diff --git a/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/Makefile b/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/Makefile
index 3ec95dde9c1..bf13f05ae76 100644
--- a/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/Makefile
+++ b/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-MDEF_FILE = prj.mdef
+MDEF_FILE ?= prj.mdef
 BOARD ?= qemu_x86
 CONF_FILE = prj.conf
 
diff --git a/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/debug.mdef b/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/debug.mdef
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4e18b5ee6c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/debug.mdef
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+% Application       : test microkernel semaphore APIs
+
+% TASKGROUP	NAME
+% =====================================================
+  TASKGROUP	TEST
+
+% TASK NAME       PRIO ENTRY               STACK GROUPS
+% =====================================================
+  TASK MONITORTASK   5 MonitorTaskEntry     1024  [EXE]
+  TASK tHigh         4 HighPriTaskEntry     1024  [TEST]
+  TASK tStartTask    5 RegressionTaskEntry  1024  [TEST]
+  TASK tAlternate    6 AlternateTaskEntry   1024  [TEST]
+  TASK tLow          7 LowPriTaskEntry      1024  [TEST]
+
+% SEMA NAME
+% ======================
+  SEMA SEM_TASKDONE
+  SEMA SEM_TASKFAIL
+  SEMA SIMPLE_SEM
+  SEMA ALTTASK_SEM
+  SEMA HIGH_PRI_SEM
+  SEMA MANY_BLOCKED_SEM
+  SEMA GROUP_SEM1
+  SEMA GROUP_SEM2
+  SEMA GROUP_SEM3
+  SEMA GROUP_SEM4
+  SEMA BLOCK_HP_SEM
+  SEMA BLOCK_LP_SEM
+  SEMA BLOCK_MP_SEM
diff --git a/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/testcase.ini b/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/testcase.ini
index 4ff0ab2de22..6c148785145 100644
--- a/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/testcase.ini
+++ b/tests/legacy/kernel/test_sema/microkernel/testcase.ini
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
 [test]
 tags = bat_commit core
+filter = not CONFIG_DEBUG
 
+[test_dbg]
+tags = bat_commit core debug
+extra_args = MDEF_FILE=debug.mdef
+filter = CONFIG_DEBUG