diff --git a/lib/libc/Kconfig b/lib/libc/Kconfig
index 7c5f92f7e97..c9678adf2c2 100644
--- a/lib/libc/Kconfig
+++ b/lib/libc/Kconfig
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ config MINIMAL_LIBC
 config PICOLIBC
 	bool "Picolibc library"
 	select COMMON_LIBC_ABORT
-	select THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE if ARCH_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE && TOOLCHAIN_SUPPORTS_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE
+	imply THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE if ARCH_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE && TOOLCHAIN_SUPPORTS_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE
 	select LIBC_ERRNO if THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE
 	select NEED_LIBC_MEM_PARTITION
 	imply COMMON_LIBC_MALLOC
diff --git a/lib/libc/picolibc/Kconfig b/lib/libc/picolibc/Kconfig
index b5e1f1bb581..21c6fc38501 100644
--- a/lib/libc/picolibc/Kconfig
+++ b/lib/libc/picolibc/Kconfig
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ config PICOLIBC_USE_MODULE
 	  This is enabled by default for toolchains other than the Zephyr
 	  SDK.
 
+# force TLS when using toolchain with TLS support
+config PICOLIBC_USE_TOOLCHAIN
+	bool
+	default y if PICOLIBC && !PICOLIBC_USE_MODULE
+	select THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE if ARCH_HAS_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE && TOOLCHAIN_SUPPORTS_THREAD_LOCAL_STORAGE
+
 config PICOLIBC_HEAP_SIZE
 	int "[DEPRECATED] Picolibc heap size (bytes)"
 	default -2