diff --git a/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_conn.c b/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_conn.c
index 55ca20e90..ebeddd749 100644
--- a/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_conn.c
+++ b/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_conn.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "controller/ble_phy.h"
 #include "controller/ble_ll_utils.h"
 #include "ble_ll_conn_priv.h"
+#include "ble_ll_ctrl_priv.h"
 
 #if (BLETEST_THROUGHPUT_TEST == 1)
 extern void bletest_completed_pkt(uint16_t handle);
@@ -3772,6 +3773,9 @@ ble_ll_conn_module_init(void)
         /* Initialize fixed schedule elements */
         connsm->conn_sch.sched_type = BLE_LL_SCHED_TYPE_CONN;
         connsm->conn_sch.cb_arg = connsm;
+
+        ble_ll_ctrl_init_conn_sm(connsm);
+
         ++connsm;
     }
 
diff --git a/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl.c b/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl.c
index 7ef63d132..b6c6036ec 100644
--- a/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl.c
+++ b/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl.c
@@ -559,11 +559,6 @@ ble_ll_ctrl_proc_rsp_timer_cb(struct ble_npl_event *ev)
 static void
 ble_ll_ctrl_start_rsp_timer(struct ble_ll_conn_sm *connsm)
 {
-    ble_npl_callout_init(&connsm->ctrl_proc_rsp_timer,
-                    &g_ble_ll_data.ll_evq,
-                    ble_ll_ctrl_proc_rsp_timer_cb,
-                    connsm);
-
     /* Re-start timer. Control procedure timeout is 40 seconds */
     ble_npl_callout_reset(&connsm->ctrl_proc_rsp_timer,
                      ble_npl_time_ms_to_ticks32(BLE_LL_CTRL_PROC_TIMEOUT_MS));
@@ -2886,3 +2881,10 @@ ble_ll_ctrl_tx_done(struct os_mbuf *txpdu, struct ble_ll_conn_sm *connsm)
     os_mbuf_free_chain(txpdu);
     return rc;
 }
+
+void
+ble_ll_ctrl_init_conn_sm(struct ble_ll_conn_sm *connsm)
+{
+    ble_npl_callout_init(&connsm->ctrl_proc_rsp_timer, &g_ble_ll_data.ll_evq,
+                         ble_ll_ctrl_proc_rsp_timer_cb, connsm);
+}
diff --git a/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl_priv.h b/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl_priv.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca1c83d39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nimble/controller/src/ble_ll_ctrl_priv.h
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+ * distributed with this work for additional information
+ * regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+ * to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+ * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ * with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *  http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+
+#ifndef H_BLE_LL_CTRL_PRIV_
+#define H_BLE_LL_CTRL_PRIV_
+
+#include "controller/ble_ll_conn.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+void ble_ll_ctrl_init_conn_sm(struct ble_ll_conn_sm *connsm);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* H_BLE_LL_CTRL_PRIV_ */