diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index 0ddcdb50c40..1eb8f833636 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -907,7 +907,7 @@ endif # ARCH_STACK_DYNAMIC
 config ARCH_KERNEL_STACK
 	bool "Kernel process stack"
 	default LIBC_EXECFUNCS
-	depends on BUILD_KERNEL
+	depends on BUILD_KERNEL || BUILD_PROTECTED
 	---help---
 		It this option is selected, then every user process will have two
 		stacks:  A large, potentially dynamically sized user stack and small
diff --git a/sched/pthread/pthread_create.c b/sched/pthread/pthread_create.c
index 0ab0ba9f3fd..d608fdaf8cc 100644
--- a/sched/pthread/pthread_create.c
+++ b/sched/pthread/pthread_create.c
@@ -273,8 +273,7 @@ int nx_pthread_create(pthread_trampoline_t trampoline, FAR pthread_t *thread,
       goto errout_with_tcb;
     }
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_ARCH_ADDRENV) && \
-    defined(CONFIG_BUILD_KERNEL) && defined(CONFIG_ARCH_KERNEL_STACK)
+#if defined(CONFIG_ARCH_ADDRENV) && defined(CONFIG_ARCH_KERNEL_STACK)
   /* Allocate the kernel stack */
 
   ret = up_addrenv_kstackalloc(ptcb);