diff --git a/components/freertos/port/xtensa/include/freertos/portmacro.h b/components/freertos/port/xtensa/include/freertos/portmacro.h
index 222a5ae801..19473a721e 100644
--- a/components/freertos/port/xtensa/include/freertos/portmacro.h
+++ b/components/freertos/port/xtensa/include/freertos/portmacro.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ typedef unsigned portBASE_TYPE	UBaseType_t;
 // Cleaner solution allows nested interrupts disabling and restoring via local registers or stack.
 // They can be called from interrupts too.
 // WARNING: Only applies to current CPU. See notes above.
-static inline unsigned portENTER_CRITICAL_NESTED(void) {
+static inline unsigned __attribute__((always_inline)) portENTER_CRITICAL_NESTED(void) {
 	unsigned state = XTOS_SET_INTLEVEL(XCHAL_EXCM_LEVEL);
 	portbenchmarkINTERRUPT_DISABLE();
 	return state;
diff --git a/tools/unit-test-app/configs/no_optimization_c3 b/tools/unit-test-app/configs/no_optimization_c3
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00719f8712
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/unit-test-app/configs/no_optimization_c3
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+CONFIG_IDF_TARGET="esp32c3"
+TEST_COMPONENTS=esp_ipc spi_flash
+CONFIG_COMPILER_OPTIMIZATION_NONE=y
diff --git a/tools/unit-test-app/configs/no_optimization_esp32 b/tools/unit-test-app/configs/no_optimization_esp32
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..64114b1215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/unit-test-app/configs/no_optimization_esp32
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+CONFIG_IDF_TARGET="esp32"
+TEST_COMPONENTS=esp_ipc spi_flash
+CONFIG_COMPILER_OPTIMIZATION_NONE=y