diff --git a/doc/kernel/threads/lifecycle.rst b/doc/kernel/threads/lifecycle.rst
index 732a7925bb1..4c1d48aeaa5 100644
--- a/doc/kernel/threads/lifecycle.rst
+++ b/doc/kernel/threads/lifecycle.rst
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ The following thread APIs are provided by :file:`kernel.h`:
 
 * :c:macro:`K_THREAD_DEFINE`
 * :cpp:func:`k_thread_create()`
-* :cpp:func:`k_thread_cancel()`
 * :cpp:func:`k_thread_abort()`
 * :cpp:func:`k_thread_suspend()`
 * :cpp:func:`k_thread_resume()`
diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 64e5091ff93..2806e6aaf00 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -717,8 +717,10 @@ __syscall k_tid_t k_current_get(void);
  *
  * @retval 0 Thread spawning canceled.
  * @retval -EINVAL Thread has already started executing.
+ *
+ * @deprecated This API is deprecated.  Use k_thread_abort().
  */
-__syscall int k_thread_cancel(k_tid_t thread);
+__deprecated __syscall int k_thread_cancel(k_tid_t thread);
 
 /**
  * @brief Abort a thread.
diff --git a/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/main.c b/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/main.c
index 7cde452f7d8..08e7f13d379 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/main.c
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@ extern void test_threads_spawn_forever(void);
 extern void test_thread_start(void);
 extern void test_threads_suspend_resume_cooperative(void);
 extern void test_threads_suspend_resume_preemptible(void);
-extern void test_threads_cancel_undelayed(void);
-extern void test_threads_cancel_delayed(void);
-extern void test_threads_cancel_started(void);
 extern void test_threads_abort_self(void);
 extern void test_threads_abort_others(void);
 extern void test_threads_abort_repeat(void);
@@ -52,9 +49,6 @@ void test_main(void)
 			 ztest_unit_test(test_threads_suspend_resume_cooperative),
 			 ztest_unit_test(test_threads_suspend_resume_preemptible),
 			 ztest_unit_test(test_threads_priority_set),
-			 ztest_user_unit_test(test_threads_cancel_undelayed),
-			 ztest_user_unit_test(test_threads_cancel_delayed),
-			 ztest_user_unit_test(test_threads_cancel_started),
 			 ztest_user_unit_test(test_threads_abort_self),
 			 ztest_user_unit_test(test_threads_abort_others),
 			 ztest_unit_test(test_threads_abort_repeat),
diff --git a/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/test_threads_cancel_abort.c b/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/test_threads_cancel_abort.c
index 2ac221ac1a5..ce7e6e3c3ec 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/test_threads_cancel_abort.c
+++ b/tests/kernel/threads/lifecycle/lifecycle_api/src/test_threads_cancel_abort.c
@@ -37,63 +37,6 @@ static void thread_entry_abort(void *p1, void *p2, void *p3)
 	zassert_true(1 == 0, NULL);
 }
 
-/*test cases*/
-void test_threads_cancel_undelayed(void)
-{
-	int cur_prio = k_thread_priority_get(k_current_get());
-
-	/* spawn thread with lower priority */
-	int spawn_prio = cur_prio + 1;
-
-	k_tid_t tid = k_thread_create(&tdata, tstack, STACK_SIZE,
-				      thread_entry, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-				      spawn_prio, K_USER, 0);
-
-	/**TESTPOINT: check cancel retcode when thread is not delayed*/
-	int cancel_ret = k_thread_cancel(tid);
-
-	zassert_equal(cancel_ret, -EINVAL, NULL);
-	k_thread_abort(tid);
-}
-
-void test_threads_cancel_started(void)
-{
-	int cur_prio = k_thread_priority_get(k_current_get());
-
-	/* spawn thread with lower priority */
-	int spawn_prio = cur_prio + 1;
-
-	k_tid_t tid = k_thread_create(&tdata, tstack, STACK_SIZE,
-				      thread_entry, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-				      spawn_prio, K_USER, 0);
-
-	k_sleep(50);
-	/**TESTPOINT: check cancel retcode when thread is started*/
-	int cancel_ret = k_thread_cancel(tid);
-
-	zassert_equal(cancel_ret, -EINVAL, NULL);
-	k_thread_abort(tid);
-}
-
-void test_threads_cancel_delayed(void)
-{
-	int cur_prio = k_thread_priority_get(k_current_get());
-
-	/* spawn thread with lower priority */
-	int spawn_prio = cur_prio + 1;
-
-	k_tid_t tid = k_thread_create(&tdata, tstack, STACK_SIZE,
-				      thread_entry, NULL, NULL, NULL,
-				      spawn_prio, K_USER, 100);
-
-	k_sleep(50);
-	/**TESTPOINT: check cancel retcode when thread is started*/
-	int cancel_ret = k_thread_cancel(tid);
-
-	zassert_equal(cancel_ret, 0, NULL);
-	k_thread_abort(tid);
-}
-
 void test_threads_abort_self(void)
 {
 	execute_flag = 0;