diff --git a/include/shell/shell_uart.h b/include/shell/shell_uart.h
index 1554b1b37fe..c4fe563d9d4 100644
--- a/include/shell/shell_uart.h
+++ b/include/shell/shell_uart.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct shell_uart_ctrl_blk {
 	bool blocking;
 };
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+#ifdef CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 #define UART_SHELL_TX_RINGBUF_DECLARE(_name, _size) \
 	RING_BUF_DECLARE(_name##_tx_ringbuf, _size)
 
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ struct shell_uart_ctrl_blk {
 
 #define UART_SHELL_RX_TIMER_PTR(_name) NULL
 
-#else /* CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN */
+#else /* CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN */
 #define UART_SHELL_TX_RINGBUF_DECLARE(_name, _size) /* Empty */
 #define UART_SHELL_TX_BUF_DECLARE(_name) /* Empty */
 #define UART_SHELL_RX_TIMER_DECLARE(_name) static struct k_timer _name##_timer
 #define UART_SHELL_TX_RINGBUF_PTR(_name) NULL
 #define UART_SHELL_RX_TIMER_PTR(_name) (&_name##_timer)
-#endif /* CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN */
+#endif /* CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN */
 
 /** @brief Shell UART transport instance structure. */
 struct shell_uart {
diff --git a/subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends b/subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends
index c68fd91bf70..9e014b4bbcb 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends
+++ b/subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends
@@ -25,16 +25,15 @@ config SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL
 if SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL
 
 # Internal config to enable UART interrupts if supported.
-config SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_FORCE_INTERRUPTS
-	bool
-	default y
+config SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+	bool "Interrupt driven"
+	default y if UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 	depends on SERIAL_SUPPORT_INTERRUPT
-	imply UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 
 config SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_TX_RING_BUFFER_SIZE
 	int "Set TX ring buffer size"
 	default 8
-	depends on UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+	depends on SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 	help
 	  If UART is utilizing DMA transfers then increasing ring buffer size
 	  increases transfers length and reduces number of interrupts.
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ config SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_RX_RING_BUFFER_SIZE
 config SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_RX_POLL_PERIOD
 	int "RX polling period (in milliseconds)"
 	default 10
-	depends on !UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+	depends on !SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 	help
 	  Determines how often UART is polled for RX byte.
 
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c b/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
index 4533dcf3493..c59ec4e3552 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
+++ b/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ SHELL_UART_DEFINE(shell_transport_uart,
 SHELL_DEFINE(shell_uart, "uart:~$ ", &shell_transport_uart, 10,
 	     SHELL_FLAG_OLF_CRLF);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+#ifdef CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 static void uart_rx_handle(const struct shell_uart *sh_uart)
 {
 	u8_t *data;
@@ -99,11 +99,11 @@ static void uart_callback(void *user_data)
 		uart_tx_handle(sh_uart);
 	}
 }
-#endif /* CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN */
+#endif /* CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN */
 
 static void uart_irq_init(const struct shell_uart *sh_uart)
 {
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+#ifdef CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 	struct device *dev = sh_uart->ctrl_blk->dev;
 
 	uart_irq_callback_user_data_set(dev, uart_callback, (void *)sh_uart);
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int init(const struct shell_transport *transport,
 	sh_uart->ctrl_blk->handler = evt_handler;
 	sh_uart->ctrl_blk->context = context;
 
-	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN)) {
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN)) {
 		uart_irq_init(sh_uart);
 	} else {
 		k_timer_init(sh_uart->timer, timer_handler, NULL);
@@ -160,10 +160,10 @@ static int enable(const struct shell_transport *transport, bool blocking)
 	sh_uart->ctrl_blk->blocking = blocking;
 
 	if (blocking) {
-		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN)) {
+		if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN)) {
 			k_timer_stop(sh_uart->timer);
 		}
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+#ifdef CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 		uart_irq_rx_disable(sh_uart->ctrl_blk->dev);
 		uart_irq_tx_disable(sh_uart->ctrl_blk->dev);
 #endif
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ static void irq_write(const struct shell_uart *sh_uart, const void *data,
 	*cnt = ring_buf_put(sh_uart->tx_ringbuf, data, length);
 
 	if (atomic_set(&sh_uart->ctrl_blk->tx_busy, 1) == 0) {
-#ifdef CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+#ifdef CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
 		uart_irq_tx_enable(sh_uart->ctrl_blk->dev);
 #endif
 	}
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static int write(const struct shell_transport *transport,
 	const struct shell_uart *sh_uart = (struct shell_uart *)transport->ctx;
 	const u8_t *data8 = (const u8_t *)data;
 
-	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN) &&
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN) &&
 		!sh_uart->ctrl_blk->blocking) {
 		irq_write(sh_uart, data, length, cnt);
 	} else {