diff --git a/drivers/bluetooth/hci/ipm_stm32wb.c b/drivers/bluetooth/hci/ipm_stm32wb.c
index bae45b4d743..75d7a56a2a9 100644
--- a/drivers/bluetooth/hci/ipm_stm32wb.c
+++ b/drivers/bluetooth/hci/ipm_stm32wb.c
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ static void sysevt_received(void *pdata);
 #define HCI_SCO                 0x03
 #define HCI_EVT                 0x04
 
+#define STM32WB_C2_LOCK_TIMEOUT K_MSEC(500)
+
 static K_SEM_DEFINE(c2_started, 0, 1);
 static K_SEM_DEFINE(ble_sys_wait_cmd_rsp, 0, 1);
 static K_SEM_DEFINE(acl_data_ack, 1, 1);
@@ -490,31 +492,13 @@ static int bt_ipm_open(void)
 {
 	int err;
 
-	/* Start RX thread */
-	k_thread_create(&ipm_rx_thread_data, ipm_rx_stack,
-			K_KERNEL_STACK_SIZEOF(ipm_rx_stack),
-			(k_thread_entry_t)bt_ipm_rx_thread, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-			K_PRIO_COOP(CONFIG_BT_DRIVER_RX_HIGH_PRIO),
-			0, K_NO_WAIT);
-
-	/* Take BLE out of reset */
-	ipcc_reset();
-
-	transport_init();
-
-	/* Device will let us know when it's ready */
-	k_sem_take(&c2_started, K_FOREVER);
-	BT_DBG("C2 unlocked");
-
-	stm32wb_start_ble();
-
-	BT_DBG("IPM Channel Open Completed");
-
 	err = bt_ipm_ble_init();
 	if (err) {
 		return err;
 	}
 
+	BT_DBG("IPM Channel Open Completed");
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -533,6 +517,27 @@ static int _bt_ipm_init(const struct device *unused)
 	bt_hci_driver_register(&drv);
 
 	start_ble_rf();
+
+	/* Start RX thread */
+	k_thread_create(&ipm_rx_thread_data, ipm_rx_stack,
+			K_KERNEL_STACK_SIZEOF(ipm_rx_stack),
+			(k_thread_entry_t)bt_ipm_rx_thread, NULL, NULL, NULL,
+			K_PRIO_COOP(CONFIG_BT_DRIVER_RX_HIGH_PRIO),
+			0, K_NO_WAIT);
+
+	/* Take BLE out of reset */
+	ipcc_reset();
+
+	transport_init();
+
+	/* Device will let us know when it's ready */
+	if (k_sem_take(&c2_started, STM32WB_C2_LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
+		return -ETIMEDOUT;
+	}
+	BT_DBG("C2 unlocked");
+
+	stm32wb_start_ble();
+
 	return 0;
 }