diff --git a/drivers/retained_mem/Kconfig b/drivers/retained_mem/Kconfig
index 8f134f94560b05..4ea7dcd8949287 100644
--- a/drivers/retained_mem/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/retained_mem/Kconfig
@@ -16,13 +16,18 @@ config RETAINED_MEM_INIT_PRIORITY
 	  Retained memory devices initialization priority,
 
 config RETAINED_MEM_MUTEXES
-	bool "Retained memory mutex support"
+	bool
 	default y
 	depends on MULTITHREADING
+	depends on !RETAINED_MEM_MUTEX_FORCE_DISABLE
+
+config RETAINED_MEM_MUTEX_FORCE_DISABLE
+	bool "Disable retained memory mutex support"
+	depends on MULTITHREADING
 	help
-	  Use mutexes to prevent issues with concurrent retained memory 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 retained
+	  memory access. This option should only be enabled when retained
+	  memory access is required in an ISR or for special use cases.
 
 module = RETAINED_MEM
 module-str = retained_mem
diff --git a/subsys/retention/Kconfig b/subsys/retention/Kconfig
index 1081e236f02b48..5322a11684911e 100644
--- a/subsys/retention/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/retention/Kconfig
@@ -20,13 +20,18 @@ 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 only be enabled when retention
+	  access is required in an ISR or for special use cases.
 
 config RETENTION_BUFFER_SIZE
 	int "Retention stack buffer sizes"