diff --git a/include/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.h b/include/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.h
index 4b4c999514e..0f220cc3dcf 100644
--- a/include/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.h
+++ b/include/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.h
@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@ bool smp_shell_rx_byte(struct smp_shell_data *data, uint8_t byte);
  */
 void smp_shell_process(struct smp_shell_data *data);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Initializes SMP transport over shell.
+ *
+ * This function should be called before feeding SMP transport with received
+ * data.
+ *
+ * @return 0 on success
+ */
+int smp_shell_init(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/include/shell/shell_uart.h b/include/shell/shell_uart.h
index 68a3b0e5833..b1566a309ef 100644
--- a/include/shell/shell_uart.h
+++ b/include/shell/shell_uart.h
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@
 #include <shell/shell.h>
 #include <sys/ring_buffer.h>
 #include <sys/atomic.h>
-#ifdef CONFIG_MCUMGR_SMP_SHELL
 #include "mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.h"
-#endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/subsys/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.c b/subsys/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.c
index f7bccc411c0..3f9d65fb5f3 100644
--- a/subsys/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.c
+++ b/subsys/mgmt/mcumgr/smp_shell.c
@@ -154,14 +154,10 @@ static int smp_shell_tx_pkt(struct zephyr_smp_transport *zst,
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static int smp_shell_init(struct device *dev)
+int smp_shell_init(void)
 {
-	ARG_UNUSED(dev);
-
 	zephyr_smp_transport_init(&smp_shell_transport, smp_shell_tx_pkt,
 				  smp_shell_get_mtu, NULL, NULL);
 
 	return 0;
 }
-
-SYS_INIT(smp_shell_init, APPLICATION, CONFIG_APPLICATION_INIT_PRIORITY);
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c b/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
index 1b1cbd5d0f1..74116850fb5 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
+++ b/subsys/shell/shell_uart.c
@@ -285,6 +285,10 @@ static int enable_shell_uart(struct device *arg)
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_MCUMGR_SMP_SHELL)) {
+		smp_shell_init();
+	}
+
 	shell_init(&shell_uart, dev, true, log_backend, level);
 
 	return 0;