diff --git a/kernel/include/ksched.h b/kernel/include/ksched.h
index d8aecfbae9e..31ef141334e 100644
--- a/kernel/include/ksched.h
+++ b/kernel/include/ksched.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ void _pend_thread(struct k_thread *thread, _wait_q_t *wait_q, s32_t timeout);
 int _reschedule(int key);
 struct k_thread *_unpend_first_thread(_wait_q_t *wait_q);
 void _unpend_thread(struct k_thread *thread);
+void _unpend_all(_wait_q_t *wait_q);
 void _thread_priority_set(struct k_thread *thread, int prio);
 void *_get_next_switch_handle(void *interrupted);
 struct k_thread *_find_first_thread_to_unpend(_wait_q_t *wait_q,
diff --git a/kernel/mempool.c b/kernel/mempool.c
index 774f7b77b70..58f07bb1b97 100644
--- a/kernel/mempool.c
+++ b/kernel/mempool.c
@@ -99,13 +99,7 @@ void k_mem_pool_free_id(struct k_mem_block_id *id)
 	 */
 	key = irq_lock();
 
-	while (!sys_dlist_is_empty(&p->wait_q)) {
-		struct k_thread *th = (void *)sys_dlist_peek_head(&p->wait_q);
-
-		_unpend_thread(th);
-		_ready_thread(th);
-		need_sched = 1;
-	}
+	_unpend_all(&p->wait_q);
 
 	if (need_sched && !_is_in_isr()) {
 		_reschedule(key);
diff --git a/kernel/sched.c b/kernel/sched.c
index ef7a6857bc6..a2b6624ea52 100644
--- a/kernel/sched.c
+++ b/kernel/sched.c
@@ -337,6 +337,18 @@ struct k_thread *_unpend_first_thread(_wait_q_t *wait_q)
 	return t;
 }
 
+void _unpend_all(_wait_q_t *waitq)
+{
+	while (!sys_dlist_is_empty(waitq)) {
+		struct k_thread *th = (void *)sys_dlist_peek_head(waitq);
+
+		_unpend_thread(th);
+		_ready_thread(th);
+		need_sched = 1;
+	}
+}
+
+
 /* Block the current thread and swap to the next.  Releases the
  * irq_lock, does a _Swap and returns the return value set at wakeup
  * time