diff --git a/drivers/bluetooth/hci/h4.c b/drivers/bluetooth/hci/h4.c
index 0f6935c99b..0a7293b62b 100644
--- a/drivers/bluetooth/hci/h4.c
+++ b/drivers/bluetooth/hci/h4.c
@@ -251,8 +251,8 @@ static inline void read_payload(void)
 	rx.have_hdr = false;
 
 	if (prio) {
-		BT_DBG("Calling bt_recv(%p)", buf);
-		bt_recv(buf);
+		BT_DBG("Calling bt_recv_prio(%p)", buf);
+		bt_recv_prio(buf);
 	} else {
 		BT_DBG("Putting buf %p to rx fifo", buf);
 		net_buf_put(&rx.fifo, buf);
diff --git a/include/drivers/bluetooth/hci_driver.h b/include/drivers/bluetooth/hci_driver.h
index 61b6eca9bf..b6e9a8df1a 100644
--- a/include/drivers/bluetooth/hci_driver.h
+++ b/include/drivers/bluetooth/hci_driver.h
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_RECV_IS_RX_THREAD)
 /** Helper for the HCI driver to know which events are ok to be passed
   * through the RX thread and which must be given to bt_recv() from another
   * context. If this function returns true it's safe to pass the event
@@ -60,11 +59,13 @@ static inline bool bt_hci_evt_is_prio(uint8_t evt)
 		return false;
 	}
 }
-#endif
 
 /* Receive data from the controller/HCI driver */
 int bt_recv(struct net_buf *buf);
 
+/* Receive priority event from the controller/HCI driver */
+int bt_recv_prio(struct net_buf *buf);
+
 enum bt_hci_driver_bus {
 	BT_HCI_DRIVER_BUS_VIRTUAL       = 0,
 	BT_HCI_DRIVER_BUS_USB           = 1,
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/hci/hci_driver.c b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/hci/hci_driver.c
index e64212ff41..1e27d65302 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/controller/hci/hci_driver.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/controller/hci/hci_driver.c
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ static void recv_thread(void *p1, void *p2, void *p3)
 			bt_buf_set_type(buf, BT_BUF_EVT);
 			hci_num_cmplt_encode(buf, handle, num_cmplt);
 			BT_DBG("Num Complete: 0x%04x:%u", handle, num_cmplt);
-			bt_recv(buf);
+			bt_recv_prio(buf);
 
 			k_yield();
 		}
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ static int cmd_handle(struct net_buf *buf)
 	err = hci_cmd_handle(buf, evt);
 	if (!err && evt->len) {
 		BT_DBG("Replying with event of %u bytes", evt->len);
-		bt_recv(evt);
+		bt_recv_prio(evt);
 	} else {
 		net_buf_unref(evt);
 	}
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_core.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_core.c
index 3e8cd39003..29c4f23e7d 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_core.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_core.c
@@ -2605,6 +2605,8 @@ static void hci_event(struct net_buf *buf)
 
 	BT_DBG("event 0x%02x", hdr->evt);
 
+	BT_ASSERT(!bt_hci_evt_is_prio(hdr->evt));
+
 	net_buf_pull(buf, sizeof(*hdr));
 
 	switch (hdr->evt) {
@@ -3412,37 +3414,6 @@ int bt_send(struct net_buf *buf)
 	return bt_dev.drv->send(buf);
 }
 
-static inline void handle_event(struct net_buf *buf)
-{
-	struct bt_hci_evt_hdr *hdr = (void *)buf->data;
-
-	switch (hdr->evt) {
-	case BT_HCI_EVT_CMD_COMPLETE:
-		net_buf_pull(buf, sizeof(*hdr));
-		hci_cmd_complete(buf);
-		break;
-	case BT_HCI_EVT_CMD_STATUS:
-		net_buf_pull(buf, sizeof(*hdr));
-		hci_cmd_status(buf);
-		break;
-#if defined(CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_CONN)
-	case BT_HCI_EVT_NUM_COMPLETED_PACKETS:
-		net_buf_pull(buf, sizeof(*hdr));
-		hci_num_completed_packets(buf);
-		break;
-#endif /* CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_CONN */
-	default:
-#if defined(CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_RECV_IS_RX_THREAD)
-		hci_event(net_buf_ref(buf));
-#else
-		net_buf_put(&bt_dev.rx_queue, net_buf_ref(buf));
-#endif
-		break;
-	}
-
-	net_buf_unref(buf);
-}
-
 int bt_recv(struct net_buf *buf)
 {
 	bt_monitor_send(bt_monitor_opcode(buf), buf->data, buf->len);
@@ -3466,7 +3437,11 @@ int bt_recv(struct net_buf *buf)
 		return 0;
 #endif /* BLUETOOTH_CONN */
 	case BT_BUF_EVT:
-		handle_event(buf);
+#if defined(CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_RECV_IS_RX_THREAD)
+		hci_event(buf);
+#else
+		net_buf_put(&bt_dev.rx_queue, buf);
+#endif
 		return 0;
 	default:
 		BT_ERR("Invalid buf type %u", bt_buf_get_type(buf));
@@ -3475,6 +3450,41 @@ int bt_recv(struct net_buf *buf)
 	}
 }
 
+int bt_recv_prio(struct net_buf *buf)
+{
+	struct bt_hci_evt_hdr *hdr = (void *)buf->data;
+
+	bt_monitor_send(bt_monitor_opcode(buf), buf->data, buf->len);
+
+	BT_ASSERT(bt_buf_get_type(buf) == BT_BUF_EVT);
+	BT_ASSERT(buf->len >= sizeof(*hdr));
+	BT_ASSERT(bt_hci_evt_is_prio(hdr->evt));
+
+	net_buf_pull(buf, sizeof(*hdr));
+
+	switch (hdr->evt) {
+	case BT_HCI_EVT_CMD_COMPLETE:
+		hci_cmd_complete(buf);
+		break;
+	case BT_HCI_EVT_CMD_STATUS:
+		hci_cmd_status(buf);
+		break;
+#if defined(CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_CONN)
+	case BT_HCI_EVT_NUM_COMPLETED_PACKETS:
+		hci_num_completed_packets(buf);
+		break;
+#endif /* CONFIG_BLUETOOTH_CONN */
+	default:
+		net_buf_unref(buf);
+		BT_ASSERT(0);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	net_buf_unref(buf);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int bt_hci_driver_register(struct bt_hci_driver *drv)
 {
 	if (bt_dev.drv) {
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_ecc.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_ecc.c
index 0e0096fab1..b06391fd03 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_ecc.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_ecc.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static void send_cmd_status(uint16_t opcode, uint8_t status)
 	evt->opcode = sys_cpu_to_le16(opcode);
 	evt->status = status;
 
-	bt_recv(buf);
+	bt_recv_prio(buf);
 }
 
 static uint8_t generate_keys(EccPoint *pkey, uint32_t private_key[8])
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_raw.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_raw.c
index a68d3a133e..28bc85a250 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_raw.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/hci_raw.c
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ int bt_recv(struct net_buf *buf)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int bt_recv_prio(struct net_buf *buf)
+{
+	return bt_recv(buf);
+}
+
 int bt_send(struct net_buf *buf)
 {
 	BT_DBG("buf %p len %u", buf, buf->len);