diff --git a/include/zephyr/shell/shell.h b/include/zephyr/shell/shell.h
index 5115e35339be8..abe0a4f866bfb 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/shell/shell.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/shell/shell.h
@@ -129,7 +129,44 @@ struct shell_static_args {
  * start with this text.  Pass null if no prefix match is required.
  */
 const struct device *shell_device_lookup(size_t idx,
-				   const char *prefix);
+					 const char *prefix);
+
+/**
+ * @brief Get by index a device that matches .
+ *
+ * This can be used, for example, to identify I2C_1 as the second I2C
+ * device.
+ *
+ * Devices that failed to initialize - or deferred to be - are included
+ * from the candidates for a match, minus the ones who do not have
+ * a non-empty name.
+ *
+ * @param idx the device number starting from zero.
+ *
+ * @param prefix optional name prefix used to restrict candidate
+ * devices.  Indexing is done relative to devices with names that
+ * start with this text.  Pass null if no prefix match is required.
+ */
+const struct device *shell_device_lookup_all(size_t idx,
+					     const char *prefix);
+
+/**
+ * @brief Get by index a non-initialized device that matches .
+ *
+ * This can be used, for example, to identify I2C_1 as the second I2C
+ * device.
+ *
+ * Devices that initialized successfully or do not have a non-empty name
+ * are excluded.
+ *
+ * @param idx the device number starting from zero.
+ *
+ * @param prefix optional name prefix used to restrict candidate
+ * devices.  Indexing is done relative to devices with names that
+ * start with this text.  Pass null if no prefix match is required.
+ */
+const struct device *shell_device_lookup_non_ready(size_t idx,
+						   const char *prefix);
 
 /**
  * @brief Filter callback type, for use with shell_device_lookup_filter
@@ -181,6 +218,23 @@ const struct device *shell_device_filter(size_t idx,
  */
 const struct device *shell_device_get_binding(const char *name);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Get a @ref device reference from its @ref device.name field or label.
+ *
+ * This function iterates through the devices on the system. If a device with
+ * the given @p name field is found, this function returns a pointer to the
+ * device.
+ *
+ * If no device has the given @p name, this function returns `NULL`.
+ *
+ * @param name device name to search for. A null pointer, or a pointer to an
+ * empty string, will cause NULL to be returned.
+ *
+ * @return pointer to device structure with the given name; `NULL` if the device
+ * is not found.
+ */
+const struct device *shell_device_get_binding_all(const char *name);
+
 /**
  * @brief Shell command handler prototype.
  *
diff --git a/subsys/shell/modules/device_service.c b/subsys/shell/modules/device_service.c
index 98f9fd1d420ae..6ce567f3faca7 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/modules/device_service.c
+++ b/subsys/shell/modules/device_service.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2018 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
  * Copyright (c) 2016 Intel Corporation
+ * Copyright (C) 2025 Bang & Olufsen A/S, Denmark
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -117,6 +118,33 @@ static int cmd_device_list(const struct shell *sh,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int cmd_device_init(const struct shell *sh, size_t argc, char **argv)
+{
+	const struct device *dev;
+	int ret;
+
+	dev = device_get_binding(argv[1]);
+	if (dev == NULL) {
+		shell_error(sh, "Device unknown (%s)", argv[1]);
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
+	if (device_is_ready(dev)) {
+		shell_info(sh, "Device %s is already initialized", argv[1]);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	ret = device_init(dev);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		shell_error(sh, "Device %s initalization failed with err=%d",
+			    argv[1], ret);
+	} else {
+		shell_info(sh, "Device %s inialized successfully", argv[1]);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME
 static int cmd_device_pm_toggle(const struct shell *sh,
 			 size_t argc, char **argv)
@@ -156,10 +184,24 @@ static int cmd_device_pm_toggle(const struct shell *sh,
 #define PM_SHELL_CMD
 #endif /* CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME  */
 
+static void device_name_get_non_ready(size_t idx,
+				      struct shell_static_entry *entry)
+{
+	const struct device *dev = shell_device_lookup_non_ready(idx, NULL);
+
+	entry->syntax = dev != NULL ? dev->name : NULL;
+	entry->handler = NULL;
+	entry->help = "device";
+	entry->subcmd = NULL;
+}
 
+SHELL_DYNAMIC_CMD_CREATE(dsub_device_name_non_ready, device_name_get_non_ready);
 
 SHELL_STATIC_SUBCMD_SET_CREATE(sub_device,
-	SHELL_CMD(list, NULL, "List configured devices", cmd_device_list),
+	SHELL_CMD(list, &dsub_device_name_all,
+		  "List configured devices", cmd_device_list),
+	SHELL_CMD_ARG(init, &dsub_device_name_non_ready,
+		      "Manually initialize a device", cmd_device_init, 2, 0),
 	PM_SHELL_CMD
 	SHELL_SUBCMD_SET_END /* Array terminated. */
 );
diff --git a/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c b/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c
index c06e703501097..01b47f3f981c8 100644
--- a/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c
+++ b/subsys/shell/shell_utils.c
@@ -496,9 +496,16 @@ void z_shell_cmd_trim(const struct shell *sh)
 	sh->ctx->cmd_buff_pos = sh->ctx->cmd_buff_len;
 }
 
+enum shell_device_status {
+	SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_ANY,
+	SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_READY,
+	SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_NON_READY
+};
+
 static const struct device *shell_device_internal(size_t idx,
 						  const char *prefix,
-						  shell_device_filter_t filter)
+						  shell_device_filter_t filter,
+						  enum shell_device_status status)
 {
 	size_t match_idx = 0;
 	const struct device *dev;
@@ -506,7 +513,11 @@ static const struct device *shell_device_internal(size_t idx,
 	const struct device *dev_end = dev + len;
 
 	while (dev < dev_end) {
-		if (device_is_ready(dev)
+		if ((status == SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_ANY
+		     || (status == SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_READY &&
+			 device_is_ready(dev))
+		     || (status == SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_NON_READY &&
+			 !device_is_ready(dev)))
 		    && (dev->name != NULL)
 		    && (strlen(dev->name) != 0)
 		    && ((prefix == NULL)
@@ -527,13 +538,29 @@ static const struct device *shell_device_internal(size_t idx,
 const struct device *shell_device_filter(size_t idx,
 					 shell_device_filter_t filter)
 {
-	return shell_device_internal(idx, NULL, filter);
+	return shell_device_internal(idx, NULL, filter,
+				     SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_READY);
 }
 
 const struct device *shell_device_lookup(size_t idx,
 					 const char *prefix)
 {
-	return shell_device_internal(idx, prefix, NULL);
+	return shell_device_internal(idx, prefix, NULL,
+				     SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_READY);
+}
+
+const struct device *shell_device_lookup_all(size_t idx,
+					     const char *prefix)
+{
+	return shell_device_internal(idx, prefix, NULL,
+				     SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_ANY);
+}
+
+const struct device *shell_device_lookup_non_ready(size_t idx,
+						   const char *prefix)
+{
+	return shell_device_internal(idx, prefix, NULL,
+				     SHELL_DEVICE_STATUS_NON_READY);
 }
 
 const struct device *shell_device_get_binding(const char *name)
@@ -547,6 +574,22 @@ const struct device *shell_device_get_binding(const char *name)
 	return dev;
 }
 
+const struct device *shell_device_get_binding_all(const char *name)
+{
+	const struct device *dev;
+	size_t len = z_device_get_all_static(&dev);
+	const struct device *dev_end = dev + len;
+
+	for (; dev < dev_end; dev++) {
+		if ((dev->name != NULL) &&
+		    (strncmp(name, dev->name, strlen(name)) == 0)) {
+			return dev;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 long shell_strtol(const char *str, int base, int *err)
 {
 	long val;