diff --git a/dts/bindings/retention/zephyr,retention.yaml b/dts/bindings/retention/zephyr,retention.yaml
index 27fa1511c85596a..83b47d9125eb0cb 100644
--- a/dts/bindings/retention/zephyr,retention.yaml
+++ b/dts/bindings/retention/zephyr,retention.yaml
@@ -64,3 +64,9 @@ properties:
       16-bit CRC, 4 for 32-bit CRC). Default is to not use a checksum.
     type: int
     default: 0
+
+  no-mutex:
+    description: |
+      If specified, will disable mutex protection, should only be enabled if
+      this is a requirement for a particular retention area.
+    type: boolean
diff --git a/subsys/retention/Kconfig b/subsys/retention/Kconfig
index 1081e236f02b489..9ba7af025bd2e27 100644
--- a/subsys/retention/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/retention/Kconfig
@@ -20,13 +20,22 @@ config RETENTION_INIT_PRIORITY
 	  priorities for retained memory drivers.
 
 config RETENTION_MUTEXES
-	bool "Retention mutex support"
+	bool
 	default y
 	depends on MULTITHREADING
+	depends on !RETENTION_MUTEX_FORCE_DISABLE
+
+config RETENTION_MUTEX_FORCE_DISABLE
+	bool "Disable retention mutex support"
+	depends on MULTITHREADING
 	help
-	  Use mutexes to prevent issues with concurrent retention device
-	  access. Should only be disabled whereby retained memory access is
-	  required in an ISR or for special use cases.
+	  Disable use of mutexes which prevent issues with concurrent retention
+	  device access. This option should should only be enabled when
+	  retention device access is required in an ISR or for special use
+	  cases.
+
+	  Note that this can also be enforced on a per-partition basis by
+	  setting the ``no-mutex;`` device tree property instead.
 
 config RETENTION_BUFFER_SIZE
 	int "Retention stack buffer sizes"
diff --git a/subsys/retention/retention.c b/subsys/retention/retention.c
index db5b8d45b695f74..dd19b64960e6d43 100644
--- a/subsys/retention/retention.c
+++ b/subsys/retention/retention.c
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ struct retention_config {
 	size_t offset;
 	size_t size;
 	size_t reserved_size;
+#ifdef CONFIG_RETENTION_MUTEXES
+	bool mutex;
+#endif
 	uint8_t checksum_size;
 	uint8_t prefix_len;
 	uint8_t prefix[];
@@ -50,8 +53,11 @@ static inline void retention_lock_take(const struct device *dev)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_RETENTION_MUTEXES
 	struct retention_data *data = dev->data;
+	const struct retention_config *config = dev->config;
 
-	k_mutex_lock(&data->lock, K_FOREVER);
+	if (config->mutex) {
+		k_mutex_lock(&data->lock, K_FOREVER);
+	}
 #else
 	ARG_UNUSED(dev);
 #endif
@@ -61,8 +67,11 @@ static inline void retention_lock_release(const struct device *dev)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_RETENTION_MUTEXES
 	struct retention_data *data = dev->data;
+	const struct retention_config *config = dev->config;
 
-	k_mutex_unlock(&data->lock);
+	if (config->mutex) {
+		k_mutex_unlock(&data->lock);
+	}
 #else
 	ARG_UNUSED(dev);
 #endif
@@ -376,6 +385,13 @@ static const struct retention_api retention_api = {
 	.clear = retention_clear,
 };
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_RETENTION_MUTEXES
+#define RETENTION_MUTEX(inst)									\
+	.mutex = COND_CODE_1(DT_INST_NODE_HAS_PROP(inst, no_mutex), (false), (true))
+#else
+#define RETENTION_MUTEX(inst)
+#endif
+
 #define RETENTION_DEVICE(inst)									\
 	static struct retention_data								\
 		retention_data_##inst = {							\
@@ -393,6 +409,7 @@ static const struct retention_api retention_api = {
 		.prefix_len = COND_CODE_1(DT_INST_NODE_HAS_PROP(inst, prefix),			\
 					  (DT_INST_PROP_LEN(inst, prefix)), (0)),		\
 		.prefix = DT_INST_PROP_OR(inst, prefix, {0}),					\
+		RETENTION_MUTEX(inst)								\
 	};											\
 	DEVICE_DT_INST_DEFINE(inst,								\
 			      &retention_init,							\