diff --git a/include/zephyr/kernel.h b/include/zephyr/kernel.h
index a35c453ed8c574..8a8e1670c7e17a 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/kernel.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/kernel.h
@@ -542,8 +542,6 @@ __syscall int k_thread_join(struct k_thread *thread, k_timeout_t timeout);
  * This routine puts the current thread to sleep for @a duration,
  * specified as a k_timeout_t object.
  *
- * @note if @a timeout is set to K_FOREVER then the thread is suspended.
- *
  * @param timeout Desired duration of sleep.
  *
  * @return Zero if the requested time has elapsed or if the thread was woken up
@@ -1024,10 +1022,11 @@ int k_thread_cpu_pin(k_tid_t thread, int cpu);
  * This routine prevents the kernel scheduler from making @a thread
  * the current thread. All other internal operations on @a thread are
  * still performed; for example, kernel objects it is waiting on are
- * still handed to it.  Note that any existing timeouts
- * (e.g. k_sleep(), or a timeout argument to k_sem_take() et. al.)
- * will be canceled.  On resume, the thread will begin running
- * immediately and return from the blocked call.
+ * still handed to it. Thread suspension does not impact any timeout
+ * upon which the thread may be waiting (such as a timeout from a call
+ * to k_sem_take() or k_sleep()). Thus if the timeout expires while the
+ * thread is suspended, it is still suspended until k_thread_resume()
+ * is called.
  *
  * When the target thread is active on another CPU, the caller will block until
  * the target thread is halted (suspended or aborted).  But if the caller is in
@@ -1043,8 +1042,9 @@ __syscall void k_thread_suspend(k_tid_t thread);
 /**
  * @brief Resume a suspended thread.
  *
- * This routine allows the kernel scheduler to make @a thread the current
- * thread, when it is next eligible for that role.
+ * This routine reverses the thread suspension from k_thread_suspend()
+ * and allows the kernel scheduler to make @a thread the current thread
+ * when it is next eligible for that role.
  *
  * If @a thread is not currently suspended, the routine has no effect.
  *
@@ -1060,14 +1060,14 @@ __syscall void k_thread_resume(k_tid_t thread);
  * on it.
  *
  * @note This is a legacy API for compatibility.  Modern Zephyr
- * threads are initialized in the "suspended" state and no not need
+ * threads are initialized in the "sleeping" state and do not need
  * special handling for "start".
  *
  * @param thread thread to start
  */
 static inline void k_thread_start(k_tid_t thread)
 {
-	k_thread_resume(thread);
+	k_wakeup(thread);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/kernel/include/kthread.h b/kernel/include/kthread.h
index 95b53521329865..63bd46dd47820b 100644
--- a/kernel/include/kthread.h
+++ b/kernel/include/kthread.h
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ static inline void z_mark_thread_as_not_pending(struct k_thread *thread)
 	thread->base.thread_state &= ~_THREAD_PENDING;
 }
 
+static inline bool z_is_thread_sleeping(struct k_thread *thread)
+{
+	return (thread->base.thread_state & _THREAD_SLEEPING) != 0U;
+}
+
 static inline void z_mark_thread_as_sleeping(struct k_thread *thread)
 {
 	thread->base.thread_state |= _THREAD_SLEEPING;
diff --git a/kernel/init.c b/kernel/init.c
index 0327107129c229..a43f040ee7faaf 100644
--- a/kernel/init.c
+++ b/kernel/init.c
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ static void init_idle_thread(int i)
 			  stack_size, idle, &_kernel.cpus[i],
 			  NULL, NULL, K_IDLE_PRIO, K_ESSENTIAL,
 			  tname);
-	z_mark_thread_as_not_suspended(thread);
+	z_mark_thread_as_not_sleeping(thread);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 	thread->base.is_idle = 1U;
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ static char *prepare_multithreading(void)
 				       NULL, NULL, NULL,
 				       CONFIG_MAIN_THREAD_PRIORITY,
 				       K_ESSENTIAL, "main");
-	z_mark_thread_as_not_suspended(&z_main_thread);
+	z_mark_thread_as_not_sleeping(&z_main_thread);
 	z_ready_thread(&z_main_thread);
 
 	z_init_cpu(0);
diff --git a/kernel/sched.c b/kernel/sched.c
index 4105ebaa3ebc2f..2d5d46dc9a6dd6 100644
--- a/kernel/sched.c
+++ b/kernel/sched.c
@@ -498,8 +498,6 @@ void z_impl_k_thread_suspend(k_tid_t thread)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	(void)z_abort_thread_timeout(thread);
-
 	k_spinlock_key_t  key = k_spin_lock(&_sched_spinlock);
 
 	if ((thread->base.thread_state & _THREAD_SUSPENDED) != 0U) {
@@ -631,7 +629,7 @@ void z_sched_wake_thread(struct k_thread *thread, bool is_timeout)
 			if (thread->base.pended_on != NULL) {
 				unpend_thread_no_timeout(thread);
 			}
-			z_mark_thread_as_not_suspended(thread);
+			z_mark_thread_as_not_sleeping(thread);
 			ready_thread(thread);
 		}
 	}
@@ -1111,12 +1109,10 @@ static int32_t z_tick_sleep(k_ticks_t ticks)
 #endif /* CONFIG_TIMESLICING && CONFIG_SWAP_NONATOMIC */
 	unready_thread(arch_current_thread());
 	z_add_thread_timeout(arch_current_thread(), timeout);
-	z_mark_thread_as_suspended(arch_current_thread());
+	z_mark_thread_as_sleeping(arch_current_thread());
 
 	(void)z_swap(&_sched_spinlock, key);
 
-	__ASSERT(!z_is_thread_state_set(arch_current_thread(), _THREAD_SUSPENDED), "");
-
 	ticks = (k_ticks_t)expected_wakeup_ticks - sys_clock_tick_get_32();
 	if (ticks > 0) {
 		return ticks;
@@ -1133,20 +1129,12 @@ int32_t z_impl_k_sleep(k_timeout_t timeout)
 
 	SYS_PORT_TRACING_FUNC_ENTER(k_thread, sleep, timeout);
 
-	/* in case of K_FOREVER, we suspend */
-	if (K_TIMEOUT_EQ(timeout, K_FOREVER)) {
-
-		k_thread_suspend(arch_current_thread());
-		SYS_PORT_TRACING_FUNC_EXIT(k_thread, sleep, timeout, (int32_t) K_TICKS_FOREVER);
-
-		return (int32_t) K_TICKS_FOREVER;
-	}
-
 	ticks = timeout.ticks;
 
 	ticks = z_tick_sleep(ticks);
 
-	int32_t ret = k_ticks_to_ms_ceil64(ticks);
+	int32_t ret = K_TIMEOUT_EQ(timeout, K_FOREVER) ? K_TICKS_FOREVER :
+		      k_ticks_to_ms_ceil64(ticks);
 
 	SYS_PORT_TRACING_FUNC_EXIT(k_thread, sleep, timeout, ret);
 
@@ -1189,24 +1177,18 @@ void z_impl_k_wakeup(k_tid_t thread)
 {
 	SYS_PORT_TRACING_OBJ_FUNC(k_thread, wakeup, thread);
 
-	if (z_is_thread_pending(thread)) {
-		return;
-	}
+	k_spinlock_key_t  key = k_spin_lock(&_sched_spinlock);
 
-	if (z_abort_thread_timeout(thread) < 0) {
-		/* Might have just been sleeping forever */
-		if (thread->base.thread_state != _THREAD_SUSPENDED) {
-			return;
-		}
+	if (!z_is_thread_sleeping(thread)) {
+		k_spin_unlock(&_sched_spinlock, key);
+		return;
 	}
 
-	k_spinlock_key_t  key = k_spin_lock(&_sched_spinlock);
+	(void)z_abort_thread_timeout(thread);
 
-	z_mark_thread_as_not_suspended(thread);
+	z_mark_thread_as_not_sleeping(thread);
 
-	if (thread_active_elsewhere(thread) == NULL) {
-		ready_thread(thread);
-	}
+	ready_thread(thread);
 
 	if (arch_is_in_isr()) {
 		k_spin_unlock(&_sched_spinlock, key);
diff --git a/kernel/thread.c b/kernel/thread.c
index 2e20d48245e2ca..f731bfefdb6bc1 100644
--- a/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/kernel/thread.c
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ char *z_setup_new_thread(struct k_thread *new_thread,
 	z_waitq_init(&new_thread->join_queue);
 
 	/* Initialize various struct k_thread members */
-	z_init_thread_base(&new_thread->base, prio, _THREAD_SUSPENDED, options);
+	z_init_thread_base(&new_thread->base, prio, _THREAD_SLEEPING, options);
 	stack_ptr = setup_thread_stack(new_thread, stack, stack_size);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_KERNEL_COHERENCE
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/thread_metric/src/tm_porting_layer_zephyr.c b/tests/benchmarks/thread_metric/src/tm_porting_layer_zephyr.c
index 6eeaa9f8af8a8f..60ca06a9fa8a1c 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/thread_metric/src/tm_porting_layer_zephyr.c
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/thread_metric/src/tm_porting_layer_zephyr.c
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ int tm_thread_create(int thread_id, int priority, void (*entry_function)(void *,
 			      TM_TEST_STACK_SIZE, entry_function,
 			      NULL, NULL, NULL, priority, 0, K_FOREVER);
 
+	/* Thread started in sleeping state. Switch to suspended state */
+
+	k_thread_suspend(&test_thread[thread_id]);
+	k_wakeup(&test_thread[thread_id]);
+
 	return (tid == &test_thread[thread_id]) ? TM_SUCCESS : TM_ERROR;
 }