diff --git a/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt b/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt
index ac8c3b2186f..276f177d7ba 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/subsys/shell/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   shell_ops.c
   )
 
-zephyr_sources_ifdef(
-  CONFIG_SHELL_LOG_BACKEND
-  shell_log_backend.c
+if(NOT CONFIG_SHELL_LOG_BACKEND_CUSTOM)
+  zephyr_sources_ifdef(
+    CONFIG_SHELL_LOG_BACKEND
+    shell_log_backend.c
   )
+endif()
 
 zephyr_sources_ifdef(
   CONFIG_SHELL_HELP
diff --git a/subsys/shell/Kconfig b/subsys/shell/Kconfig
index 444e953dddd..696d070a7e4 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/Kconfig
+++ b/subsys/shell/Kconfig
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@ config SHELL_LOG_BACKEND
 	  using the shell backend's LOG_LEVEL option
 	  (e.g. CONFIG_SHELL_TELNET_INIT_LOG_LEVEL_NONE=y).
 
+config SHELL_LOG_BACKEND_CUSTOM
+	bool "Use custom backend implementation"
+	help
+	  When enabled, standard implementation of shell log backend is not included.
+	  It allows to provide custom implementation of multiplexing logging messages
+	  with shell data.
+
 config SHELL_LOG_FORMAT_TIMESTAMP
 	bool "Format timestamp"
 	default y