diff --git a/modules/Kconfig.mcux b/modules/Kconfig.mcux
index 4317fdfa9c1..9cf5aba46f6 100644
--- a/modules/Kconfig.mcux
+++ b/modules/Kconfig.mcux
@@ -137,6 +137,12 @@ config HAS_MCUX_SCG
 	  Set if the system clock generator (SCG) module is present in the
 	  SoC.
 
+config HAS_MCUX_SEMC
+	bool
+	help
+	  Set if the smart external memory controller (SEMC) module is present
+	  in the SoC.
+
 config HAS_MCUX_SIM
 	bool
 	help
diff --git a/soc/arm/nxp_imx/rt/Kconfig.soc b/soc/arm/nxp_imx/rt/Kconfig.soc
index 31be6fec62f..ff880f40141 100644
--- a/soc/arm/nxp_imx/rt/Kconfig.soc
+++ b/soc/arm/nxp_imx/rt/Kconfig.soc
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ config SOC_MIMXRT1021
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPSPI
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPUART
 	select HAS_MCUX_GPT
+	select HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	select HAS_MCUX_TRNG
 	select CPU_HAS_FPU_DOUBLE_PRECISION
 	select CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ config SOC_MIMXRT1051
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPSPI
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPUART
 	select HAS_MCUX_GPT
+	select HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	select HAS_MCUX_TRNG
 	select CPU_HAS_FPU_DOUBLE_PRECISION
 	select CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@ config SOC_MIMXRT1052
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPSPI
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPUART
 	select HAS_MCUX_GPT
+	select HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	select HAS_MCUX_TRNG
 	select CPU_HAS_FPU_DOUBLE_PRECISION
 	select CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU
@@ -133,6 +136,7 @@ config SOC_MIMXRT1061
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPI2C
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPUART
 	select HAS_MCUX_GPT
+	select HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	select HAS_MCUX_TRNG
 	select CPU_HAS_FPU_DOUBLE_PRECISION
 	select CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU
@@ -158,6 +162,7 @@ config SOC_MIMXRT1062
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPI2C
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPUART
 	select HAS_MCUX_GPT
+	select HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	select HAS_MCUX_TRNG
 	select CPU_HAS_FPU_DOUBLE_PRECISION
 	select CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU
@@ -185,6 +190,7 @@ config SOC_MIMXRT1064
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPI2C
 	select HAS_MCUX_LPUART
 	select HAS_MCUX_GPT
+	select HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	select HAS_MCUX_TRNG
 	select CPU_HAS_FPU_DOUBLE_PRECISION
 	select CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU
@@ -380,6 +386,7 @@ config IMAGE_VECTOR_TABLE_OFFSET
 
 config DEVICE_CONFIGURATION_DATA
 	bool "Enable device configuration data"
+	default y if HAS_MCUX_SEMC
 	help
 	  Device configuration data (DCD) provides a sequence of commands to
 	  the boot ROM to initialize components such as an SDRAM.
@@ -415,7 +422,6 @@ config DATA_DTCM
 
 config DATA_SEMC
 	bool "Link data into external SEMC-controlled memory"
-	select DEVICE_CONFIGURATION_DATA if NXP_IMX_RT_BOOT_HEADER
 
 config DATA_OCRAM
 	bool "Link data into On-Chip RAM memory"