diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 4224c1ea2b1..4272e15578f 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -4155,9 +4155,11 @@ void k_pipe_init(struct k_pipe *pipe, unsigned char *buffer, size_t size);
  * if the buffer wasn't dynamically allocated.
  *
  * @param pipe Address of the pipe.
+ * @retval 0 on success
+ * @retval -EAGAIN nothing to cleanup
  * @req K-PIPE-002
  */
-void k_pipe_cleanup(struct k_pipe *pipe);
+int k_pipe_cleanup(struct k_pipe *pipe);
 
 /**
  * @brief Initialize a pipe and allocate a buffer for it
@@ -4216,6 +4218,7 @@ __syscall int k_pipe_put(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data,
  *                and K_FOREVER.
  *
  * @retval 0 At least @a min_xfer bytes of data were read.
+ * @retval -EINVAL invalid parameters supplied
  * @retval -EIO Returned without waiting; zero data bytes were read.
  * @retval -EAGAIN Waiting period timed out; between zero and @a min_xfer
  *                 minus one data bytes were read.
diff --git a/kernel/pipes.c b/kernel/pipes.c
index 78417cff692..f315b435481 100644
--- a/kernel/pipes.c
+++ b/kernel/pipes.c
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 #include <sys/dlist.h>
 #include <init.h>
 #include <syscall_handler.h>
-#include <sys/__assert.h>
 #include <kernel_internal.h>
+#include <sys/check.h>
 
 struct k_pipe_desc {
 	unsigned char *buffer;           /* Position in src/dest buffer */
@@ -174,16 +174,19 @@ static inline int z_vrfy_k_pipe_alloc_init(struct k_pipe *pipe, size_t size)
 #include <syscalls/k_pipe_alloc_init_mrsh.c>
 #endif
 
-void k_pipe_cleanup(struct k_pipe *pipe)
+int k_pipe_cleanup(struct k_pipe *pipe)
 {
-	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(!z_waitq_head(&pipe->wait_q.readers));
-	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(!z_waitq_head(&pipe->wait_q.writers));
+	CHECKIF(z_waitq_head(&pipe->wait_q.readers) != NULL ||
+			z_waitq_head(&pipe->wait_q.writers) != NULL) {
+		return -EAGAIN;
+	}
 
 	if ((pipe->flags & K_PIPE_FLAG_ALLOC) != 0) {
 		k_free(pipe->buffer);
 		pipe->buffer = NULL;
 		pipe->flags &= ~K_PIPE_FLAG_ALLOC;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -438,6 +441,10 @@ int z_pipe_put_internal(struct k_pipe *pipe, struct k_pipe_async *async_desc,
 	ARG_UNUSED(async_desc);
 #endif
 
+	CHECKIF((min_xfer > bytes_to_write) || bytes_written == NULL) {
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&pipe->lock);
 
 	/*
@@ -577,8 +584,9 @@ int z_impl_k_pipe_get(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data, size_t bytes_to_read,
 	size_t         num_bytes_read = 0;
 	size_t         bytes_copied;
 
-	__ASSERT(min_xfer <= bytes_to_read, "");
-	__ASSERT(bytes_read != NULL, "");
+	CHECKIF((min_xfer > bytes_to_read) || bytes_read == NULL) {
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 
 	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&pipe->lock);
 
@@ -586,7 +594,6 @@ int z_impl_k_pipe_get(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data, size_t bytes_to_read,
 	 * Create a list of "working readers" into which the data will be
 	 * directly copied.
 	 */
-
 	if (!pipe_xfer_prepare(&xfer_list, &writer, &pipe->wait_q.writers,
 				pipe->bytes_used, bytes_to_read,
 				min_xfer, timeout)) {
@@ -718,7 +725,6 @@ int z_vrfy_k_pipe_get(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data, size_t bytes_to_read,
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_OBJ(pipe, K_OBJ_PIPE));
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE(bytes_read, sizeof(*bytes_read)));
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE((void *)data, bytes_to_read));
-	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_VERIFY(min_xfer <= bytes_to_read));
 
 	return z_impl_k_pipe_get((struct k_pipe *)pipe, (void *)data,
 				bytes_to_read, bytes_read, min_xfer,
@@ -730,9 +736,6 @@ int z_vrfy_k_pipe_get(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data, size_t bytes_to_read,
 int z_impl_k_pipe_put(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data, size_t bytes_to_write,
 		     size_t *bytes_written, size_t min_xfer, s32_t timeout)
 {
-	__ASSERT(min_xfer <= bytes_to_write, "");
-	__ASSERT(bytes_written != NULL, "");
-
 	return z_pipe_put_internal(pipe, NULL, data,
 				    bytes_to_write, bytes_written,
 				    min_xfer, timeout);
@@ -745,7 +748,6 @@ int z_vrfy_k_pipe_put(struct k_pipe *pipe, void *data, size_t bytes_to_write,
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_OBJ(pipe, K_OBJ_PIPE));
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE(bytes_written, sizeof(*bytes_written)));
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_MEMORY_READ((void *)data, bytes_to_write));
-	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_VERIFY(min_xfer <= bytes_to_write));
 
 	return z_impl_k_pipe_put((struct k_pipe *)pipe, (void *)data,
 				bytes_to_write, bytes_written, min_xfer,
diff --git a/tests/kernel/pipe/pipe/src/test_pipe.c b/tests/kernel/pipe/pipe/src/test_pipe.c
index 76fc2d7d8a9..d63a3e10fcf 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/pipe/pipe/src/test_pipe.c
+++ b/tests/kernel/pipe/pipe/src/test_pipe.c
@@ -813,22 +813,16 @@ void test_pipe_get_timeout(void)
  * @ingroup kernel_pipe_tests
  * @see k_pipe_get()
  */
-#ifdef CONFIG_USERSPACE
-/* userspace invalid size */
 void test_pipe_get_invalid_size(void)
 {
 	size_t read;
+	int ret;
 
 	valid_fault = true;
-	k_pipe_get(&test_pipe, &rx_buffer,
+	ret = k_pipe_get(&test_pipe, &rx_buffer,
 		   0, &read,
 		   1, TIMEOUT_200MSEC);
 
-	zassert_unreachable("fault didn't occur for min_xfer <= bytes_to_read");
+	zassert_equal(ret, -EINVAL,
+		      "fault didn't occur for min_xfer <= bytes_to_read");
 }
-#else
-void test_pipe_get_invalid_size(void)
-{
-	ztest_test_skip();
-}
-#endif