diff --git a/components/heap/include/esp_heap_caps.h b/components/heap/include/esp_heap_caps.h
index c7d85d4217..e71f617dd5 100644
--- a/components/heap/include/esp_heap_caps.h
+++ b/components/heap/include/esp_heap_caps.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL         (1<<11) ///< Memory must be internal; specifically it should not disappear when flash/spiram cache is switched off
 #define MALLOC_CAP_DEFAULT          (1<<12) ///< Memory can be returned in a non-capability-specific memory allocation (e.g. malloc(), calloc()) call
 #define MALLOC_CAP_IRAM_8BIT        (1<<13) ///< Memory must be in IRAM and allow unaligned access
-#define MALLOC_CAP_RETENTION        (1<<14)
+#define MALLOC_CAP_RETENTION        (1<<14) ///< Memory must be able to accessed by retention DMA
 #define MALLOC_CAP_RTCRAM           (1<<15) ///< Memory must be in RTC fast memory
 
 #define MALLOC_CAP_INVALID          (1<<31) ///< Memory can't be used / list end marker
diff --git a/components/heap/port/esp32s3/memory_layout.c b/components/heap/port/esp32s3/memory_layout.c
index 8010346f4e..50da7e1fa2 100644
--- a/components/heap/port/esp32s3/memory_layout.c
+++ b/components/heap/port/esp32s3/memory_layout.c
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ const soc_memory_type_desc_t soc_memory_types[SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_NUM] = {
     // Type 0: DRAM
     [SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DRAM] = { "DRAM", { MALLOC_CAP_8BIT | MALLOC_CAP_DEFAULT, MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL | MALLOC_CAP_DMA | MALLOC_CAP_32BIT, 0 }, false, false},
     // Type 1: DRAM used for startup stacks
-    [SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_STACK_DRAM] = { "STACK/DRAM", { MALLOC_CAP_8BIT | MALLOC_CAP_DEFAULT, MALLOC_CAP_EXEC | MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL | MALLOC_CAP_DMA | MALLOC_CAP_32BIT, 0 }, false, true},
+    [SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_STACK_DRAM] = { "STACK/DRAM", { MALLOC_CAP_8BIT | MALLOC_CAP_DEFAULT | MALLOC_CAP_RETENTION, MALLOC_CAP_EXEC | MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL | MALLOC_CAP_DMA | MALLOC_CAP_32BIT, 0 }, false, true},
     // Type 2: DRAM which has an alias on the I-port
-    [SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DIRAM] = { "D/IRAM", { 0, MALLOC_CAP_DMA | MALLOC_CAP_8BIT | MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL | MALLOC_CAP_DEFAULT, MALLOC_CAP_32BIT | MALLOC_CAP_EXEC }, true, false},
+    [SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DIRAM] = { "D/IRAM", { 0, MALLOC_CAP_DMA | MALLOC_CAP_8BIT | MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL | MALLOC_CAP_DEFAULT, MALLOC_CAP_32BIT | MALLOC_CAP_EXEC | MALLOC_CAP_RETENTION}, true, false},
     // Type 3: IRAM
     [SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_IRAM] = { "IRAM", { MALLOC_CAP_EXEC | MALLOC_CAP_32BIT | MALLOC_CAP_INTERNAL, 0, 0 }, false, false},
     // Type 4: SPI SRAM data
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ const soc_memory_region_t soc_memory_regions[] = {
     { 0x3FCE0000,           (APP_USABLE_DRAM_END-0x3FCE0000),           SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DIRAM,      0x403D0000}, //Level 8, IDRAM, can be used as trace memroy,
     { APP_USABLE_DRAM_END,  (SOC_DIRAM_DRAM_HIGH-APP_USABLE_DRAM_END),  SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_STACK_DRAM, MAP_DRAM_TO_IRAM(APP_USABLE_DRAM_END)}, //Level 8, IDRAM, can be used as trace memroy, ROM reserved area, recycled by heap allocator in app_main task
 #if CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_16KB || CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_32KB
-    { 0x3FCF0000,           0x8000,                                     SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DRAM,       0},          //Level 9, DRAM
+    { 0x3FCF0000,           0x8000,                                     SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DRAM,       0}, //Level 9, DRAM, DMA is accessible but retention DMA is inaccessible
 #endif
 #if CONFIG_ESP32S3_DATA_CACHE_16KB
-    { 0x3C000000,           0x4000,                                     SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_NODMARAM,   0},
+    { 0x3C000000,           0x4000,                                     SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_DRAM,       0}, //Level 10, DRAM, DMA is accessible but retention DMA is inaccessible
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_ESP_SYSTEM_ALLOW_RTC_FAST_MEM_AS_HEAP
     { 0x600fe000,           0x2000,                                     SOC_MEMORY_TYPE_RTCRAM,     0}, //Fast RTC memory