allows: if in Exporter.TARGETS)
+class ExporterTargetsProperty(object):
+    def __init__(self, func):
+        self.func = func
+    def __get__(self, inst, cls):
+        return self.func(cls)
+
 class Exporter(object):
     TEMPLATE_DIR = dirname(__file__)
     DOT_IN_RELATIVE_PATH = False
diff --git a/tools/export/iar.py b/tools/export/iar.py
index 2329fdfd16..79fc4a2fd3 100644
--- a/tools/export/iar.py
+++ b/tools/export/iar.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import re
 import os
 from project_generator_definitions.definitions import ProGenDef
 
-from tools.export.exporters import Exporter
+from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, ExporterTargetsProperty
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP, TARGET_NAMES
 
 # If you wish to add a new target, add it to project_generator_definitions, and then
@@ -35,19 +35,19 @@ class IAREmbeddedWorkbench(Exporter):
 
     MBED_CONFIG_HEADER_SUPPORTED = True
 
-    @property
-    def TARGETS(self):
-        if not hasattr(self, "_targets_supported"):
-            self._targets_supported = []
+    @ExporterTargetsProperty
+    def TARGETS(cls):
+        if not hasattr(cls, "_targets_supported"):
+            cls._targets_supported = []
             for target in TARGET_NAMES:
                 try:
                     if (ProGenDef('iar').is_supported(str(TARGET_MAP[target])) or
                         ProGenDef('iar').is_supported(TARGET_MAP[target].progen['target'])):
-                        self._targets_supported.append(target)
+                        cls._targets_supported.append(target)
                 except AttributeError:
                     # target is not supported yet
                     continue
-        return self._targets_supported
+        return cls._targets_supported
 
     def generate(self, progen_build=False):
         """ Generates the project files """
diff --git a/tools/export/uvision4.py b/tools/export/uvision4.py
index a46822f173..a3febd616a 100644
--- a/tools/export/uvision4.py
+++ b/tools/export/uvision4.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 from os.path import basename, join, dirname
 from project_generator_definitions.definitions import ProGenDef
 
-from tools.export.exporters import Exporter
+from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, ExporterTargetsProperty
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP, TARGET_NAMES
 from tools.settings import ARM_INC
 
@@ -36,19 +36,19 @@ class Uvision4(Exporter):
 
     MBED_CONFIG_HEADER_SUPPORTED = True
 
-    @property
-    def TARGETS(self):
-        if not hasattr(self, "_targets_supported"):
-            self._targets_supported = []
+    @ExporterTargetsProperty
+    def TARGETS(cls):
+        if not hasattr(cls, "_targets_supported"):
+            cls._targets_supported = []
             for target in TARGET_NAMES:
                 try:
                     if (ProGenDef('uvision').is_supported(str(TARGET_MAP[target])) or
                         ProGenDef('uvision').is_supported(TARGET_MAP[target].progen['target'])):
-                        self._targets_supported.append(target)
+                        cls._targets_supported.append(target)
                 except AttributeError:
                     # target is not supported yet
                     continue
-        return self._targets_supported
+        return cls._targets_supported
 
     def get_toolchain(self):
         return TARGET_MAP[self.target].default_toolchain
diff --git a/tools/export/uvision5.py b/tools/export/uvision5.py
index 75da61089c..543625a237 100644
--- a/tools/export/uvision5.py
+++ b/tools/export/uvision5.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 from os.path import basename, join, dirname
 from project_generator_definitions.definitions import ProGenDef
 
-from tools.export.exporters import Exporter
+from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, ExporterTargetsProperty
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP, TARGET_NAMES
 from tools.settings import ARM_INC
 
@@ -36,23 +36,19 @@ class Uvision5(Exporter):
 
     MBED_CONFIG_HEADER_SUPPORTED = True
 
-    # backward compatibility with our scripts
-    def __init__(self):
-        self._targets = []
-
-    @property
-    def TARGETS(self):
-        if not hasattr(self, "_targets_supported"):
-            self._targets_supported = []
+    @ExporterTargetsProperty
+    def TARGETS(cls):
+        if not hasattr(cls, "_targets_supported"):
+            cls._targets_supported = []
             for target in TARGET_NAMES:
                 try:
                     if (ProGenDef('uvision5').is_supported(str(TARGET_MAP[target])) or
                         ProGenDef('uvision5').is_supported(TARGET_MAP[target].progen['target'])):
-                        self._targets_supported.append(target)
+                        cls._targets_supported.append(target)
                 except AttributeError:
                     # target is not supported yet
                     continue
-        return self._targets_supported
+        return cls._targets_supported
 
     def get_toolchain(self):
         return TARGET_MAP[self.target].default_toolchain