diff --git a/doc/releases/release-notes-4.2.rst b/doc/releases/release-notes-4.2.rst
index 51f21cdff69..e08edefb881 100644
--- a/doc/releases/release-notes-4.2.rst
+++ b/doc/releases/release-notes-4.2.rst
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ New APIs and options
 
     * LE Connection Subrating is no longer experimental.
 
+* Other
+
+  * :c:func:`count_bits`
+
 New Boards
 **********
 
diff --git a/include/zephyr/sys/util.h b/include/zephyr/sys/util.h
index 0e38acb4aae..338b57e7423 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/sys/util.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/sys/util.h
@@ -783,6 +783,34 @@ static inline void mem_xor_128(uint8_t dst[16], const uint8_t src1[16], const ui
 	mem_xor_n(dst, src1, src2, 16);
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief Returns the number of bits set in a value
+ *
+ * @param value The value to count number of bits set of
+ * @param len The number of octets in @p value
+ */
+static inline size_t count_bits(const void *value, size_t len)
+{
+	const uint8_t *value_u8 = (const uint8_t *)value;
+	size_t cnt = 0U;
+
+	for (size_t i = 0U; i < len; i++) {
+		if (value_u8[i] != 0U) {
+#ifdef POPCOUNT
+			cnt += POPCOUNT(value_u8[i]);
+#else
+			/* Implements Brian Kernighan’s Algorithm to count bits */
+			while (value_u8[i]) {
+				cnt += value_u8[i] & 1;
+				value_u8[i] >>= 1;
+			}
+#endif
+		}
+	}
+
+	return cnt;
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/unit/util/main.c b/tests/unit/util/main.c
index e01c7dce286..bc5d01aeff7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/util/main.c
+++ b/tests/unit/util/main.c
@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2019 Oticon A/S
+ * Copyright (c) 2025 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
-#include <zephyr/ztest.h>
-#include <zephyr/sys/util.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include <zephyr/ztest.h>
+#include <zephyr/sys/util.h>
+#include <zephyr/ztest_assert.h>
+#include <zephyr/ztest_test.h>
+
 ZTEST(util, test_u8_to_dec) {
 	char text[4];
 	uint8_t len;
@@ -768,6 +773,25 @@ ZTEST(util, test_mem_xor_128)
 	zassert_mem_equal(expected_result, dst, 16);
 }
 
+ZTEST(util, test_count_bits)
+{
+	uint8_t zero = 0U;
+	uint8_t u8 = 29U;
+	uint16_t u16 = 29999U;
+	uint32_t u32 = 2999999999U;
+	uint64_t u64 = 123456789012345ULL;
+	uint8_t u8_arr[] = {u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8,
+			    u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8, u8};
+
+	zassert_equal(count_bits(&zero, sizeof(zero)), 0);
+	zassert_equal(count_bits(&u8, sizeof(u8)), 4);
+	zassert_equal(count_bits(&u16, sizeof(u16)), 10);
+	zassert_equal(count_bits(&u32, sizeof(u32)), 20);
+	zassert_equal(count_bits(&u64, sizeof(u64)), 23);
+
+	zassert_equal(count_bits(u8_arr, sizeof(u8_arr)), 128);
+}
+
 ZTEST(util, test_CONCAT)
 {
 #define _CAT_PART1 1