diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpio_gecko.c b/drivers/gpio/gpio_gecko.c
index 6e209f4c33c..9e211639c64 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpio_gecko.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpio_gecko.c
@@ -283,24 +283,6 @@ DEVICE_AND_API_INIT(gpio_gecko_common, DT_GPIO_GECKO_COMMON_NAME,
 
 static int gpio_gecko_common_init(struct device *dev)
 {
-	/* Serial Wire Output (SWO) pin is controlled by GPIO module, configure
-	 * if enabled.
-	 */
-#if defined(DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION)
-	struct soc_gpio_pin pin_swo = PIN_SWO;
-
-#if defined(_GPIO_ROUTEPEN_MASK)
-	/* Enable Serial wire output pin */
-	GPIO->ROUTEPEN |= GPIO_ROUTEPEN_SWVPEN;
-	/* Set SWO location */
-	GPIO->ROUTELOC0 =
-		DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION << _GPIO_ROUTELOC0_SWVLOC_SHIFT;
-#else
-	GPIO->ROUTE = GPIO_ROUTE_SWOPEN | (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION << 8);
-#endif
-	soc_gpio_configure(&pin_swo);
-#endif /* defined(DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION) */
-
 	gpio_gecko_common_data.count = 0;
 	IRQ_CONNECT(GPIO_EVEN_IRQn, DT_GPIO_GECKO_COMMON_EVEN_PRI,
 		    gpio_gecko_common_isr, DEVICE_GET(gpio_gecko_common), 0);
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/common/soc.c b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/common/soc.c
index 6a8a274646b..a0c48b7ccfd 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/common/soc.c
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/common/soc.c
@@ -70,12 +70,7 @@ static ALWAYS_INLINE void clock_init(void)
 	/* Enable the High Frequency Peripheral Clock */
 	CMU_ClockEnable(cmuClock_HFPER, true);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_SWO
-	/* Select HFCLK as the debug trace clock */
-	CMU->DBGCLKSEL = CMU_DBGCLKSEL_DBG_HFCLK;
-#endif
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO
+#if defined(CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO) || defined(CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_SWO)
 	CMU_ClockEnable(cmuClock_GPIO, true);
 #endif
 }
@@ -99,6 +94,27 @@ static ALWAYS_INLINE void dcdc_init(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+static void swo_init(void)
+{
+	struct soc_gpio_pin pin_swo = PIN_SWO;
+
+	/* Select HFCLK as the debug trace clock */
+	CMU->DBGCLKSEL = CMU_DBGCLKSEL_DBG_HFCLK;
+
+#if defined(_GPIO_ROUTEPEN_MASK)
+	/* Enable Serial wire output pin */
+	GPIO->ROUTEPEN |= GPIO_ROUTEPEN_SWVPEN;
+	/* Set SWO location */
+	GPIO->ROUTELOC0 =
+		DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION << _GPIO_ROUTELOC0_SWVLOC_SHIFT;
+#else
+	GPIO->ROUTE = GPIO_ROUTE_SWOPEN | (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION << 8);
+#endif
+	soc_gpio_configure(&pin_swo);
+}
+#endif /* CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_SWO */
+
 /**
  * @brief Perform basic hardware initialization
  *
@@ -132,6 +148,11 @@ static int silabs_exx32_init(struct device *arg)
 	 */
 	NMI_INIT();
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+	/* Configure SWO debug output */
+	swo_init();
+#endif
+
 	/* restore interrupt state */
 	irq_unlock(oldLevel);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/Kconfig.defconfig.efm32pg12b b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/Kconfig.defconfig.efm32pg12b
index 03c7829e9b3..3536735a905 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/Kconfig.defconfig.efm32pg12b
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/Kconfig.defconfig.efm32pg12b
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2018 Christian Taedcke
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-if GPIO || LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+if GPIO
 
 config GPIO_GECKO
 	default y
 
-endif # GPIO || LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+endif # GPIO
 
 if SERIAL
 
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/soc_pinmap.h b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/soc_pinmap.h
index b38a4a740d2..2bd549b9944 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/soc_pinmap.h
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efm32pg12b/soc_pinmap.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <soc.h>
 #include <em_gpio.h>
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO
 /* Serial Wire Output (SWO) */
 #if (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION == 0)
 #define PIN_SWO {gpioPortF, 2, gpioModePushPull, 1}
@@ -29,6 +28,5 @@
 #elif (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION >= 4)
 #error ("Invalid SWO pin location")
 #endif
-#endif /* CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO */
 
 #endif /* _SILABS_EFM32PG12B_SOC_PINMAP_H_ */
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32fg1p b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32fg1p
index 7bedce3dd1a..d0690d61dee 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32fg1p
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32fg1p
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2018 Christian Taedcke
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-if GPIO || LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+if GPIO
 
 config GPIO_GECKO
 	default y
 
-endif # GPIO || LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+endif # GPIO
 
 if SERIAL
 
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/soc_pinmap.h b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/soc_pinmap.h
index af2b1a4b02b..02ae374a166 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/soc_pinmap.h
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32fg1p/soc_pinmap.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <soc.h>
 #include <em_gpio.h>
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO
 /* Serial Wire Output (SWO) */
 #if (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION == 0)
 #define PIN_SWO {gpioPortF, 2, gpioModePushPull, 1}
@@ -29,6 +28,5 @@
 #elif (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION >= 4)
 #error ("Invalid SWO pin location")
 #endif
-#endif /* CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO */
 
 #endif /* _SILABS_EFR32FG1P_SOC_PINMAP_H_ */
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32mg12p b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32mg12p
index 4830507a9c0..e0dd217c758 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32mg12p
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/Kconfig.defconfig.efr32mg12p
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2018 Diego Sueiro
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-if GPIO || LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+if GPIO
 
 config GPIO_GECKO
 	default y
 
-endif # GPIO || LOG_BACKEND_SWO
+endif # GPIO
 
 if SERIAL
 
diff --git a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/soc_pinmap.h b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/soc_pinmap.h
index 19353ad5338..020b8355cac 100644
--- a/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/soc_pinmap.h
+++ b/soc/arm/silabs_exx32/efr32mg12p/soc_pinmap.h
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 
 #include <em_gpio.h>
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO
 /* Serial Wire Output (SWO) */
 #if (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION == 0)
 #define PIN_SWO {gpioPortF, 2, gpioModePushPull, 1}
@@ -28,6 +27,5 @@
 #elif (DT_GPIO_GECKO_SWO_LOCATION >= 4)
 #error ("Invalid SWO pin location")
 #endif
-#endif /* CONFIG_GPIO_GECKO */
 
 #endif /* _SOC_PINMAP_H_ */