diff --git a/apps/btshell/src/btshell.h b/apps/btshell/src/btshell.h
index 94ab730fc..838ee83a8 100644
--- a/apps/btshell/src/btshell.h
+++ b/apps/btshell/src/btshell.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ struct btshell_svc {
     SLIST_ENTRY(btshell_svc) next;
     struct ble_gatt_svc svc;
     struct btshell_chr_list chrs;
+    bool discovered;
 };
 
 SLIST_HEAD(btshell_svc_list, btshell_svc);
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ int btshell_disc_svcs(uint16_t conn_handle);
 int btshell_disc_svc_by_uuid(uint16_t conn_handle, const ble_uuid_t *uuid);
 int btshell_disc_all_chrs(uint16_t conn_handle, uint16_t start_handle,
                            uint16_t end_handle);
+int btshell_disc_all_chrs_in_svc(uint16_t conn_handle, struct btshell_svc *svc);
 int btshell_disc_chrs_by_uuid(uint16_t conn_handle, uint16_t start_handle,
                                uint16_t end_handle, const ble_uuid_t *uuid);
 int btshell_disc_all_dscs(uint16_t conn_handle, uint16_t start_handle,
diff --git a/apps/btshell/src/main.c b/apps/btshell/src/main.c
index dc987d0d6..a3fac102d 100644
--- a/apps/btshell/src/main.c
+++ b/apps/btshell/src/main.c
@@ -749,9 +749,8 @@ btshell_disc_full_chrs(uint16_t conn_handle)
     }
 
     SLIST_FOREACH(svc, &conn->svcs, next) {
-        if (!svc_is_empty(svc) && SLIST_EMPTY(&svc->chrs)) {
-            rc = btshell_disc_all_chrs(conn_handle, svc->svc.start_handle,
-                                       svc->svc.end_handle);
+        if (!svc->discovered) {
+            rc = btshell_disc_all_chrs_in_svc(conn_handle, svc);
             if (rc != 0) {
                 btshell_full_disc_complete(rc);
             }
@@ -815,6 +814,33 @@ btshell_on_disc_c(uint16_t conn_handle, const struct ble_gatt_error *error,
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int
+btshell_on_disc_c_in_s(uint16_t conn_handle, const struct ble_gatt_error *error,
+                       const struct ble_gatt_chr *chr, void *arg)
+{
+    struct btshell_svc *svc = arg;
+
+    switch (error->status) {
+    case 0:
+        btshell_chr_add(conn_handle, svc->svc.start_handle, chr);
+        break;
+
+    case BLE_HS_EDONE:
+        svc->discovered = true;
+        console_printf("characteristic discovery successful\n");
+        if (btshell_full_disc_prev_chr_val > 0) {
+            btshell_disc_full_chrs(conn_handle);
+        }
+        break;
+
+    default:
+        btshell_print_error(NULL, conn_handle, error);
+        break;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 btshell_on_disc_d(uint16_t conn_handle, const struct ble_gatt_error *error,
                   uint16_t chr_val_handle, const struct ble_gatt_dsc *dsc,
@@ -1455,6 +1481,17 @@ btshell_disc_all_chrs(uint16_t conn_handle, uint16_t start_handle,
     return rc;
 }
 
+int
+btshell_disc_all_chrs_in_svc(uint16_t conn_handle, struct btshell_svc *svc)
+{
+    int rc;
+
+    rc = ble_gattc_disc_all_chrs(conn_handle, svc->svc.start_handle,
+                                 svc->svc.end_handle, btshell_on_disc_c_in_s,
+                                 svc);
+    return rc;
+}
+
 int
 btshell_disc_chrs_by_uuid(uint16_t conn_handle, uint16_t start_handle,
                            uint16_t end_handle, const ble_uuid_t *uuid)