diff --git a/include/sys/cbprintf.h b/include/sys/cbprintf.h
index 51700bca37a..0c56267bcd9 100644
--- a/include/sys/cbprintf.h
+++ b/include/sys/cbprintf.h
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <toolchain.h>
-#include <sys/cbprintf_internal.h>
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CBPRINTF_LIBC_SUBSTS
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -36,6 +35,9 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 #endif
 
+/* Z_C_GENERIC is used there */
+#include <sys/cbprintf_internal.h>
+
 /**
  * @defgroup cbprintf_apis Formatted Output APIs
  * @ingroup support_apis
diff --git a/include/sys/cbprintf_internal.h b/include/sys/cbprintf_internal.h
index 75cb8d9f3a7..c5de3137de7 100644
--- a/include/sys/cbprintf_internal.h
+++ b/include/sys/cbprintf_internal.h
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ do { \
 			"Buffer must be aligned."); \
 	} \
 	uint8_t *_pbuf = buf; \
-	size_t _pmax = (buf != NULL) ? *_inlen : SIZE_MAX; \
+	size_t _pmax = (buf != NULL) ? _inlen : SIZE_MAX; \
 	size_t _pkg_len = 0; \
 	union z_cbprintf_hdr *_len_loc; \
 	/* package starts with string address and field with length */ \