diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 7d1a777e080..886a64aec3a 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -2139,17 +2139,6 @@ struct z_futex_data {
  * @{
  */
 
-/**
- * @brief Initialize a futex.
- *
- * This routine initializes a futex object, prior to its first use.
- *
- * @param futex Address of the k_futex.
- *
- * @return N/A
- */
-__syscall void k_futex_init(struct k_futex *futex);
-
 /**
  * @brief Pend the current thread on a futex
  *
diff --git a/kernel/futex.c b/kernel/futex.c
index 19f958f2784..e1c88d0a796 100644
--- a/kernel/futex.c
+++ b/kernel/futex.c
@@ -24,23 +24,6 @@ static struct z_futex_data *k_futex_find_data(struct k_futex *futex)
 	return (struct z_futex_data *)obj->data;
 }
 
-void z_impl_k_futex_init(struct k_futex *futex)
-{
-	futex->val = 0U;
-	z_object_init(futex);
-}
-
-Z_SYSCALL_HANDLER(k_futex_init, futex)
-{
-	if (Z_SYSCALL_MEMORY_WRITE(futex, sizeof(struct k_futex)) != 0) {
-		return -EACCES;
-	}
-
-	z_impl_k_futex_init((struct k_futex *)futex);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int z_impl_k_futex_wake(struct k_futex *futex, bool wake_all)
 {
 	k_spinlock_key_t key;
diff --git a/tests/kernel/mem_protect/futex/src/main.c b/tests/kernel/mem_protect/futex/src/main.c
index f446b2aa33e..f7e2143bf9c 100644
--- a/tests/kernel/mem_protect/futex/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/kernel/mem_protect/futex/src/main.c
@@ -161,8 +161,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_forever(void)
 {
 	timeout = K_FOREVER;
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -182,8 +181,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_timeout(void)
 {
 	timeout = K_MSEC(50);
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -203,8 +201,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_nowait(void)
 {
 	timeout = K_NO_WAIT;
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -227,8 +224,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_forever_wake(void)
 	woken = 1;
 	timeout = K_FOREVER;
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_wake_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -261,8 +257,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_timeout_wake(void)
 	woken = 1;
 	timeout = K_MSEC(100);
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_wake_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -295,8 +290,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_nowait_wake(void)
 	woken = 0;
 	timeout = K_NO_WAIT;
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_wake_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -322,8 +316,7 @@ void test_futex_wait_forever_wake_from_isr(void)
 {
 	timeout = K_FOREVER;
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
-	atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
+	atomic_set(&simple_futex.val, 1);
 
 	k_thread_create(&futex_tid, stack_1, STACK_SIZE,
 			futex_wait_wake_task, &timeout, NULL, NULL,
@@ -349,7 +342,7 @@ void test_futex_multiple_threads_wait_wake(void)
 	timeout = K_FOREVER;
 	woken = TOTAL_THREADS_WAITING;
 
-	k_futex_init(&simple_futex);
+	atomic_clear(&simple_futex.val);
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < TOTAL_THREADS_WAITING; i++) {
 		atomic_inc(&simple_futex.val);
@@ -386,8 +379,7 @@ void test_multiple_futex_wait_wake(void)
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < TOTAL_THREADS_WAITING; i++) {
 		index[i] = i;
-		k_futex_init(&multiple_futex[i]);
-		atomic_inc(&multiple_futex[i].val);
+		atomic_set(&multiple_futex[i].val, 1);
 		k_thread_create(&multiple_tid[i], multiple_stack[i],
 				STACK_SIZE, futex_multiple_wait_wake_task,
 				&timeout, &index[i], NULL, PRIO_WAIT,