diff --git a/include/pthread.h b/include/pthread.h
index 38fce8d09c5..fa91c86241c 100644
--- a/include/pthread.h
+++ b/include/pthread.h
@@ -333,25 +333,46 @@ typedef struct pthread_mutex_s pthread_mutex_t;
 #  endif
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_INHERIT
+#  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_INHERIT SEM_PRIO_INHERIT
+#else
+#  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_INHERIT 0
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_PROTECT
+#  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_PROTECT SEM_PRIO_PROTECT
+#else
+#  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_PROTECT 0
+#endif
+
+#define PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_FLAGS (PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_INHERIT | \
+                                          PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_PROTECT)
+
+#define PTHREAD_NXMUTEX_INITIALIZER { \
+    NXSEM_INITIALIZER(1, SEM_TYPE_MUTEX | PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_FLAGS), \
+    NXMUTEX_NO_HOLDER}
+#define PTHREAD_NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER {PTHREAD_NXMUTEX_INITIALIZER, 0}
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_TYPES) && !defined(CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_UNSAFE)
 #  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER {NULL, __PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_FLAGS, \
                                      PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT, \
-                                     NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
+                                     PTHREAD_NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
+
 #  define PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP \
                                     {NULL, __PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_FLAGS, \
                                      PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE, \
-                                     NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER,}
+                                     PTHREAD_NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER,}
 #elif defined(CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_TYPES)
 #  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER {PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT, \
-                                     NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER,}
+                                     PTHREAD_NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER,}
 #  define PTHREAD_RECURSIVE_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP \
                                     {PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE, \
-                                     NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
+                                     PTHREAD_NXRMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
 #elif !defined(CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_UNSAFE)
 #  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER {NULL, __PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_FLAGS,\
-                                     NXMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
+                                     PTHREAD_NXMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
 #else
-#  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER {NXMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
+#  define PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER {PTHREAD_NXMUTEX_INITIALIZER}
 #endif
 
 struct pthread_barrierattr_s
diff --git a/sched/Kconfig b/sched/Kconfig
index bdb64a65990..07b616d7944 100644
--- a/sched/Kconfig
+++ b/sched/Kconfig
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ endchoice # Default NORMAL mutex robustness
 
 choice
 	prompt "Default pthread mutex protocol"
-	default PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_NONE
+	default PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_INHERIT
 
 config PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_NONE
 	bool "PTHREAD_PRIO_NONE default"
diff --git a/sched/pthread/pthread_mutexinit.c b/sched/pthread/pthread_mutexinit.c
index cdf572a5055..02e3ab9fcdd 100644
--- a/sched/pthread/pthread_mutexinit.c
+++ b/sched/pthread/pthread_mutexinit.c
@@ -77,15 +77,15 @@ int pthread_mutex_init(FAR pthread_mutex_t *mutex,
   /* Were attributes specified?  If so, use them */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_TYPES
-      mutex->type  = attr ? attr->type : PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT;
+  mutex->type = attr ? attr->type : PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT;
 #endif
 #ifndef CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_UNSAFE
-      mutex->flink = NULL;
+  mutex->flink = NULL;
 #  ifdef CONFIG_PTHREAD_MUTEX_BOTH
-      mutex->flags = attr && attr->robust == PTHREAD_MUTEX_ROBUST ?
-                     _PTHREAD_MFLAGS_ROBUST : 0;
+  mutex->flags = attr && attr->robust == PTHREAD_MUTEX_ROBUST ?
+                 _PTHREAD_MFLAGS_ROBUST : 0;
 #  else
-      mutex->flags = 0;
+  mutex->flags = 0;
 #  endif
 #endif
 
@@ -111,6 +111,15 @@ int pthread_mutex_init(FAR pthread_mutex_t *mutex,
         }
 #  endif
     }
+  else
+    {
+      /* Set the default priority inheritance and protect flags according to
+       * config flags.
+       */
+
+      mutex_set_protocol(&mutex->mutex,
+                         SEM_TYPE_MUTEX | PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT_PRIO_FLAGS);
+    }
 #endif
 
   return 0;