diff --git a/posix/include/sof/lib/memory.h b/posix/include/sof/lib/memory.h
index 219ebf2bc76c..8f191a872df3 100644
--- a/posix/include/sof/lib/memory.h
+++ b/posix/include/sof/lib/memory.h
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #define assert_can_be_cold() do {} while (0)
+#define mem_hot_path_confirm() do {} while (0)
 
 #endif /* __SOF_LIB_MEMORY_H__ */
diff --git a/src/debug/CMakeLists.txt b/src/debug/CMakeLists.txt
index 60521cfa2cb0..3025cb8919f5 100644
--- a/src/debug/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/debug/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,8 +4,18 @@ if(CONFIG_GDB_DEBUG)
 	add_subdirectory(gdb)
 endif()
 
-if(CONFIG_COMP_TESTER)
-	add_subdirectory(tester)
-endif()
+add_subdirectory(tester)
+
+is_zephyr(it_is)
+if(it_is) ###  Zephyr ###
+
+add_subdirectory(debug_stream)
+add_subdirectory(telemetry)
+
+zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_COLD_STORE_EXECUTE_DEBUG dram.c)
+
+else() ###  Not Zephyr ###
 
 add_local_sources(sof panic.c)
+
+endif() # Zephyr
diff --git a/src/debug/dram.c b/src/debug/dram.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7fe14ca1d926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/debug/dram.c
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+//
+// Copyright(c) 2025 Intel Corporation.
+
+#include <rtos/kernel.h>
+#include <rtos/symbol.h>
+#include <zephyr/logging/log.h>
+#include <zephyr/sys/__assert.h>
+
+LOG_MODULE_REGISTER(dram_debug, CONFIG_SOF_LOG_LEVEL);
+
+static struct k_spinlock hot_path_lock;
+static unsigned int hot_path_depth;
+static const char *cold_path_fn;
+static bool hot_path_confirmed;
+
+void mem_cold_path_enter(const char *fn)
+{
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&hot_path_lock);
+
+	cold_path_fn = fn;
+
+	k_spin_unlock(&hot_path_lock, key);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(mem_cold_path_enter);
+
+void mem_hot_path_start_watching(void)
+{
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&hot_path_lock);
+
+	if (!hot_path_depth++) {
+		cold_path_fn = NULL;
+		hot_path_confirmed = false;
+	}
+
+	k_spin_unlock(&hot_path_lock, key);
+}
+
+void mem_hot_path_confirm(void)
+{
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&hot_path_lock);
+
+	hot_path_confirmed = true;
+
+	k_spin_unlock(&hot_path_lock, key);
+}
+
+void mem_hot_path_stop_watching(void)
+{
+	bool underrun, error;
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&hot_path_lock);
+
+	if (hot_path_depth) {
+		underrun = false;
+		hot_path_depth--;
+		error = hot_path_confirmed && cold_path_fn;
+	} else {
+		error = underrun = true;
+	}
+
+	k_spin_unlock(&hot_path_lock, key);
+
+	if (underrun)
+		LOG_ERR("Hot path depth underrun!");
+	else
+		__ASSERT(!error, "Cold function %s() has run while on hot path!", cold_path_fn);
+}
diff --git a/src/debug/gdb/CMakeLists.txt b/src/debug/gdb/CMakeLists.txt
index 3cd0fe5f2d2b..4ca1af254b05 100644
--- a/src/debug/gdb/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/debug/gdb/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
+# Common to Zephyr and XTOS
 add_local_sources(sof
 	gdb.c
 	ringbuffer.c
diff --git a/src/debug/tester/CMakeLists.txt b/src/debug/tester/CMakeLists.txt
index aa146c24d597..2220c5b773b8 100644
--- a/src/debug/tester/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/debug/tester/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ if(it_is) ###  Zephyr ###
 
 else() ### XTOS ###
 
-  add_local_sources(sof ${base_files})
+  if(CONFIG_COMP_TESTER)
+    add_local_sources(sof ${base_files})
+  endif()
 
 endif()
diff --git a/src/idc/idc.c b/src/idc/idc.c
index 7fe0988788ea..3154b8d5fa15 100644
--- a/src/idc/idc.c
+++ b/src/idc/idc.c
@@ -425,7 +425,9 @@ void idc_cmd(struct idc_msg *msg)
 		notifier_notify_remote();
 		break;
 	case iTS(IDC_MSG_IPC):
+		mem_hot_path_start_watching();
 		idc_ipc();
+		mem_hot_path_stop_watching();
 		break;
 #if CONFIG_IPC_MAJOR_4
 	case iTS(IDC_MSG_BIND):
diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc-zephyr.c b/src/ipc/ipc-zephyr.c
index fc2eac10166c..b71ff94f32bc 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc-zephyr.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc-zephyr.c
@@ -217,11 +217,15 @@ enum task_state ipc_platform_do_cmd(struct ipc *ipc)
 {
 	struct ipc_cmd_hdr *hdr;
 
+	mem_hot_path_start_watching();
+
 	hdr = ipc_compact_read_msg();
 
 	/* perform command */
 	ipc_cmd(hdr);
 
+	mem_hot_path_stop_watching();
+
 	if (ipc->task_mask & IPC_TASK_POWERDOWN ||
 	    ipc_get()->pm_prepare_D3) {
 #if defined(CONFIG_PM)
diff --git a/src/ipc/ipc4/handler.c b/src/ipc/ipc4/handler.c
index dbffb96e415d..625b3b309c57 100644
--- a/src/ipc/ipc4/handler.c
+++ b/src/ipc/ipc4/handler.c
@@ -477,6 +477,15 @@ int ipc4_pipeline_trigger(struct ipc_comp_dev *ppl_icd, uint32_t cmd, bool *dela
 		return IPC4_INVALID_REQUEST;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * We're handling a pipeline-trigger event, this means that we're in a
+	 * performance-critical context. Set a marker, so that if any cold code,
+	 * calling assert_can_be_cold() is called on this flow between the
+	 * mem_hot_path_start_watching() - mem_hot_path_stop_watching()
+	 * brackets, the latter will generate an error / trigger a panic.
+	 */
+	mem_hot_path_confirm();
+
 	/* trigger the component */
 	ret = pipeline_trigger(host->cd->pipeline, host->cd, cmd);
 	if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/xtos/include/sof/lib/memory.h b/xtos/include/sof/lib/memory.h
index 219ebf2bc76c..8f191a872df3 100644
--- a/xtos/include/sof/lib/memory.h
+++ b/xtos/include/sof/lib/memory.h
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #define assert_can_be_cold() do {} while (0)
+#define mem_hot_path_confirm() do {} while (0)
 
 #endif /* __SOF_LIB_MEMORY_H__ */
diff --git a/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt b/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt
index 7a3c92f9ce64..1d030866a5db 100644
--- a/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/zephyr/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ set(SOF_AUDIO_MODULES_PATH "${SOF_SRC_PATH}/audio/module_adapter/module")
 set(SOF_SAMPLES_PATH "${SOF_SRC_PATH}/samples")
 set(SOF_LIB_PATH "${SOF_SRC_PATH}/lib")
 set(SOF_DRIVERS_PATH "${SOF_SRC_PATH}/drivers")
-set(SOF_DEBUG_PATH "${SOF_SRC_PATH}/debug")
 set(SOF_TRACE_PATH "${SOF_SRC_PATH}/trace")
 
 set(RIMAGE_TOP ${sof_top_dir}/tools/rimage)
@@ -204,9 +203,7 @@ macro(sof_list_append_ifdef feature_toggle list)
 endmacro()
 
 add_subdirectory(../src/audio/ audio_unused_install/)
-add_subdirectory(../src/debug/debug_stream/  debug_stream_unused_install/)
-add_subdirectory(../src/debug/telemetry/  telemetry_unused_install/)
-add_subdirectory(../src/debug/tester/  debug_tester_unused_install/)
+add_subdirectory(../src/debug/ debug_unused_install/)
 add_subdirectory(../src/init/ init_unused_install/)
 add_subdirectory(../src/ipc/  ipc_unused_install/)
 add_subdirectory(../src/math/  math_unused_install/)
@@ -909,11 +906,6 @@ zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_AMS
 	${SOF_LIB_PATH}/ams.c
 )
 
-zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_GDB_DEBUG
-	${SOF_DEBUG_PATH}/gdb/gdb.c
-	${SOF_DEBUG_PATH}/gdb/ringbuffer.c
-)
-
 zephyr_library_sources_ifdef(CONFIG_DW_DMA
 	${SOF_DRIVERS_PATH}/dw/dma.c
 )
diff --git a/zephyr/include/sof/lib/memory.h b/zephyr/include/sof/lib/memory.h
index bd0ebc6e61b8..16c2e686420e 100644
--- a/zephyr/include/sof/lib/memory.h
+++ b/zephyr/include/sof/lib/memory.h
@@ -25,12 +25,22 @@ bool ll_sch_is_current(void);
 #define ll_sch_is_current() false
 #endif
 
+void mem_hot_path_start_watching(void);
+void mem_hot_path_stop_watching(void);
+void mem_hot_path_confirm(void);
+void mem_cold_path_enter(const char *fn);
+
 static inline void __assert_can_be_cold(const char *fn)
 {
 	__ASSERT(!ll_sch_is_current(), "%s() called from an LL thread!", fn);
+	mem_cold_path_enter(fn);
 }
 #define assert_can_be_cold() __assert_can_be_cold(__func__)
 #else
+#define mem_hot_path_start_watching() do {} while (0)
+#define mem_hot_path_stop_watching() do {} while (0)
+#define mem_hot_path_confirm() do {} while (0)
+#define mem_cold_path_enter() do {} while (0)
 #define assert_can_be_cold() do {} while (0)
 #endif