diff --git a/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_clockconfig.c b/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_clockconfig.c
index 5ecdf03c12f..aeef784326b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_clockconfig.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_clockconfig.c
@@ -909,9 +909,6 @@ static inline void efm32_itm_syslog(void)
 
   efm32_enable_auxhfrco();
 
-  /* Then perform ARMv7-M ITM SYSLOG initialization */
-
-  itm_syslog_initialize();
 }
 #else
 #  define efm32_itm_syslog()
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_start.c b/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_start.c
index f62e1461d51..59c45afaa32 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_start.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/efm32/efm32_start.c
@@ -275,6 +275,12 @@ void __start(void)
 
   showprogress('C');
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARMV7M_ITMSYSLOG
+  /* Perform ARMv7-M ITM SYSLOG initialization */
+
+  itm_syslog_initialize();
+#endif
+
   /* Perform early serial initialization */
 
   up_earlyserialinit();
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_start.c b/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_start.c
index 480d5f58b46..ac16478b337 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_start.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_start.c
@@ -282,6 +282,12 @@ void __start(void)
 
   showprogress('C');
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARMV7M_ITMSYSLOG
+  /* Perform ARMv7-M ITM SYSLOG initialization */
+
+  itm_syslog_initialize();
+#endif
+
   /* Perform early serial initialization */
 
 #ifdef USE_EARLYSERIALINIT
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32f40xxx_rcc.c b/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32f40xxx_rcc.c
index 3d259ec5c39..347d8a3d62b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32f40xxx_rcc.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32f40xxx_rcc.c
@@ -919,7 +919,6 @@ static inline void rcc_itm_syslog(void)
   modifyreg32(STM32_DBGMCU_CR, DBGMCU_CR_TRACEMODE_MASK, DBGMCU_CR_ASYNCH |
               DBGMCU_CR_TRACEIOEN);
 
-  itm_syslog_initialize();
 }
 #else
 #  define rcc_itm_syslog()