diff --git a/doc/zephyr.doxyfile.in b/doc/zephyr.doxyfile.in
index 3ee6cee14e2..0297832cc55 100644
--- a/doc/zephyr.doxyfile.in
+++ b/doc/zephyr.doxyfile.in
@@ -1973,6 +1973,7 @@ PREDEFINED             = "CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_CUSTOM_BUSY_WAIT" \
                          "CONFIG_FPU" \
                          "CONFIG_FPU_SHARING" \
                          "CONFIG_HEAP_MEM_POOL_SIZE" \
+                         "CONFIG_KERNEL_WORK1" \
                          "CONFIG_MMU" \
                          "CONFIG_NET_L2_ETHERNET_MGMT" \
                          "CONFIG_NET_MGMT_EVENT" \
diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index bb88570676a..83a262ba072 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -2482,6 +2482,8 @@ __syscall int k_stack_pop(struct k_stack *stack, stack_data_t *data,
 
 /** @} */
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_WORK1
+
 struct k_work;
 
 /**
@@ -2954,6 +2956,9 @@ static inline int32_t k_delayed_work_remaining_get(const struct k_delayed_work *
 }
 
 /** @} */
+
+#endif /* CONFIG_KERNEL_WORK1 */
+
 /**
  * @defgroup mutex_apis Mutex APIs
  * @ingroup kernel_apis
diff --git a/kernel/CMakeLists.txt b/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
index 912a6a9716f..e12f66fa5e9 100644
--- a/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kernel/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ list(APPEND kernel_files
   system_work_q.c
   thread.c
   version.c
-  work_q.c
   condvar.c
   smp.c
   banner.c
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@ add_library(kernel ${kernel_files})
 
 # Kernel files has the macro __ZEPHYR_SUPERVISOR__ set so that it
 # optimizes the code when userspace is enabled.
+
 set_target_properties(
   kernel
   PROPERTIES
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ set_target_properties(
   __ZEPHYR_SUPERVISOR__
   )
 
+target_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_KERNEL_WORK1          kernel PRIVATE work_q.c)
+
 target_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_STACK_CANARIES        kernel PRIVATE compiler_stack_protect.c)
 target_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_EXISTS      kernel PRIVATE timeout.c timer.c)
 target_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_ATOMIC_OPERATIONS_C   kernel PRIVATE atomic_c.c)
diff --git a/kernel/Kconfig b/kernel/Kconfig
index dc0bae2ba58..230e1d2b9f2 100644
--- a/kernel/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/Kconfig
@@ -875,4 +875,22 @@ config THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE
 	help
 	  This option enables thread local storage (TLS) support in kernel.
 
+choice KERNEL_WORK
+	prompt "Which work queue implementation to use"
+	default KERNEL_WORK1
+
+config KERNEL_WORK1
+	bool "Select the original racy work API"
+	help
+	  This selects the original k_work_* implementation, and excludes the
+	  new simplementation.
+
+config KERNEL_WORK2
+	bool "Select alternative work API"
+	help
+	  This disables the original k_work_* implementation and replaces it
+	  with a new one.
+
+endchoice # KERNEL_WORK
+
 endmenu
diff --git a/lib/os/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/os/CMakeLists.txt
index d754e3376b1..923e83f0d3d 100644
--- a/lib/os/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/os/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@ zephyr_sources(
   sem.c
   thread_entry.c
   timeutil.c
-  work_q.c
   heap.c
   heap-validate.c
   )
 
+zephyr_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_KERNEL_WORK1 work_q.c)
+
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_CBPRINTF_COMPLETE cbprintf_complete.c)
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_CBPRINTF_NANO cbprintf_nano.c)