diff --git a/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig b/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig
index 79ade4b0e989b..97a92b57df5b3 100644
--- a/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig
+++ b/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig
@@ -13,4 +13,7 @@ config SPARC_CASA
 config SYS_CLOCK_HW_CYCLES_PER_SEC
 	default 50000000
 
+config UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+	default y
+
 endif
diff --git a/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/board.cmake b/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/board.cmake
index 0f2e9350f4ba9..7d2ea354da546 100644
--- a/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/board.cmake
+++ b/boards/sparc/generic_leon3/board.cmake
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@ set(EMU_PLATFORM tsim)
 
 find_program(TSIM tsim-leon3)
 
-set(TSIM_SYS)
+set(TSIM_SYS -uart_fs 32)
diff --git a/boards/sparc/gr716a_mini/Kconfig.defconfig b/boards/sparc/gr716a_mini/Kconfig.defconfig
index 2106481c95eed..08132736348b4 100644
--- a/boards/sparc/gr716a_mini/Kconfig.defconfig
+++ b/boards/sparc/gr716a_mini/Kconfig.defconfig
@@ -10,4 +10,7 @@ config BOARD
 config SYS_CLOCK_HW_CYCLES_PER_SEC
 	default 20000000
 
+config UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+	default y
+
 endif
diff --git a/boards/sparc/qemu_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig b/boards/sparc/qemu_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig
index f76d0bf9262fc..0a48c2a4752f0 100644
--- a/boards/sparc/qemu_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig
+++ b/boards/sparc/qemu_leon3/Kconfig.defconfig
@@ -7,4 +7,7 @@ if BOARD_QEMU_LEON3
 config BOARD
 	default "qemu_leon3"
 
+config UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+	default y
+
 endif
diff --git a/drivers/serial/uart_apbuart.c b/drivers/serial/uart_apbuart.c
index 4d32572f54031..5d32475de21c1 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/uart_apbuart.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/uart_apbuart.c
@@ -304,12 +304,25 @@ static int apbuart_config_get(const struct device *dev, struct uart_config *cfg)
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_UART_INTERRUPT_DRIVEN
+static void apbuart_isr(const struct device *dev);
+
 static int apbuart_fifo_fill(const struct device *dev, const uint8_t *tx_data,
 			     int size)
 {
 	volatile struct apbuart_regs *regs = (void *) DEV_CFG(dev)->regs;
 	int i;
 
+	if (DEV_DATA(dev)->usefifo) {
+		/* Transmitter FIFO full flag is available. */
+		for (
+			i = 0;
+			(i < size) && !(regs->status & APBUART_STATUS_TF);
+			i++
+		) {
+			regs->data = tx_data[i];
+		}
+		return i;
+	}
 	for (i = 0; (i < size) && (regs->status & APBUART_STATUS_TE); i++) {
 		regs->data = tx_data[i];
 	}
@@ -333,21 +346,45 @@ static int apbuart_fifo_read(const struct device *dev, uint8_t *rx_data,
 static void apbuart_irq_tx_enable(const struct device *dev)
 {
 	volatile struct apbuart_regs *regs = (void *) DEV_CFG(dev)->regs;
+	unsigned int key;
+
+	if (DEV_DATA(dev)->usefifo) {
+		/* Enable the FIFO level interrupt */
+		regs->ctrl |= APBUART_CTRL_TF;
+		return;
+	}
 
 	regs->ctrl |= APBUART_CTRL_TI;
+	/*
+	 * The "TI" interrupt is an edge interrupt.  It fires each time the TX
+	 * holding register (or FIFO if implemented) moves from non-empty to
+	 * empty.
+	 *
+	 * When the APBUART is implemented _without_ FIFO, the TI interrupt is
+	 * the only TX interrupt we have. When the APBUART is implemented
+	 * _with_ FIFO, the TI will fire on each TX byte.
+	 */
+	regs->ctrl |= APBUART_CTRL_TI;
+	/* Fire the first "TI" edge interrupt to get things going. */
+	key = irq_lock();
+	apbuart_isr(dev);
+	irq_unlock(key);
 }
 
 static void apbuart_irq_tx_disable(const struct device *dev)
 {
 	volatile struct apbuart_regs *regs = (void *) DEV_CFG(dev)->regs;
 
-	regs->ctrl &= ~APBUART_CTRL_TI;
+	regs->ctrl &= ~(APBUART_CTRL_TF | APBUART_CTRL_TI);
 }
 
 static int apbuart_irq_tx_ready(const struct device *dev)
 {
 	volatile struct apbuart_regs *regs = (void *) DEV_CFG(dev)->regs;
 
+	if (DEV_DATA(dev)->usefifo) {
+		return !(regs->status & APBUART_STATUS_TF);
+	}
 	return !!(regs->status & APBUART_STATUS_TE);
 }
 
@@ -388,9 +425,18 @@ static int apbuart_irq_is_pending(const struct device *dev)
 	if ((ctrl & APBUART_CTRL_RI) && (status & APBUART_STATUS_DR)) {
 		return 1;
 	}
-	if ((ctrl & APBUART_CTRL_TI) && (status & APBUART_STATUS_TE)) {
-		return 1;
+
+	if (DEV_DATA(dev)->usefifo) {
+		/* TH is the TX FIFO half-empty flag */
+		if (status & APBUART_STATUS_TH) {
+			return 1;
+		}
+	} else {
+		if ((ctrl & APBUART_CTRL_TI) && (status & APBUART_STATUS_TE)) {
+			return 1;
+		}
 	}
+
 	return 0;
 }