diff --git a/arch/arc/core/thread.c b/arch/arc/core/thread.c
index 71f9184d77c..aa88b3e42bb 100644
--- a/arch/arc/core/thread.c
+++ b/arch/arc/core/thread.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ static ALWAYS_INLINE void thread_monitor_init(struct tcs *tcs)
  * @param parameter2 second param to entry point
  * @param parameter3 third param to entry point
  * @param priority thread priority
- * @param options thread options: ESSENTIAL
+ * @param options thread options: K_ESSENTIAL
  *
  * @return N/A
  */
diff --git a/arch/arc/include/nano_private.h b/arch/arc/include/nano_private.h
index c88f7b11b4b..d244f3c623b 100644
--- a/arch/arc/include/nano_private.h
+++ b/arch/arc/include/nano_private.h
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ typedef struct callee_saved tCalleeSaved;
 #endif
 
 #define USE_FP         0x010 /* 1 = thread uses floating point unit */
-#define ESSENTIAL      0x200 /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
+#define K_ESSENTIAL    0x200 /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
 #define NO_METRICS     0x400 /* 1 = _Swap() not to update task metrics */
 
 /* stacks */
diff --git a/arch/arm/core/thread.c b/arch/arm/core/thread.c
index 0d72b967113..0ac1a55fbd4 100644
--- a/arch/arm/core/thread.c
+++ b/arch/arm/core/thread.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static ALWAYS_INLINE void thread_monitor_init(struct tcs *tcs)
  * @param parameter2 entry point to the second param
  * @param parameter3 entry point to the third param
  * @param priority thread priority
- * @param options thread options: ESSENTIAL, USE_FP
+ * @param options thread options: K_ESSENTIAL, USE_FP
  *
  * @return N/A
  */
diff --git a/arch/arm/include/nano_private.h b/arch/arm/include/nano_private.h
index a92dbad22c0..fe2ac68757e 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/nano_private.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/nano_private.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ typedef struct preempt tPreempt;
 #endif
 
 #define USE_FP 0x010	 /* 1 = thread uses floating point unit */
-#define ESSENTIAL 0x200  /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
+#define K_ESSENTIAL 0x200  /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
 #define NO_METRICS 0x400 /* 1 = _Swap() not to update task metrics */
 
 /* stacks */
diff --git a/arch/nios2/include/nano_private.h b/arch/nios2/include/nano_private.h
index beee5564526..9c5a5231dde 100644
--- a/arch/nios2/include/nano_private.h
+++ b/arch/nios2/include/nano_private.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define INT_ACTIVE     0x002 /* 1 = executing context is interrupt handler */
 #define EXC_ACTIVE     0x004 /* 1 = executing context is exception handler */
 #define USE_FP         0x010 /* 1 = thread uses floating point unit */
-#define ESSENTIAL      0x200 /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
+#define K_ESSENTIAL    0x200 /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
 #define NO_METRICS     0x400 /* 1 = _Swap() not to update task metrics */
 
 /* stacks */
diff --git a/arch/x86/core/thread.c b/arch/x86/core/thread.c
index 7967a9fa5a5..a773b429333 100644
--- a/arch/x86/core/thread.c
+++ b/arch/x86/core/thread.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ static ALWAYS_INLINE void thread_monitor_init(struct tcs *tcs)
  * @param pStackMem pointer to thread stack memory
  * @param stackSize size of a stack in bytes
  * @param priority thread priority
- * @param options thread options: ESSENTIAL, USE_FP, USE_SSE
+ * @param options thread options: K_ESSENTIAL, USE_FP, USE_SSE
  *
  * @return N/A
  */
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ __asm__("\t.globl _thread_entry\n"
  * @param parameter2 second param to entry point
  * @param parameter3 third param to entry point
  * @param priority thread priority
- * @param options thread options: ESSENTIAL, USE_FP, USE_SSE
+ * @param options thread options: K_ESSENTIAL, USE_FP, USE_SSE
  *
  *
  * @return opaque pointer to initialized TCS structure
diff --git a/arch/x86/include/nano_private.h b/arch/x86/include/nano_private.h
index 68a3b5d0868..d9efde20d63 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/nano_private.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/nano_private.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 #define EXC_ACTIVE 0x4     /* 1 = executing context is exception handler */
 #define USE_FP 0x10	       /* 1 = thread uses floating point unit */
 #define USE_SSE 0x20       /* 1 = thread uses SSEx instructions */
-#define ESSENTIAL 0x200    /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
+#define K_ESSENTIAL 0x200  /* 1 = system thread that must not abort */
 #define NO_METRICS 0x400   /* 1 = _Swap() not to update task metrics */
 #define NO_METRICS_BIT_OFFSET 0xa /* Bit position of NO_METRICS */
 
diff --git a/doc/kernel_v2/threads/lifecycle.rst b/doc/kernel_v2/threads/lifecycle.rst
index e0a2775df4e..4f4904f2cae 100644
--- a/doc/kernel_v2/threads/lifecycle.rst
+++ b/doc/kernel_v2/threads/lifecycle.rst
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ A thread that requires a thread option specifies it by name, using the
 
 The following thread options are supported.
 
-:c:macro:`ESSENTIAL`
+:c:macro:`K_ESSENTIAL`
     This option tags the thread as an :dfn:`essential thread`. This instructs
     the kernel to treat the termination or aborting of the thread as a fatal
     system error.
diff --git a/kernel/nanokernel/nano_context.c b/kernel/nanokernel/nano_context.c
index d22a2b23162..fec5599b824 100644
--- a/kernel/nanokernel/nano_context.c
+++ b/kernel/nanokernel/nano_context.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ nano_context_type_t sys_execution_context_type_get(void)
  */
 void _thread_essential_set(void)
 {
-	_nanokernel.current->flags |= ESSENTIAL;
+	_nanokernel.current->flags |= K_ESSENTIAL;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void _thread_essential_set(void)
  */
 void _thread_essential_clear(void)
 {
-	_nanokernel.current->flags &= ~ESSENTIAL;
+	_nanokernel.current->flags &= ~K_ESSENTIAL;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ void _thread_essential_clear(void)
  */
 int _is_thread_essential(void)
 {
-	return _nanokernel.current->flags & ESSENTIAL;
+	return _nanokernel.current->flags & K_ESSENTIAL;
 }
 
 void sys_thread_busy_wait(uint32_t usec_to_wait)
diff --git a/kernel/nanokernel/nano_init.c b/kernel/nanokernel/nano_init.c
index 082bd3c4f1f..f3739a59aa9 100644
--- a/kernel/nanokernel/nano_init.c
+++ b/kernel/nanokernel/nano_init.c
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ static void nano_init(struct tcs *dummyOutContext)
 	 */
 	dummyOutContext->link = (struct tcs *)NULL;
 
-	dummyOutContext->flags = FIBER | ESSENTIAL;
+	dummyOutContext->flags = FIBER | K_ESSENTIAL;
 	dummyOutContext->prio = 0;
 
 
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ static void nano_init(struct tcs *dummyOutContext)
 	 * operates on _nanokernel.current, not _nanokernel.task ...
 	 */
 
-	_nanokernel.task->flags |= ESSENTIAL;
+	_nanokernel.task->flags |= K_ESSENTIAL;
 
 	initialize_nano_timeouts();
 
diff --git a/kernel/unified/init.c b/kernel/unified/init.c
index af94d134a4b..24c63703c93 100644
--- a/kernel/unified/init.c
+++ b/kernel/unified/init.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static void _main(void *unused1, void *unused2, void *unused3)
 
 	_init_static_threads();
 
-	_main_thread->flags &= ~ESSENTIAL;
+	_main_thread->flags &= ~K_ESSENTIAL;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BOOT_TIME_MEASUREMENT
 	/* record timestamp for kernel's _main() function */
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ static void prepare_multithreading(struct k_thread *dummy_thread)
 	 * Do not insert dummy execution context in the list of fibers, so
 	 * that it does not get scheduled back in once context-switched out.
 	 */
-	dummy_thread->flags = ESSENTIAL;
+	dummy_thread->flags = K_ESSENTIAL;
 	dummy_thread->prio = K_PRIO_COOP(0);
 
 	/* _nanokernel.ready_q is all zeroes */
@@ -273,13 +273,13 @@ static void prepare_multithreading(struct k_thread *dummy_thread)
 
 	_new_thread(main_stack, MAIN_STACK_SIZE, NULL,
 		    _main, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-		    CONFIG_MAIN_THREAD_PRIORITY, ESSENTIAL);
+		    CONFIG_MAIN_THREAD_PRIORITY, K_ESSENTIAL);
 	_mark_thread_as_started(_main_thread);
 	_add_thread_to_ready_q(_main_thread);
 
 	_new_thread(idle_stack, IDLE_STACK_SIZE, NULL,
 		    idle, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-		    K_LOWEST_THREAD_PRIO, ESSENTIAL);
+		    K_LOWEST_THREAD_PRIO, K_ESSENTIAL);
 	_mark_thread_as_started(_idle_thread);
 	_add_thread_to_ready_q(_idle_thread);
 
diff --git a/kernel/unified/thread.c b/kernel/unified/thread.c
index 47fc2ff2ecc..02848603c07 100644
--- a/kernel/unified/thread.c
+++ b/kernel/unified/thread.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ int k_am_in_isr(void)
  */
 void _thread_essential_set(void)
 {
-	_current->flags |= ESSENTIAL;
+	_current->flags |= K_ESSENTIAL;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ void _thread_essential_set(void)
  */
 void _thread_essential_clear(void)
 {
-	_current->flags &= ~ESSENTIAL;
+	_current->flags &= ~K_ESSENTIAL;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void _thread_essential_clear(void)
  */
 int _is_thread_essential(void)
 {
-	return _current->flags & ESSENTIAL;
+	return _current->flags & K_ESSENTIAL;
 }
 
 void k_busy_wait(uint32_t usec_to_wait)