diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.c b/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.c
index 45a586034451..47eeb7503b25 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.c
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 static bool no_settings_load;
 
 uint8_t selected_id = BT_ID_DEFAULT;
-const struct shell *ctx_shell;
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_BT_CONN)
 struct bt_conn *default_conn;
@@ -1310,8 +1309,6 @@ static int cmd_init(const struct shell *sh, size_t argc, char *argv[])
 	int err;
 	bool sync = false;
 
-	ctx_shell = sh;
-
 	for (size_t argn = 1; argn < argc; argn++) {
 		const char *arg = argv[argn];
 
diff --git a/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.h b/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.h
index 9ba015f7e176..12332d1b21cc 100644
--- a/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.h
+++ b/subsys/bluetooth/host/shell/bt.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <zephyr/bluetooth/bluetooth.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
-extern const struct shell *ctx_shell;
 extern struct bt_conn *default_conn;
 
 bool passes_scan_filter(const struct bt_le_scan_recv_info *info, const struct net_buf_simple *buf);