diff --git a/boards/posix/native_posix/Kconfig b/boards/posix/native_posix/Kconfig
index 807fa5b4fedd9..da782b928643a 100644
--- a/boards/posix/native_posix/Kconfig
+++ b/boards/posix/native_posix/Kconfig
@@ -26,4 +26,18 @@ config HAS_SDL
 	help
 	  This option specifies that the target board has SDL support
 
-endif
+config SDL_THREAD_INTERVAL
+	int "SDL thread sleep interval"
+	default 10
+	depends on HAS_SDL
+	help
+	  Sleep interval time of SDL thread to handle events in milliseconds.
+
+config SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY
+	int "SDL thread priority"
+	default 0
+	depends on HAS_SDL
+	help
+	  Priority of SDL thread to handle events.
+
+endif # BOARD_NATIVE_POSIX
diff --git a/boards/posix/native_posix/hw_models_top.c b/boards/posix/native_posix/hw_models_top.c
index 5632ff3c96180..ebd582fb0b932 100644
--- a/boards/posix/native_posix/hw_models_top.c
+++ b/boards/posix/native_posix/hw_models_top.c
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #include "hw_counter.h"
 #include <zephyr/arch/posix/posix_soc_if.h>
 #include "posix_arch_internal.h"
-#include "sdl_events.h"
 #include <zephyr/sys/util.h>
 
 
@@ -32,17 +31,11 @@ static uint64_t end_of_time = NEVER; /* When will this device stop */
 extern uint64_t hw_timer_timer; /* When should this timer_model be called */
 extern uint64_t irq_ctrl_timer;
 extern uint64_t hw_counter_timer;
-#ifdef CONFIG_HAS_SDL
-extern uint64_t sdl_event_timer;
-#endif
 
 static enum {
 	HWTIMER = 0,
 	IRQCNT,
 	HW_COUNTER,
-#ifdef CONFIG_HAS_SDL
-	SDLEVENTTIMER,
-#endif
 	NUMBER_OF_TIMERS,
 	NONE
 } next_timer_index = NONE;
@@ -51,9 +44,6 @@ static uint64_t *Timer_list[NUMBER_OF_TIMERS] = {
 	&hw_timer_timer,
 	&irq_ctrl_timer,
 	&hw_counter_timer,
-#ifdef CONFIG_HAS_SDL
-	&sdl_event_timer,
-#endif
 };
 
 static uint64_t next_timer_time;
@@ -154,11 +144,6 @@ void hwm_one_event(void)
 	case HW_COUNTER:
 		hw_counter_triggered();
 		break;
-#ifdef CONFIG_HAS_SDL
-	case SDLEVENTTIMER:
-		sdl_handle_events();
-		break;
-#endif
 	default:
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
 		posix_print_error_and_exit(
diff --git a/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.c b/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.c
index 7fc3f11dba579..e2cb2042d7bd5 100644
--- a/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.c
+++ b/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.c
@@ -4,14 +4,12 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
-#include <SDL.h>
 #include "posix_board_if.h"
-#include <zephyr/arch/posix/posix_trace.h>
-#include "posix_arch_internal.h"
 #include "soc.h"
-#include "hw_models_top.h"
+#include <zephyr/arch/posix/posix_trace.h>
+#include <zephyr/kernel.h>
 
-uint64_t sdl_event_timer;
+#include <SDL.h>
 
 static void sdl_handle_window_event(const SDL_Event *event)
 {
@@ -37,25 +35,30 @@ static void sdl_handle_window_event(const SDL_Event *event)
 	}
 }
 
-void sdl_handle_events(void)
+static void sdl_handle_events(void *p1, void *p2, void *p3)
 {
 	SDL_Event event;
 
-	sdl_event_timer = hwm_get_time() + 10000;
+	ARG_UNUSED(p1);
+	ARG_UNUSED(p2);
+	ARG_UNUSED(p3);
 
-	while (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) {
-		switch (event.type) {
-		case SDL_WINDOWEVENT:
-			sdl_handle_window_event(&event);
-			break;
-		case SDL_QUIT:
-			posix_exit(0);
-			break;
-		default:
-			break;
+	for (;;) {
+		while (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) {
+			switch (event.type) {
+			case SDL_WINDOWEVENT:
+				sdl_handle_window_event(&event);
+				break;
+			case SDL_QUIT:
+				posix_exit(0);
+				break;
+			default:
+				break;
+			}
 		}
-	}
 
+		k_msleep(CONFIG_SDL_THREAD_INTERVAL);
+	}
 }
 
 static void sdl_init(void)
@@ -73,3 +76,7 @@ static void sdl_cleanup(void)
 
 NATIVE_TASK(sdl_init, PRE_BOOT_2, 1);
 NATIVE_TASK(sdl_cleanup, ON_EXIT, 2);
+
+K_THREAD_DEFINE(sdl, CONFIG_ARCH_POSIX_RECOMMENDED_STACK_SIZE,
+		sdl_handle_events, NULL, NULL, NULL,
+		CONFIG_SDL_THREAD_PRIORITY, K_ESSENTIAL, 0);
diff --git a/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.h b/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.h
deleted file mode 100644
index fe0a69cbed56a..0000000000000
--- a/boards/posix/native_posix/sdl_events.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (c) 2018 Jan Van Winkel <jan.van_winkel@dxplore.eu>
- *
- * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
- */
-#ifndef ZEPHYR_BOARD_POSIX_NATIVE_POSIX_SDL_EVENTS_H
-#define ZEPHYR_BOARD_POSIX_NATIVE_POSIX_SDL_EVENTS_H
-
-#include <zephyr/types.h>
-
-void sdl_handle_events(void);
-
-#endif /* ZEPHYR_BOARD_POSIX_NATIVE_POSIX_SDL_EVENTS_H */