diff --git a/kestrel/src/kestrel.c b/kestrel/src/kestrel.c
index a2436f698c3dfd1df4cbafa8ee1e943ec81b2a72..71b3c827a60d2a88a9aa657da8fbfe4acf312498 100644
--- a/kestrel/src/kestrel.c
+++ b/kestrel/src/kestrel.c
@@ -1452,6 +1452,9 @@ static int process_host_to_bmc_ipmi_bt_transactions(void)
                                     }
 
 #if (ENABLE_LPC_FW_CYCLE_DMA)
+                                    // Deactivate interrupts on entering critical section
+                                    int key = irq_lock();
+
                                     // Disable DMA engine
                                     dword = read_aquila_register(HOSTLPCSLAVE_BASE, AQUILA_LPC_REG_DMA_CONFIG1);
                                     dword &= ~((1 & AQUILA_LPC_CTL_EN_FW_DMA_R_MASK) << AQUILA_LPC_CTL_EN_FW_DMA_R_SHIFT);
@@ -1512,6 +1515,9 @@ static int process_host_to_bmc_ipmi_bt_transactions(void)
                                         dword &= ~((1 & AQUILA_LPC_CTL_EN_FW_DMA_W_MASK) << AQUILA_LPC_CTL_EN_FW_DMA_W_SHIFT);
                                     }
                                     write_aquila_register(HOSTLPCSLAVE_BASE, AQUILA_LPC_REG_DMA_CONFIG1, dword);
+
+                                    // Re-activate interupts on exiting critical section
+                                    irq_unlock(key);
 #endif
 
                                     // Generate response
@@ -1701,10 +1707,12 @@ static int process_interrupts_stage2(void)
     int read_position;
     int work_executed;
 
+#if (WITH_ZEPHYR)
     if (k_mutex_lock(&vuart1_access_mutex, K_MSEC(100)) != 0) {
         printk("Unable to acquire VUART1 mutex in a timely manner! %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
         return -EAGAIN;
     }
+#endif
 
     work_executed = 0;
 
@@ -2759,6 +2767,7 @@ int host_console_event_loop(const struct shell *shell)
         }
         if (chars_to_tx > 0)
         {
+            chars_sent = 0;
             if (shell->iface->api->write(shell->iface, vuart1_incoming_buffer + vuart1_incoming_buffer_read_pos, chars_to_tx, &chars_sent) == 0) {
                 if (chars_sent > 0) {
                     vuart1_incoming_buffer_read_pos += chars_sent;
@@ -2783,8 +2792,10 @@ int host_console_event_loop(const struct shell *shell)
 }
 int attach_to_host_console(const struct shell *shell)
 {
-    // Deactivate interrupts on entering critical section
-    int key = irq_lock();
+    if (k_mutex_lock(&vuart1_access_mutex, K_MSEC(100)) != 0) {
+        printk("Unable to acquire VUART1 mutex in a timely manner! %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
+        return -EAGAIN;
+    }
 
     // Reset VUART1 ring buffer pointers
     vuart1_outgoing_buffer_read_pos = vuart1_outgoing_buffer_write_pos;
@@ -2793,8 +2804,7 @@ int attach_to_host_console(const struct shell *shell)
     host_console_service_task_requested = 1;
     host_console_service_task_shell = shell;
 
-    // Re-activate interupts on exiting critical section
-    irq_unlock(key);
+    k_mutex_unlock(&vuart1_access_mutex);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/kestrel/src/kestrel.h b/kestrel/src/kestrel.h
index 0aa57bf1bdad122922dbadfadcbe6a89e713b41b..ca321a8ddd29ad4e87f4eb6472fa936c9a59cda9 100644
--- a/kestrel/src/kestrel.h
+++ b/kestrel/src/kestrel.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #if (WITH_ZEPHYR)
-#define KESTREL_SERVICE_THREAD_PRIORITY		K_PRIO_COOP(1)
+#define KESTREL_SERVICE_THREAD_PRIORITY		K_PRIO_PREEMPT(CONFIG_NUM_PREEMPT_PRIORITIES - 1)
 #endif
 
 struct firmware_buffer_region {
@@ -44,4 +44,4 @@ int attach_to_host_console(const struct shell *shell);
 int host_console_event_loop(const struct shell *shell);
 #else
 int attach_to_host_console();
-#endif
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif
diff --git a/kestrel/src/shell.c b/kestrel/src/shell.c
index 39d38bfc000cf2cee1afe2529a1d848efd67f25f..84c01684247fc39fa2ffd4b6854a41e4b280e397 100644
--- a/kestrel/src/shell.c
+++ b/kestrel/src/shell.c
@@ -220,4 +220,4 @@ SHELL_STATIC_SUBCMD_SET_CREATE(sub_kestrel,
 );
 
 // Register main kestrel command prefix
-SHELL_CMD_REGISTER(kestrel, &sub_kestrel, "Kestrel commands", NULL);
\ No newline at end of file
+SHELL_CMD_REGISTER(kestrel, &sub_kestrel, "Kestrel commands", NULL);
diff --git a/prj.conf b/prj.conf
index f373e504b0989d60e9372d76ba8ea3d76e21c73d..95031a43c3e650bcc214f5a9532f8a2b083fd56c 100644
--- a/prj.conf
+++ b/prj.conf
@@ -42,10 +42,12 @@ CONFIG_TEST_RANDOM_GENERATOR=y
 CONFIG_MINIMAL_LIBC_MALLOC_ARENA_SIZE=100663296
 
 # Logging settings
+#CONFIG_LOG_MODE_MINIMAL=y
 CONFIG_LOG_MODE_IMMEDIATE=y
+#CONFIG_LOG_MODE_DEFERRED=y
 CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_FILTERING=y
 CONFIG_LOG_BUFFER_SIZE=1024
-CONFIG_LOG_PRINTK=y
+CONFIG_LOG_PRINTK=n
 CONFIG_LOG_PROCESS_TRIGGER_THRESHOLD=0
 
 # POSIX options