diff --git a/include/nuttx/init.h b/include/nuttx/init.h
index 19cbf784e78..697c509112e 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/init.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/init.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #define OSINIT_HW_READY()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_HARDWARE)
 #define OSINIT_OS_READY()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_OSREADY)
 #define OSINIT_IDLELOOP()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_IDLELOOP)
+#define OSINIT_IS_PANIC()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_PANIC)
 #define OSINIT_OS_INITIALIZING() (g_nx_initstate  < OSINIT_OSREADY)
 
 /****************************************************************************
diff --git a/sched/misc/assert.c b/sched/misc/assert.c
index c9cb58ac4cc..0c89d62a7df 100644
--- a/sched/misc/assert.c
+++ b/sched/misc/assert.c
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ void _assert(FAR const char *filename, int linenum,
   struct panic_notifier_s notifier_data;
   irqstate_t flags;
 
-  if (g_nx_initstate == OSINIT_PANIC)
+  if (OSINIT_IS_PANIC())
     {
       /* Already in fatal state, reset board directly. */
 
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ void _assert(FAR const char *filename, int linenum,
   notifier_data.filename = filename;
   notifier_data.linenum = linenum;
   notifier_data.msg = msg;
-  panic_notifier_call_chain(g_nx_initstate == OSINIT_PANIC
+  panic_notifier_call_chain(OSINIT_IS_PANIC()
                             ? PANIC_KERNEL : PANIC_TASK,
                             &notifier_data);
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_LEDS
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ void _assert(FAR const char *filename, int linenum,
   dump_assert_info(rtcb, filename, linenum, msg, regs);
 #endif
 
-  if (g_nx_initstate == OSINIT_PANIC)
+  if (OSINIT_IS_PANIC())
     {
       /* Dump fatal info of assertion. */
 
diff --git a/sched/sched/sched_backtrace.c b/sched/sched/sched_backtrace.c
index 3d677308a3c..bdf95d2974f 100644
--- a/sched/sched/sched_backtrace.c
+++ b/sched/sched/sched_backtrace.c
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ int sched_backtrace(pid_t tid, FAR void **buffer, int size, int skip)
       if (tcb != NULL)
         {
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
-          if (tcb->task_state == TSTATE_TASK_RUNNING &&
-              g_nx_initstate != OSINIT_PANIC)
+          if (!OSINIT_IS_PANIC() &&
+              tcb->task_state == TSTATE_TASK_RUNNING)
             {
               struct backtrace_arg_s arg;