diff --git a/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/Kconfig b/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/Kconfig
index 1d503393811..799c3e711e0 100644
--- a/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/Kconfig
@@ -17,12 +17,21 @@ if EC_HOST_CMD
 
 config EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_STACK_SIZE
 	int "Stack size for the EC host command handler thread"
-	default 512
+	default 800
 
 config EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_TX_BUFFER
 	int "Buffer size in bytes for TX buffer shared by all EC host commands"
 	default 256
 
+config EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_PRIO
+	int "Priority of host command task"
+	default 13
+	help
+	  Priority of the kernel task that handles the host commands.
+	  If the priority is too low (high in value), the host commands handler may be unable to
+	  process the command on time and the AP will abort the waiting for response and be unable
+	  to boot the system properly.
+
 endif # EC_HOST_CMD
 
 endmenu
diff --git a/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/ec_host_cmd_handler.c b/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/ec_host_cmd_handler.c
index c3454e374c4..d4c39809a5e 100644
--- a/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/ec_host_cmd_handler.c
+++ b/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/ec_host_cmd_handler.c
@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@
 #define RX_HEADER_SIZE (sizeof(struct ec_host_cmd_request_header))
 #define TX_HEADER_SIZE (sizeof(struct ec_host_cmd_response_header))
 
-/** Used by host command handlers for their response before going over wire */
-uint8_t tx_buffer[CONFIG_EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_TX_BUFFER];
+/**
+ * Used by host command handlers for their response before going over wire.
+ * Host commands handlers will cast this to respective response structures that may have fields of
+ * uint32_t or uint64_t, so this buffer must be aligned to protect against the unaligned access.
+ */
+static uint8_t tx_buffer[CONFIG_EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_TX_BUFFER] __aligned(8);
 
 static uint8_t cal_checksum(const uint8_t *const buffer, const uint16_t size)
 {
@@ -134,15 +138,6 @@ static void handle_host_cmds_entry(void *arg1, void *arg2, void *arg3)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		/*
-		 * Ensure that RX/TX buffers are cleared between each host
-		 * command to ensure subsequent host command handlers cannot
-		 * read data from previous host command runs.
-		 */
-		memset(&rx.buf[rx_valid_data_size], 0,
-		       *rx.len - rx_valid_data_size);
-		memset(tx_buffer, 0, sizeof(tx_buffer));
-
 		struct ec_host_cmd_handler_args args = {
 			.input_buf = rx.buf + RX_HEADER_SIZE,
 			.input_buf_size = rx_header->data_len,
@@ -207,4 +202,4 @@ static void handle_host_cmds_entry(void *arg1, void *arg2, void *arg3)
 
 K_THREAD_DEFINE(ec_host_cmd_handler_tid, CONFIG_EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_STACK_SIZE,
 		handle_host_cmds_entry, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-		K_LOWEST_APPLICATION_THREAD_PRIO, 0, 0);
+		CONFIG_EC_HOST_CMD_HANDLER_PRIO, 0, 0);
diff --git a/tests/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/src/main.c b/tests/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/src/main.c
index 30d12b79f41..2f9142fc84a 100644
--- a/tests/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/subsys/mgmt/ec_host_cmd/src/main.c
@@ -415,69 +415,6 @@ ZTEST(ec_host_cmd, test_unbounded_handler_response_too_big)
 	verify_tx_error(EC_HOST_CMD_INVALID_RESPONSE);
 }
 
-ZTEST(ec_host_cmd, test_rx_buffer_cleared_foreach_hostcommand)
-{
-	host_to_dut->header.prtcl_ver = 3;
-	host_to_dut->header.cmd_id = EC_CMD_UNBOUNDED;
-	host_to_dut->header.cmd_ver = 2;
-	host_to_dut->header.reserved = 0;
-	host_to_dut->header.data_len = sizeof(host_to_dut->unbounded);
-	host_to_dut->unbounded.bytes_to_write = 5;
-
-	/* Write data after the entire request message. The host command handler
-	 * always assert that this data is cleared upon receipt.
-	 */
-	host_to_dut->raw[4] = 42;
-
-	simulate_rx_data();
-
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.prtcl_ver = 3;
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.result = 0;
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.reserved = 0;
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.data_len = 5;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[0] = 0;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[1] = 1;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[2] = 2;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[3] = 3;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[4] = 4;
-
-	verify_tx_data();
-}
-
-ZTEST(ec_host_cmd, test_tx_buffer_cleared_foreach_hostcommand)
-{
-	host_to_dut->header.prtcl_ver = 3;
-	host_to_dut->header.cmd_id = EC_CMD_UNBOUNDED;
-	host_to_dut->header.cmd_ver = 2;
-	host_to_dut->header.reserved = 0;
-	host_to_dut->header.data_len = sizeof(host_to_dut->unbounded);
-	host_to_dut->unbounded.bytes_to_write = 5;
-
-	simulate_rx_data();
-
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.prtcl_ver = 3;
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.result = 0;
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.reserved = 0;
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.data_len = 5;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[0] = 0;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[1] = 1;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[2] = 2;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[3] = 3;
-	expected_dut_to_host->raw[4] = 4;
-
-	verify_tx_data();
-
-	/* Send second command with less bytes to write. Host command handler
-	 * asserts that the previous output data is zero.
-	 */
-
-	host_to_dut->unbounded.bytes_to_write = 2;
-	simulate_rx_data();
-
-	expected_dut_to_host->header.data_len = 2;
-	verify_tx_data();
-}
-
 #define EC_CMD_TOO_BIG 0x0003
 static enum ec_host_cmd_status
 ec_host_cmd_too_big(struct ec_host_cmd_handler_args *args)