diff --git a/components/console/esp_console.h b/components/console/esp_console.h
index 9bd5317f54c..73c8aed5c07 100644
--- a/components/console/esp_console.h
+++ b/components/console/esp_console.h
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ esp_err_t esp_console_start_repl(esp_console_repl_t *repl);
  * @brief Stop REPL environment
  *
  * @param[in] repl REPL handle returned from esp_console_new_repl_xxx
+ * @note This function waits for the console task to exit before it returns.
  * @return
  *      - ESP_OK on success
  *      - others on failure
diff --git a/components/console/esp_console_common.c b/components/console/esp_console_common.c
index a0844af386b..ac8dc65e7d2 100644
--- a/components/console/esp_console_common.c
+++ b/components/console/esp_console_common.c
@@ -29,15 +29,6 @@ void esp_console_repl_task(void *args)
      * function is called. */
     ulTaskNotifyTake(pdTRUE, portMAX_DELAY);
 
-    if (repl_com->state_mux != NULL) {
-        xSemaphoreTake(repl_com->state_mux, portMAX_DELAY);
-    }
-
-    /* Tell esp_console_start_repl() that state_mux is now held. */
-    if (repl_com->task_ready != NULL) {
-        xSemaphoreGive(repl_com->task_ready);
-    }
-
     /* Change standard input and output of the task if the requested UART is
      * NOT the default one. This block will replace stdin, stdout and stderr.
      */
@@ -361,10 +352,5 @@ esp_err_t esp_console_start_repl(esp_console_repl_t *repl)
 
     repl_com->state = CONSOLE_REPL_STATE_START;
     xTaskNotifyGive(repl_com->task_hdl);
-
-    /* Return only once the task holds state_mux, so a stop can join it. */
-    if (repl_com->task_ready != NULL) {
-        xSemaphoreTake(repl_com->task_ready, portMAX_DELAY);
-    }
     return ESP_OK;
 }
diff --git a/components/console/esp_console_repl_internal.c b/components/console/esp_console_repl_internal.c
index ca766ea22af..1186c05a64d 100644
--- a/components/console/esp_console_repl_internal.c
+++ b/components/console/esp_console_repl_internal.c
@@ -85,20 +85,13 @@ esp_err_t esp_console_internal_set_event_fd(esp_console_repl_com_t *repl_com)
         return ESP_FAIL;
     }
 
-    repl_com->state_mux = xSemaphoreCreateMutex();
+    /* Empty on purpose, and the task only ever gives it, never takes it: a
+     * mutex created given lets a stop take it before the task has run. */
+    repl_com->state_mux = xSemaphoreCreateBinary();
     if (repl_com->state_mux == NULL) {
         ESP_LOGE(TAG, "state_mux create error");
         return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
     }
-    xSemaphoreGive(repl_com->state_mux);
-
-    repl_com->task_ready = xSemaphoreCreateBinary();
-    if (repl_com->task_ready == NULL) {
-        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "task_ready create error");
-        vSemaphoreDelete(repl_com->state_mux);
-        repl_com->state_mux = NULL;
-        return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
-    }
 
     return ESP_OK;
 }
@@ -111,6 +104,7 @@ esp_err_t esp_console_common_deinit(esp_console_repl_com_t *repl_com)
 {
     // set the state to deinit to force the while loop in
     // esp_console_repl_task to break
+    const bool was_started = (repl_com->state == CONSOLE_REPL_STATE_START);
     repl_com->state = CONSOLE_REPL_STATE_DEINIT;
 
     if (s_interrupt_reading_fd == -1) {
@@ -125,15 +119,14 @@ esp_err_t esp_console_common_deinit(esp_console_repl_com_t *repl_com)
     // wait for the task to notify that
     // esp_console_repl_task returned
     assert(repl_com->state_mux != NULL);
-    xSemaphoreTake(repl_com->state_mux, portMAX_DELAY);
+    if (was_started) {
+        xSemaphoreTake(repl_com->state_mux, portMAX_DELAY);
+    }
 
     // delete the semaphore for the repl state
     vSemaphoreDelete(repl_com->state_mux);
     repl_com->state_mux =  NULL;
 
-    vSemaphoreDelete(repl_com->task_ready);
-    repl_com->task_ready = NULL;
-
     /* Unregister the heap function to avoid memory leak, since it is created
      * every time a console init is called. */
     esp_err_t ret = esp_console_deregister_help_command();
diff --git a/components/console/private_include/console_private.h b/components/console/private_include/console_private.h
index 45b986dd3c8..863415ad623 100644
--- a/components/console/private_include/console_private.h
+++ b/components/console/private_include/console_private.h
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ typedef struct {
     TaskHandle_t task_hdl;              // REPL task handle
     size_t max_cmdline_length;          // Maximum length of a command line. If 0, default value will be used.
     size_t max_cmdline_args;            // Maximum number of command line arguments to parse. If 0, default value will be used.
-    SemaphoreHandle_t task_ready;       // Given once the REPL task holds state_mux
 } esp_console_repl_com_t;
 
 typedef struct {