diff --git a/arch/xtensa/Kconfig b/arch/xtensa/Kconfig
index 82a44f820c58..af0e3ae12887 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/xtensa/Kconfig
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ config XTENSA_NUM_SPIN_RELAX_NOPS
 	  Specify the number of NOPs in Xtensa specific
 	  arch_spin_relax().
 
+config XTENSA_BREAK_ON_UNRECOVERABLE_EXCEPTIONS
+	bool "Use BREAK instruction on unrecoverable exceptions"
+	help
+	  Use BREAK instruction when unrecoverable exceptions are
+	  encountered. This requires a debugger attached to catch
+	  the BREAK.
+
 menu "Xtensa HiFi Options"
 
 config XTENSA_CPU_HAS_HIFI
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/core/xtensa_asm2_util.S b/arch/xtensa/core/xtensa_asm2_util.S
index 76aab766bc92..76fd2ed71165 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/core/xtensa_asm2_util.S
+++ b/arch/xtensa/core/xtensa_asm2_util.S
@@ -503,8 +503,13 @@ _DoubleExceptionVector:
 	j _Level1Vector
 #else
 
-#if defined(CONFIG_SIMULATOR_XTENSA) || defined(XT_SIMULATOR)
-1:
+#if XCHAL_HAVE_DEBUG && defined(CONFIG_XTENSA_BREAK_ON_UNRECOVERABLE_EXCEPTIONS)
+	/* Signals an unhandled double exception, and unrecoverable exceptions.
+	 * Definitely needs debugger to be attached to the hardware or simulator
+	 * to catch this.
+	 */
+	break	1, 4
+#elif defined(CONFIG_SIMULATOR_XTENSA) || defined(XT_SIMULATOR)
 /* Tell simulator to stop executing here, instead of trying to do
  * an infinite loop (see below). Greatly help with using tracing in
  * simulator so that traces will not have infinite iterations of
@@ -513,12 +518,8 @@ _DoubleExceptionVector:
 	movi a3, 1
 	movi a2, SYS_exit
 	simcall
-#elif XCHAL_HAVE_DEBUG
-/* Signals an unhandled double exception */
-1:	break	1, 4
-#else
-1:
 #endif
+1:
 	j	1b
 #endif /* CONFIG_XTENSA_MMU */