diff --git a/kernel/condvar.c b/kernel/condvar.c
index 87cb36db316..27fb0ec8a02 100644
--- a/kernel/condvar.c
+++ b/kernel/condvar.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
 
 static struct k_spinlock lock;
diff --git a/kernel/events.c b/kernel/events.c
index 96cae5bc4a8..18ab4656dd1 100644
--- a/kernel/events.c
+++ b/kernel/events.c
@@ -25,13 +25,14 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
 
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/dlist.h>
-#include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
 #include <zephyr/tracing/tracing.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/check.h>
+/* private kernel APIs */
+#include <wait_q.h>
+#include <ksched.h>
 
 #define K_EVENT_WAIT_ANY      0x00   /* Wait for any events */
 #define K_EVENT_WAIT_ALL      0x01   /* Wait for all events */
diff --git a/kernel/idle.c b/kernel/idle.c
index be3902a5b41..290b45976d9 100644
--- a/kernel/idle.c
+++ b/kernel/idle.c
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <zephyr/linker/sections.h>
 #include <zephyr/drivers/timer/system_timer.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/pm/pm.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <zephyr/logging/log.h>
+/* private kernel APIs */
 #include <ksched.h>
 #include <kswap.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 LOG_MODULE_DECLARE(os, CONFIG_KERNEL_LOG_LEVEL);
 
diff --git a/include/zephyr/wait_q.h b/kernel/include/wait_q.h
similarity index 100%
rename from include/zephyr/wait_q.h
rename to kernel/include/wait_q.h
diff --git a/kernel/kheap.c b/kernel/kheap.c
index fc2d3300e78..71a3da596ad 100644
--- a/kernel/kheap.c
+++ b/kernel/kheap.c
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
  */
 
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
-#include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/linker/linker-defs.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/iterable_sections.h>
+/* private kernel APIs */
+#include <ksched.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 void k_heap_init(struct k_heap *h, void *mem, size_t bytes)
 {
diff --git a/kernel/mailbox.c b/kernel/mailbox.c
index 3014af57063..e72023846df 100644
--- a/kernel/mailbox.c
+++ b/kernel/mailbox.c
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <zephyr/linker/sections.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/dlist.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
+/* private kernel APIs */
+#include <ksched.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 #if (CONFIG_NUM_MBOX_ASYNC_MSGS > 0)
 
diff --git a/kernel/mem_slab.c b/kernel/mem_slab.c
index b03b731d473..9c326536c38 100644
--- a/kernel/mem_slab.c
+++ b/kernel/mem_slab.c
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@
 
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <zephyr/linker/sections.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/dlist.h>
-#include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/check.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/iterable_sections.h>
+/* private kernel APIs */
+#include <ksched.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 /**
  * @brief Initialize kernel memory slab subsystem.
diff --git a/kernel/msg_q.c b/kernel/msg_q.c
index 1179612ce42..82566115a67 100644
--- a/kernel/msg_q.c
+++ b/kernel/msg_q.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/linker/sections.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/dlist.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/math_extras.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
diff --git a/kernel/mutex.c b/kernel/mutex.c
index 32c889bb237..44e0d316dab 100644
--- a/kernel/mutex.c
+++ b/kernel/mutex.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
diff --git a/kernel/pipes.c b/kernel/pipes.c
index 0a899856c02..68cf39d9a27 100644
--- a/kernel/pipes.c
+++ b/kernel/pipes.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
 #include <kernel_internal.h>
diff --git a/kernel/poll.c b/kernel/poll.c
index d3b313f04bd..27d65c147f0 100644
--- a/kernel/poll.c
+++ b/kernel/poll.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
 #include <kernel_internal.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/dlist.h>
diff --git a/kernel/queue.c b/kernel/queue.c
index 342ee89566e..07435973307 100644
--- a/kernel/queue.c
+++ b/kernel/queue.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
 
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
diff --git a/kernel/sched.c b/kernel/sched.c
index fcd77c69eb7..ea157459dd2 100644
--- a/kernel/sched.c
+++ b/kernel/sched.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/spinlock.h>
 #include <zephyr/kernel/sched_priq.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <kswap.h>
 #include <kernel_arch_func.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
diff --git a/kernel/sem.c b/kernel/sem.c
index 368c9377a1a..26e4597911b 100644
--- a/kernel/sem.c
+++ b/kernel/sem.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
 
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/dlist.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
diff --git a/kernel/stack.c b/kernel/stack.c
index 38c2ccb90d4..27038ce133e 100644
--- a/kernel/stack.c
+++ b/kernel/stack.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 #include <zephyr/toolchain.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/check.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
diff --git a/kernel/thread.c b/kernel/thread.c
index fb578eb48d8..4f330b628cd 100644
--- a/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/kernel/thread.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #include <zephyr/sys/math_extras.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys_clock.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
 #include <kernel_internal.h>
 #include <kswap.h>
diff --git a/kernel/timer.c b/kernel/timer.c
index 9de9768c361..0186b42c922 100644
--- a/kernel/timer.c
+++ b/kernel/timer.c
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
 
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
-#include <ksched.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/syscall_handler.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <zephyr/spinlock.h>
+#include <ksched.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 static struct k_spinlock lock;
 
diff --git a/kernel/work.c b/kernel/work.c
index 08c9d47176e..402b2f80517 100644
--- a/kernel/work.c
+++ b/kernel/work.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
 #include <zephyr/kernel_structs.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/spinlock.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
diff --git a/lib/os/p4wq.c b/lib/os/p4wq.c
index d5e97476812..22d24da140b 100644
--- a/lib/os/p4wq.c
+++ b/lib/os/p4wq.c
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
  */
 #include <zephyr/logging/log.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/p4wq.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
-#include <ksched.h>
 #include <zephyr/init.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/iterable_sections.h>
+/* private kernel APIs */
+#include <ksched.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 LOG_MODULE_REGISTER(p4wq, CONFIG_LOG_DEFAULT_LEVEL);
 
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/sched/src/main.c b/tests/benchmarks/sched/src/main.c
index 43f5ff896e0..79a519ccf2c 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/sched/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/sched/src/main.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/printk.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
 
 /* This is a scheduler microbenchmark, designed to measure latencies
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/sched_userspace/src/main.c b/tests/benchmarks/sched_userspace/src/main.c
index ff3f66e68cb..5e921d9ee30 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/sched_userspace/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/sched_userspace/src/main.c
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
 
 #include <zephyr/kernel.h>
 #include <zephyr/sys/printk.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+
+/* private kernel APIs */
+#include <wait_q.h>
 #include <ksched.h>
 
 #include "app_threads.h"
diff --git a/tests/kernel/events/event_api/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/kernel/events/event_api/CMakeLists.txt
index 1e43c202fc7..9c0c203380f 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/events/event_api/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/kernel/events/event_api/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,3 +6,7 @@ project(events_api)
 
 FILE(GLOB app_sources src/*.c)
 target_sources(app PRIVATE ${app_sources})
+
+target_include_directories(app PRIVATE
+  ${ZEPHYR_BASE}/kernel/include
+  )
diff --git a/tests/kernel/events/event_api/src/test_event_apis.c b/tests/kernel/events/event_api/src/test_event_apis.c
index 275040f508d..a6c81272bcd 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/events/event_api/src/test_event_apis.c
+++ b/tests/kernel/events/event_api/src/test_event_apis.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <zephyr/ztest.h>
-#include <zephyr/wait_q.h>
+#include <wait_q.h>
 
 #define DELAY          K_MSEC(50)
 #define SHORT_TIMEOUT  K_MSEC(100)