diff --git a/arch/arc/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/arc/core/irq_offload.c
index b658b8e353d4..d1a3f900ca3f 100644
--- a/arch/arc/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/arc/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 }
 
 /* need to be executed on every core in the system */
-int arc_irq_offload_init(void)
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
 {
 
 	IRQ_CONNECT(IRQ_OFFLOAD_LINE, IRQ_OFFLOAD_PRIO, arc_irq_offload_handler, NULL, 0);
@@ -64,8 +64,4 @@ int arc_irq_offload_init(void)
 	 * with generic irq_enable() but via z_arc_v2_irq_unit_int_enable().
 	 */
 	z_arc_v2_irq_unit_int_enable(IRQ_OFFLOAD_LINE);
-
-	return 0;
 }
-
-SYS_INIT(arc_irq_offload_init, POST_KERNEL, 0);
diff --git a/arch/arc/include/arc_irq_offload.h b/arch/arc/include/arc_irq_offload.h
index c38d0a24b68e..243b46556522 100644
--- a/arch/arc/include/arc_irq_offload.h
+++ b/arch/arc/include/arc_irq_offload.h
@@ -9,11 +9,9 @@
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_IRQ_OFFLOAD
 
-int arc_irq_offload_init(const struct device *unused);
-
 static inline void arc_irq_offload_init_smp(void)
 {
-	arc_irq_offload_init(NULL);
+	arch_irq_offload_init();
 }
 
 #else
diff --git a/arch/arm/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/arm/core/irq_offload.c
index 5dc1feccf7ab..65349de331b0 100644
--- a/arch/arm/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/arm/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -42,3 +42,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 	offload_routine = NULL;
 	k_sched_unlock();
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/arm64/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/arm64/core/irq_offload.c
index 1d5e3c829b88..4488e26849c0 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -23,3 +23,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 			  : [svid] "i" (_SVC_CALL_IRQ_OFFLOAD),
 			    "r" (x0), "r" (x1));
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/mips/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/mips/core/irq_offload.c
index 2a62ae071e0b..5c85ada4d61c 100644
--- a/arch/mips/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/mips/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -48,3 +48,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 
 	irq_unlock(key);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/nios2/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/nios2/core/irq_offload.c
index d33882f9f021..0c918896be95 100644
--- a/arch/nios2/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/nios2/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -41,3 +41,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 
 	irq_unlock(key);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/posix/core/irq.c b/arch/posix/core/irq.c
index 11d99e782b12..a1d3568c154e 100644
--- a/arch/posix/core/irq.c
+++ b/arch/posix/core/irq.c
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 {
 	posix_irq_offload(routine, parameter);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
 #endif
 
 void arch_irq_enable(unsigned int irq)
diff --git a/arch/riscv/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/riscv/core/irq_offload.c
index d325bc2dcd68..73d4b04c2a16 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/riscv/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 {
 	arch_syscall_invoke2((uintptr_t)routine, (uintptr_t)parameter, RV_ECALL_IRQ_OFFLOAD);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/sparc/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/sparc/core/irq_offload.c
index cd5acc08ba2a..f36e957084b2 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/sparc/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -39,3 +39,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 
 	irq_unlock(key);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/x86/core/ia32/irq_offload.c b/arch/x86/core/ia32/irq_offload.c
index 71e8363ece38..c7d68b34370d 100644
--- a/arch/x86/core/ia32/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/x86/core/ia32/irq_offload.c
@@ -47,3 +47,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 
 	irq_unlock(key);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/arch/x86/core/intel64/irq_offload.c b/arch/x86/core/intel64/irq_offload.c
index c2771d735cfc..03ae8a9439b3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/core/intel64/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/x86/core/intel64/irq_offload.c
@@ -44,11 +44,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 	arch_irq_unlock(key);
 }
 
-int irq_offload_init(void)
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
 {
 	x86_irq_funcs[CONFIG_IRQ_OFFLOAD_VECTOR - IV_IRQS] = dispatcher;
-
-	return 0;
 }
-
-SYS_INIT(irq_offload_init, PRE_KERNEL_1, CONFIG_KERNEL_INIT_PRIORITY_DEFAULT);
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/core/irq_offload.c b/arch/xtensa/core/irq_offload.c
index c142bfc5fc66..0e83520c8095 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/core/irq_offload.c
+++ b/arch/xtensa/core/irq_offload.c
@@ -37,3 +37,7 @@ void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter)
 			 :: "r"(intenable), "r"(BIT(ZSR_IRQ_OFFLOAD_INT)));
 	arch_irq_unlock(key);
 }
+
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void)
+{
+}
diff --git a/include/zephyr/arch/arch_interface.h b/include/zephyr/arch/arch_interface.h
index 4411dfe3ddeb..6721cec11717 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/arch/arch_interface.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/arch/arch_interface.h
@@ -455,6 +455,13 @@ bool arch_irq_is_used(unsigned int irq);
  * @param parameter Value to pass to the function when invoked
  */
 void arch_irq_offload(irq_offload_routine_t routine, const void *parameter);
+
+
+/**
+ * Initialize the architecture-specific portion of the irq_offload subsystem
+ */
+void arch_irq_offload_init(void);
+
 #endif /* CONFIG_IRQ_OFFLOAD */
 
 /** @} */
diff --git a/kernel/init.c b/kernel/init.c
index a6afabc2a2e8..1c24c5fc2b25 100644
--- a/kernel/init.c
+++ b/kernel/init.c
@@ -516,6 +516,9 @@ static void bg_thread_main(void *unused1, void *unused2, void *unused3)
 #endif /* CONFIG_MMU */
 	z_sys_post_kernel = true;
 
+#if CONFIG_IRQ_OFFLOAD
+	arch_irq_offload_init();
+#endif
 	z_sys_init_run_level(INIT_LEVEL_POST_KERNEL);
 #if CONFIG_SOC_LATE_INIT_HOOK
 	soc_late_init_hook();