diff --git a/src/core/utils/missing_strlcat.c b/src/core/utils/missing_strlcat.c
index 5729fb46c..c28997d5c 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/missing_strlcat.c
+++ b/src/core/utils/missing_strlcat.c
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@
  *    SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
  */
 
-#include "openthread-core-config.h"
-
 #include "utils/wrap_string.h"
 
 size_t missing_strlcat(char *dest, const char *src, size_t size)
diff --git a/src/core/utils/wrap_stdbool.h b/src/core/utils/wrap_stdbool.h
index d38f5f219..3548e650f 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/wrap_stdbool.h
+++ b/src/core/utils/wrap_stdbool.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 #if !defined(WRAP_STDBOOL_H)
 #define WRAP_STDBOOL_H
 
+#include "openthread-core-config.h"
+
 #if HAVE_STDBOOL_H
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #else
diff --git a/src/core/utils/wrap_stdint.h b/src/core/utils/wrap_stdint.h
index 5eb58a61a..daece711a 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/wrap_stdint.h
+++ b/src/core/utils/wrap_stdint.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #if !defined(WRAP_STDINT_H)
 #define WRAP_STDINT_H
 
+#include "openthread-core-config.h"
+
 /* generally all compilers support this */
 /* Visual Studio only after VS2015 (aka: 19.00) */
 
diff --git a/src/core/utils/wrap_string.h b/src/core/utils/wrap_string.h
index f86a541c8..b9073bf08 100644
--- a/src/core/utils/wrap_string.h
+++ b/src/core/utils/wrap_string.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 #if !defined(WRAP_STRING_H)
 #define WRAP_STRING_H
 
+#include "openthread-core-config.h"
+
 /* system provided string.h */
 #include <string.h>