diff --git a/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_start.c b/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_start.c
index a70549f12b..6d97e54db1 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_start.c
+++ b/arch/xtensa/src/esp32/esp32_start.c
@@ -86,14 +86,6 @@ void IRAM_ATTR __start(void)
   uint32_t regval;
   uint32_t sp;
 
-  /* Kill the watchdog timer */
-
-  putreg32(RTC_CNTL_WDT_WKEY_VALUE, RTC_CNTL_WDTWPROTECT_REG);
-  regval  = getreg32(RTC_CNTL_WDTCONFIG0_REG);
-  regval &= ~RTC_CNTL_WDT_EN;
-  putreg32(regval, RTC_CNTL_WDTCONFIG0_REG);
-  putreg32(0, RTC_CNTL_WDTWPROTECT_REG);
-
   /* Make sure that normal interrupts are disabled.  This is really only an
    * issue when we are started in un-usual ways (such as from IRAM).  In this
    * case, we can at least defer some unexpected interrupts left over from
@@ -129,6 +121,17 @@ void IRAM_ATTR __start(void)
   regval &= ~DPORT_APPCPU_CLKGATE_EN;
   putreg32(regval, DPORT_APPCPU_CTRL_B_REG);
 
+  /* The 2nd stage bootloader enables RTC WDT to check on startup sequence
+   * related issues in application. Hence disable that as we are about to
+   * start the NuttX environment.
+   */
+
+  putreg32(RTC_CNTL_WDT_WKEY_VALUE, RTC_CNTL_WDTWPROTECT_REG);
+  regval  = getreg32(RTC_CNTL_WDTCONFIG0_REG);
+  regval &= ~RTC_CNTL_WDT_EN;
+  putreg32(regval, RTC_CNTL_WDTCONFIG0_REG);
+  putreg32(0, RTC_CNTL_WDTWPROTECT_REG);
+
   /* Set CPU frequency configured in board.h */
 
   esp32_clockconfig();