diff --git a/drivers/flash/flash_shell.c b/drivers/flash/flash_shell.c
index 577755fa73d..69cc9e31689 100644
--- a/drivers/flash/flash_shell.c
+++ b/drivers/flash/flash_shell.c
@@ -225,24 +225,12 @@ SHELL_DYNAMIC_CMD_CREATE(dsub_device_name, device_name_get);
 
 static void device_name_get(size_t idx, struct shell_static_entry *entry)
 {
-	int device_idx = 0;
-	struct device *dev;
+	struct device *dev = shell_device_lookup(idx, NULL);
 
-	entry->syntax = NULL;
+	entry->syntax = (dev != NULL) ? dev->name : NULL;
 	entry->handler = NULL;
 	entry->help  = NULL;
 	entry->subcmd = &dsub_device_name;
-
-	for (dev = __device_start; dev != __device_end; dev++) {
-		if ((dev->driver_api != NULL) &&
-		strcmp(dev->name, "") && (dev->name != NULL)) {
-			if (idx == device_idx) {
-				entry->syntax = dev->name;
-				break;
-			}
-			device_idx++;
-		}
-	}
 }
 
 SHELL_STATIC_SUBCMD_SET_CREATE(flash_cmds,
diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c_shell.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c_shell.c
index fea137b5d25..96d32137b51 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c_shell.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c_shell.c
@@ -224,25 +224,12 @@ SHELL_DYNAMIC_CMD_CREATE(dsub_device_name, device_name_get);
 
 static void device_name_get(size_t idx, struct shell_static_entry *entry)
 {
-	int device_idx = 0;
-	struct device *dev;
+	struct device *dev = shell_device_lookup(idx, I2C_DEVICE_PREFIX);
 
-	entry->syntax = NULL;
+	entry->syntax = (dev != NULL) ? dev->name : NULL;
 	entry->handler = NULL;
 	entry->help = NULL;
 	entry->subcmd = &dsub_device_name;
-
-	for (dev = __device_start; dev != __device_end; dev++) {
-		if ((dev->driver_api != NULL) && (dev->name != NULL) &&
-		    strstr(dev->name, I2C_DEVICE_PREFIX) != NULL &&
-		    strcmp(dev->name, "")) {
-			if (idx == device_idx) {
-				entry->syntax = dev->name;
-				break;
-			}
-			device_idx++;
-		}
-	}
 }
 
 SHELL_STATIC_SUBCMD_SET_CREATE(sub_i2c_cmds,
diff --git a/drivers/sensor/sensor_shell.c b/drivers/sensor/sensor_shell.c
index 24049d53ad5..4119c8cd156 100644
--- a/drivers/sensor/sensor_shell.c
+++ b/drivers/sensor/sensor_shell.c
@@ -173,24 +173,12 @@ SHELL_DYNAMIC_CMD_CREATE(dsub_device_name, device_name_get);
 
 static void device_name_get(size_t idx, struct shell_static_entry *entry)
 {
-	int device_idx = 0;
-	struct device *dev;
+	struct device *dev = shell_device_lookup(idx, NULL);
 
-	entry->syntax = NULL;
+	entry->syntax = (dev != NULL) ? dev->name : NULL;
 	entry->handler = NULL;
 	entry->help  = NULL;
 	entry->subcmd = &dsub_channel_name;
-
-	for (dev = __device_start; dev != __device_end; dev++) {
-		if ((dev->driver_api != NULL) &&
-		strcmp(dev->name, "") && (dev->name != NULL)) {
-			if (idx == device_idx) {
-				entry->syntax = dev->name;
-				break;
-			}
-			device_idx++;
-		}
-	}
 }
 
 SHELL_STATIC_SUBCMD_SET_CREATE(sub_sensor,
diff --git a/include/shell/shell.h b/include/shell/shell.h
index 2e138172e9a..99b54eeddd9 100644
--- a/include/shell/shell.h
+++ b/include/shell/shell.h
@@ -104,6 +104,24 @@ struct shell_static_args {
 	uint8_t optional;  /*!< Number of optional arguments. */
 };
 
+/**
+ * @brief Get by index a device that matches .
+ *
+ * This can be used, for example, to identify I2C_1 as the second I2C
+ * device.
+ *
+ * Devices that failed to initialize or do not have a non-empty name
+ * are excluded from the candidates for a match.
+ *
+ * @param idx the device number starting from zero.
+ *
+ * @param prefix optional name prefix used to restrict candidate
+ * devices.  Indexing is done relative to devices with names that
+ * start with this text.  Pass null if no prefix match is required.
+ */
+struct device *shell_device_lookup(size_t idx,
+				   const char *prefix);
+
 /**
  * @brief Shell command handler prototype.
  *
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c b/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c
index 4cca3f4a7c9..245030cab47 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c
+++ b/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <device.h>
 #include "shell_utils.h"
 #include "shell_wildcard.h"
 
@@ -459,3 +460,29 @@ void shell_cmd_trim(const struct shell *shell)
 	buffer_trim(shell->ctx->cmd_buff, &shell->ctx->cmd_buff_len);
 	shell->ctx->cmd_buff_pos = shell->ctx->cmd_buff_len;
 }
+
+struct device *shell_device_lookup(size_t idx,
+				   const char *prefix)
+{
+	size_t match_idx = 0;
+	struct device *dev;
+	size_t len = z_device_get_all_static(&dev);
+	struct device *dev_end = dev + len;
+
+	while (dev < dev_end) {
+		if ((dev->driver_api != NULL)
+		    && (dev->name != NULL)
+		    && (strlen(dev->name) != 0)
+		    && ((prefix == NULL)
+			|| (strncmp(prefix, dev->name,
+				    strlen(prefix)) == 0))) {
+			if (match_idx == idx) {
+				return dev;
+			}
+			++match_idx;
+		}
+		++dev;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}