diff --git a/arch/xtensa/core/CMakeLists.txt b/arch/xtensa/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 50a4085a27fc25d..d03e3641b42b4b4 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/arch/xtensa/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ zephyr_library_sources(
   irq_manage.c
   thread.c
   vector_handlers.c
+  prep_c.c
   )
 
-zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_XTENSA_USE_CORE_CRT1 crt1.S prep_c.c)
+zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_XTENSA_USE_CORE_CRT1 crt1.S)
 zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_IRQ_OFFLOAD irq_offload.c)
 zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE tls.c)
 zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_XTENSA_ENABLE_BACKTRACE xtensa_backtrace.c)
diff --git a/soc/espressif/esp32/soc.c b/soc/espressif/esp32/soc.c
index bec3413ba42a35f..0240a104824deae 100644
--- a/soc/espressif/esp32/soc.c
+++ b/soc/espressif/esp32/soc.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ extern int _ext_ram_bss_start;
 extern int _ext_ram_bss_end;
 #endif
 
-extern void z_cstart(void);
+extern void z_prep_c(void);
 extern void esp_reset_reason_init(void);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SOC_ENABLE_APPCPU
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR __esp_platform_start(void)
 
 	/* Initialize the architecture CPU pointer.  Some of the
 	 * initialization code wants a valid _current before
-	 * arch_kernel_init() is invoked.
+	 * z_prep_c() is invoked.
 	 */
 	__asm__ __volatile__("wsr.MISC0 %0; rsync" : : "r"(&_kernel.cpus[0]));
 
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR __esp_platform_start(void)
 	esp_intr_initialize();
 
 	/* Start Zephyr */
-	z_cstart();
+	z_prep_c();
 
 	CODE_UNREACHABLE;
 }
diff --git a/soc/espressif/esp32/soc_appcpu.c b/soc/espressif/esp32/soc_appcpu.c
index 146a37087c85bfe..88c32192c090947 100644
--- a/soc/espressif/esp32/soc_appcpu.c
+++ b/soc/espressif/esp32/soc_appcpu.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #include <esp_app_format.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/printk.h>
 
-extern void z_cstart(void);
+extern void z_prep_c(void);
 
 /*
  * This is written in C rather than assembly since, during the port bring up,
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ void __app_cpu_start(void)
 
 	/* Initialize the architecture CPU pointer.  Some of the
 	 * initialization code wants a valid _current before
-	 * arch_kernel_init() is invoked.
+	 * z_prep_c() is invoked.
 	 */
 	__asm__ __volatile__("wsr.MISC0 %0; rsync" : : "r"(&_kernel.cpus[0]));
 
 	esp_intr_initialize();
 	/* Start Zephyr */
-	z_cstart();
+	z_prep_c();
 
 	CODE_UNREACHABLE;
 }
diff --git a/soc/espressif/esp32s2/soc.c b/soc/espressif/esp32s2/soc.c
index 05913df81cfc404..e36120b6f094edb 100644
--- a/soc/espressif/esp32s2/soc.c
+++ b/soc/espressif/esp32s2/soc.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ void __attribute__((section(".iram1"))) __esp_platform_start(void)
 
 	esp_intr_initialize();
 	/* Start Zephyr */
-	z_cstart();
+	z_prep_c();
 
 	CODE_UNREACHABLE;
 }
diff --git a/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc.c b/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc.c
index ec9d603d6cd7611..7cf39b3ffb3e8f9 100644
--- a/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc.c
+++ b/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ extern int _ext_ram_bss_start;
 extern int _ext_ram_bss_end;
 #endif
 
-extern void z_cstart(void);
+extern void z_prep_c(void);
 extern void esp_reset_reason_init(void);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SOC_ENABLE_APPCPU
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR __esp_platform_start(void)
 	esp_intr_initialize();
 
 	/* Start Zephyr */
-	z_cstart();
+	z_prep_c();
 
 	CODE_UNREACHABLE;
 }
diff --git a/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc_appcpu.c b/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc_appcpu.c
index 410e015e744ee50..93bd99cd3448e9b 100644
--- a/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc_appcpu.c
+++ b/soc/espressif/esp32s3/soc_appcpu.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #include <esp_app_format.h>
 #include <esp_clk_internal.h>
 
-extern void z_cstart(void);
+extern void z_prep_c(void);
 
 static void core_intr_matrix_clear(void)
 {
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR __app_cpu_start(void)
 	esp_intr_initialize();
 
 	/* Start Zephyr */
-	z_cstart();
+	z_prep_c();
 
 	CODE_UNREACHABLE;
 }
diff --git a/soc/intel/intel_adsp/common/boot.c b/soc/intel/intel_adsp/common/boot.c
index ad7f91eec7d7a97..547c46f5182cb92 100644
--- a/soc/intel/intel_adsp/common/boot.c
+++ b/soc/intel/intel_adsp/common/boot.c
@@ -157,6 +157,6 @@ __imr void boot_core0(void)
 	xtensa_vecbase_lock();
 
 	/* Zephyr! */
-	extern FUNC_NORETURN void z_cstart(void);
-	z_cstart();
+	extern FUNC_NORETURN void z_prep_c(void);
+	z_prep_c();
 }
diff --git a/soc/mediatek/mtk_adsp/soc.c b/soc/mediatek/mtk_adsp/soc.c
index 529b235f5f8a011..a94d5bbc5568f42 100644
--- a/soc/mediatek/mtk_adsp/soc.c
+++ b/soc/mediatek/mtk_adsp/soc.c
@@ -171,5 +171,5 @@ void c_boot(void)
 	val = 0xffffffff;
 	__asm__ volatile("wsr %0, INTCLEAR" :: "r"(val));
 
-	z_cstart();
+	z_prep_c();
 }