diff --git a/mm/mm_heap/mm_sem.c b/mm/mm_heap/mm_sem.c
index a4d4e869c7c..b62983a809d 100644
--- a/mm/mm_heap/mm_sem.c
+++ b/mm/mm_heap/mm_sem.c
@@ -75,18 +75,6 @@ void mm_seminitialize(FAR struct mm_heap_s *heap)
 
 bool mm_takesemaphore(FAR struct mm_heap_s *heap)
 {
-#if defined(CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT) || defined(__KERNEL__)
-  /* Check current environment */
-
-  if (up_interrupt_context())
-    {
-      /* Can't take semaphore in the interrupt handler */
-
-      return false;
-    }
-  else
-#endif
-
   /* getpid() returns the task ID of the task at the head of the ready-to-
    * run task list.  mm_takesemaphore() may be called during context
    * switches.  There are certain situations during context switching when
@@ -102,7 +90,7 @@ bool mm_takesemaphore(FAR struct mm_heap_s *heap)
       return false;
     }
 #if defined(CONFIG_BUILD_FLAT) || defined(__KERNEL__)
-  else if (sched_idletask())
+  else if (sched_idletask() || up_interrupt_context())
     {
       /* Try to take the semaphore */
 
diff --git a/sched/semaphore/sem_trywait.c b/sched/semaphore/sem_trywait.c
index 3648aac26c1..1d973a12630 100644
--- a/sched/semaphore/sem_trywait.c
+++ b/sched/semaphore/sem_trywait.c
@@ -69,10 +69,6 @@ int nxsem_trywait(FAR sem_t *sem)
   irqstate_t flags;
   int ret;
 
-  /* This API should not be called from interrupt handlers */
-
-  DEBUGASSERT(sem != NULL && up_interrupt_context() == false);
-
   if (sem != NULL)
     {
       /* The following operations must be performed with interrupts disabled