diff --git a/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt b/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt
index 442ab2b7c59..cd6e4c86e82 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 add_subdirectory(modules)
+add_subdirectory(backends)
 
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   CONFIG_SHELL
@@ -11,24 +12,9 @@ zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   )
 
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
-  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL
-  shell_uart.c
-)
-
-zephyr_sources_ifdef(
-  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_DUMMY
-  shell_dummy.c
-)
-
-zephyr_sources_ifdef(
-  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_RTT
-  shell_rtt.c
-)
-
-zephyr_sources_ifdef(
-  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_TELNET
-  shell_telnet.c
-)
+  CONFIG_SHELL_LOG_BACKEND
+  shell_log_backend.c
+  )
 
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   CONFIG_SHELL_HELP
@@ -43,19 +29,14 @@ zephyr_sources_ifdef(
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   CONFIG_SHELL_CMDS
   shell_cmds.c
-)
+  )
 
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   CONFIG_SHELL_HISTORY
   shell_history.c
-)
-
-zephyr_sources_ifdef(
-  CONFIG_SHELL_LOG_BACKEND
-  shell_log_backend.c
-)
+  )
 
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   CONFIG_SHELL_WILDCARD
   shell_wildcard.c
-)
+  )
diff --git a/subsys/shell/Kconfig b/subsys/shell/Kconfig
index 79593b5f462..30d0b0a23f2 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/shell/Kconfig
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if SHELL
 module = SHELL
 module-str = Shell
 source "subsys/logging/Kconfig.template.log_config"
-source "subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends"
+source "subsys/shell/backends/Kconfig.backends"
 
 config SHELL_MINIMAL
 	bool "Default config to reduce flash and memory requirements"
diff --git a/subsys/shell/backends/CMakeLists.txt b/subsys/shell/backends/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e38d091c895
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subsys/shell/backends/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+zephyr_sources_ifdef(
+  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_SERIAL
+  shell_uart.c
+)
+
+zephyr_sources_ifdef(
+  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_DUMMY
+  shell_dummy.c
+)
+
+zephyr_sources_ifdef(
+  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_RTT
+  shell_rtt.c
+)
+
+zephyr_sources_ifdef(
+  CONFIG_SHELL_BACKEND_TELNET
+  shell_telnet.c
+)
diff --git a/subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends b/subsys/shell/backends/Kconfig.backends
similarity index 100%
rename from subsys/shell/Kconfig.backends
rename to subsys/shell/backends/Kconfig.backends
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_dummy.c b/subsys/shell/backends/shell_dummy.c
similarity index 100%
rename from subsys/shell/shell_dummy.c
rename to subsys/shell/backends/shell_dummy.c
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_rtt.c b/subsys/shell/backends/shell_rtt.c
similarity index 100%
rename from subsys/shell/shell_rtt.c
rename to subsys/shell/backends/shell_rtt.c
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_telnet.c b/subsys/shell/backends/shell_telnet.c
similarity index 100%
rename from subsys/shell/shell_telnet.c
rename to subsys/shell/backends/shell_telnet.c
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_telnet_protocol.h b/subsys/shell/backends/shell_telnet_protocol.h
similarity index 100%
rename from subsys/shell/shell_telnet_protocol.h
rename to subsys/shell/backends/shell_telnet_protocol.h
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c b/subsys/shell/backends/shell_uart.c
similarity index 100%
rename from subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
rename to subsys/shell/backends/shell_uart.c