diff --git a/include/openthread/instance.h b/include/openthread/instance.h
index 4837626e0..91434316c 100644
--- a/include/openthread/instance.h
+++ b/include/openthread/instance.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ extern "C" {
  * @note This number versions both OpenThread platform and user APIs.
  *
  */
-#define OPENTHREAD_API_VERSION (171)
+#define OPENTHREAD_API_VERSION (172)
 
 /**
  * @addtogroup api-instance
diff --git a/include/openthread/thread_ftd.h b/include/openthread/thread_ftd.h
index d705b8d6b..2f0375fd8 100644
--- a/include/openthread/thread_ftd.h
+++ b/include/openthread/thread_ftd.h
@@ -727,6 +727,18 @@ typedef void (*otNeighborTableCallback)(otNeighborTableEvent aEvent, const otNei
  */
 void otThreadRegisterNeighborTableCallback(otInstance *aInstance, otNeighborTableCallback aCallback);
 
+/**
+ * This function sets whether the device was commissioned using CCM.
+ *
+ * @note This API requires `OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE`, and is only used by Thread Test Harness
+ *       to indicate whether this device was commissioned using CCM.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  aInstance  A pointer to an OpenThread instance.
+ * @param[in]  aEnabled   TRUE if the device was commissioned using CCM, FALSE otherwise.
+ *
+ */
+void otThreadSetCcmEnabled(otInstance *aInstance, bool aEnabled);
+
 /**
  * @}
  *
diff --git a/src/cli/cli.cpp b/src/cli/cli.cpp
index 92a66dcb9..70b5dd1da 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.cpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli.cpp
@@ -841,6 +841,22 @@ exit:
     return error;
 }
 
+#if OPENTHREAD_FTD && OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
+otError Interpreter::ProcessCcm(Arg aArgs[])
+{
+    otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
+    bool    enable;
+
+    VerifyOrExit(!aArgs[0].IsEmpty(), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_COMMAND);
+
+    SuccessOrExit(error = ParseEnableOrDisable(aArgs[1], enable));
+    otThreadSetCcmEnabled(GetInstancePtr(), enable);
+
+exit:
+    return error;
+}
+#endif
+
 otError Interpreter::ProcessChannel(Arg aArgs[])
 {
     otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
diff --git a/src/cli/cli.hpp b/src/cli/cli.hpp
index 2d76916da..f35e3ac7b 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.hpp
+++ b/src/cli/cli.hpp
@@ -326,6 +326,9 @@ private:
     // Process methods only on FTD/MTD
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD || OPENTHREAD_MTD
     otError ProcessCcaThreshold(Arg aArgs[]);
+#if OPENTHREAD_FTD && OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
+    otError ProcessCcm(Arg aArgs[]);
+#endif
     otError ProcessBufferInfo(Arg aArgs[]);
     otError ProcessChannel(Arg aArgs[]);
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_BORDER_AGENT_ENABLE
@@ -670,6 +673,9 @@ private:
 #endif
         {"bufferinfo", &Interpreter::ProcessBufferInfo},
         {"ccathreshold", &Interpreter::ProcessCcaThreshold},
+#if OPENTHREAD_FTD && OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
+        {"ccm", &Interpreter::ProcessCcm},
+#endif
         {"channel", &Interpreter::ProcessChannel},
 #if OPENTHREAD_FTD
         {"child", &Interpreter::ProcessChild},
diff --git a/src/core/api/thread_ftd_api.cpp b/src/core/api/thread_ftd_api.cpp
index 05a101458..d96c11f6c 100644
--- a/src/core/api/thread_ftd_api.cpp
+++ b/src/core/api/thread_ftd_api.cpp
@@ -363,6 +363,11 @@ otError otThreadSendProactiveBackboneNotification(otInstance *              aIns
         AsCoreType(aTarget), AsCoreType(aMlIid), aTimeSinceLastTransaction);
 }
 #endif
+
+void otThreadSetCcmEnabled(otInstance *aInstance, bool aEnabled)
+{
+    AsCoreType(aInstance).Get<Mle::MleRouter>().SetCcmEnabled(aEnabled);
+}
 #endif
 
 #endif // OPENTHREAD_FTD
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index 4de6d70d0..60ab00b57 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ MleRouter::MleRouter(Instance &aInstance)
     , mLeaderWeight(kLeaderWeight)
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
     , mPreferredLeaderPartitionId(0)
+    , mCcmEnabled(false)
 #endif
     , mRouterEligible(true)
     , mAddressSolicitPending(false)
@@ -122,7 +123,11 @@ bool MleRouter::IsRouterEligible(void) const
 #else
     if (secPolicy.mCommercialCommissioningEnabled)
     {
+#if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
+        VerifyOrExit(mCcmEnabled || secPolicy.mNonCcmRoutersEnabled);
+#else
         VerifyOrExit(secPolicy.mNonCcmRoutersEnabled);
+#endif
     }
     if (!secPolicy.mRoutersEnabled)
     {
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.hpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.hpp
index 46cd2f417..ed8a7b757 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.hpp
@@ -552,6 +552,14 @@ public:
      *
      */
     Error SetMaxChildIpAddresses(uint8_t aMaxIpAddresses);
+
+    /**
+     * This method sets whether the device was commissioned using CCM.
+     *
+     * @param[in]  aEnabled  TRUE if the device was commissioned using CCM, FALSE otherwise.
+     *
+     */
+    void SetCcmEnabled(bool aEnabled) { mCcmEnabled = aEnabled; }
 #endif
 
 private:
@@ -672,6 +680,7 @@ private:
     uint8_t  mLeaderWeight;
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_REFERENCE_DEVICE_ENABLE
     uint32_t mPreferredLeaderPartitionId; ///< only for certification testing
+    bool     mCcmEnabled : 1;
 #endif
     bool mRouterEligible : 1;
     bool mAddressSolicitPending : 1;