diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/nordic/lll/lll.c b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/nordic/lll/lll.c
index 46d91fcd195..7d744a6840f 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/nordic/lll/lll.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/nordic/lll/lll.c
@@ -69,10 +69,8 @@ static struct lll_event *resume_enqueue(lll_prepare_cb_t resume_cb);
 static void isr_race(void *param);
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LOW_LAT)
-static void ticker_stop_op_cb(uint32_t status, void *param);
-static void ticker_start_op_cb(uint32_t status, void *param);
-static uint32_t preempt_ticker_start(struct lll_event *event,
-				     ticker_op_func op_cb);
+static uint32_t preempt_ticker_start(struct lll_event *event);
+static uint32_t preempt_ticker_stop(void);
 static void preempt_ticker_cb(uint32_t ticks_at_expire, uint32_t remainder,
 			      uint16_t lazy, uint8_t force, void *param);
 static void preempt(void *param);
@@ -641,9 +639,8 @@ int lll_prepare_resolve(lll_is_abort_cb_t is_abort_cb, lll_abort_cb_t abort_cb,
 		/* Start the preempt timeout */
 		uint32_t ret;
 
-		ret  = preempt_ticker_start(next, ticker_start_op_cb);
+		ret  = preempt_ticker_start(next);
 		LL_ASSERT((ret == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
-			  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_FAILURE) ||
 			  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_BUSY));
 
 #else /* CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LOW_LAT */
@@ -693,12 +690,8 @@ int lll_prepare_resolve(lll_is_abort_cb_t is_abort_cb, lll_abort_cb_t abort_cb,
 	uint32_t ret;
 
 	/* Stop any scheduled preempt ticker */
-	ret = ticker_stop(TICKER_INSTANCE_ID_CTLR,
-			  TICKER_USER_ID_LLL,
-			  TICKER_ID_LLL_PREEMPT,
-			  ticker_stop_op_cb, NULL);
+	ret = preempt_ticker_stop();
 	LL_ASSERT((ret == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
-		  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_FAILURE) ||
 		  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_BUSY));
 
 	/* Find next prepare needing preempt timeout to be setup */
@@ -710,9 +703,8 @@ int lll_prepare_resolve(lll_is_abort_cb_t is_abort_cb, lll_abort_cb_t abort_cb,
 	} while (p->is_aborted || p->is_resume);
 
 	/* Start the preempt timeout */
-	ret = preempt_ticker_start(p, ticker_start_op_cb);
+	ret = preempt_ticker_start(p);
 	LL_ASSERT((ret == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
-		  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_FAILURE) ||
 		  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_BUSY));
 #endif /* !CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LOW_LAT */
 
@@ -737,30 +729,37 @@ static void isr_race(void *param)
 }
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LOW_LAT)
+static uint8_t volatile preempt_start_req;
+static uint8_t preempt_start_ack;
+static uint8_t volatile preempt_stop_req;
+static uint8_t preempt_stop_ack;
+static uint8_t preempt_req;
+static uint8_t volatile preempt_ack;
+
 static void ticker_stop_op_cb(uint32_t status, void *param)
 {
-	/* NOTE: this callback is present only for addition of debug messages
-	 * when needed, else can be dispensed with.
-	 */
 	ARG_UNUSED(param);
+	ARG_UNUSED(status);
 
-	LL_ASSERT((status == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
-		  (status == TICKER_STATUS_FAILURE));
+	LL_ASSERT(preempt_stop_req != preempt_stop_ack);
+	preempt_stop_ack++;
+
+	preempt_req = preempt_ack;
 }
 
 static void ticker_start_op_cb(uint32_t status, void *param)
 {
-	/* NOTE: this callback is present only for addition of debug messages
-	 * when needed, else can be dispensed with.
-	 */
 	ARG_UNUSED(param);
+	LL_ASSERT(status == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS);
 
-	LL_ASSERT((status == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
-		  (status == TICKER_STATUS_FAILURE));
+	LL_ASSERT(preempt_start_req != preempt_start_ack);
+	preempt_start_ack++;
+
+	LL_ASSERT(preempt_req == preempt_ack);
+	preempt_req++;
 }
 
-static uint32_t preempt_ticker_start(struct lll_event *event,
-				     ticker_op_func op_cb)
+static uint32_t preempt_ticker_start(struct lll_event *event)
 {
 	struct lll_prepare_param *p;
 	uint32_t preempt_anchor;
@@ -768,6 +767,14 @@ static uint32_t preempt_ticker_start(struct lll_event *event,
 	uint32_t preempt_to;
 	uint32_t ret;
 
+	/* Do not request to start preempt timeout if already requested */
+	if ((preempt_start_req != preempt_start_ack) ||
+	    (preempt_req != preempt_ack)) {
+		return TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
+	preempt_start_req++;
+
 	/* Calc the preempt timeout */
 	p = &event->prepare_param;
 	ull = HDR_LLL2ULL(p->param);
@@ -787,7 +794,31 @@ static uint32_t preempt_ticker_start(struct lll_event *event,
 			   TICKER_NULL_LAZY,
 			   TICKER_NULL_SLOT,
 			   preempt_ticker_cb, event,
-			   op_cb, event);
+			   ticker_start_op_cb, event);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+static uint32_t preempt_ticker_stop(void)
+{
+	uint32_t ret;
+
+	/* Do not request to stop preempt timeout if already requested or
+	 * has expired
+	 */
+	if ((preempt_stop_req != preempt_stop_ack) ||
+	    (preempt_req == preempt_ack)) {
+		return TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
+	preempt_stop_req++;
+
+	ret = ticker_stop(TICKER_INSTANCE_ID_CTLR,
+			  TICKER_USER_ID_LLL,
+			  TICKER_ID_LLL_PREEMPT,
+			  ticker_stop_op_cb, NULL);
+	LL_ASSERT((ret == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
+		  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_BUSY));
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -799,6 +830,9 @@ static void preempt_ticker_cb(uint32_t ticks_at_expire, uint32_t remainder,
 	static struct mayfly mfy = {0, 0, &link, NULL, preempt};
 	uint32_t ret;
 
+	LL_ASSERT(preempt_ack != preempt_req);
+	preempt_ack++;
+
 	mfy.param = param;
 	ret = mayfly_enqueue(TICKER_USER_ID_ULL_HIGH, TICKER_USER_ID_LLL,
 			     0, &mfy);
@@ -839,9 +873,8 @@ static void preempt(void *param)
 		uint32_t ret;
 
 		/* Start the preempt timeout */
-		ret = preempt_ticker_start(next, ticker_start_op_cb);
+		ret = preempt_ticker_start(next);
 		LL_ASSERT((ret == TICKER_STATUS_SUCCESS) ||
-			  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_FAILURE) ||
 			  (ret == TICKER_STATUS_BUSY));
 
 		return;