diff --git a/TESTS/mbed_hal/critical_section/critical_section_test.h b/TESTS/mbed_hal/critical_section/critical_section_test.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a85684d98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TESTS/mbed_hal/critical_section/critical_section_test.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/* mbed Microcontroller Library
+ * Copyright (c) 2018 ARM Limited
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+/** \addtogroup hal_critical_tests
+ *  @{
+ */
+
+#ifndef MBED_CRITICAL_SECTION_TEST_H
+#define MBED_CRITICAL_SECTION_TEST_H
+
+/** Template for HAL critical section tests
+ *
+ * Test critical section
+ * Given a critical section HAL mechanism
+ * When before critical section
+ * Then interrupts are enabled
+ * When inside critical section
+ * Then interrupts are disabled
+ * When after critical section
+ * Then interrupts are enabled again
+ *
+ * Test critical section - nested lock
+ * Given a critical section HAL mechanism
+ * When before critical section
+ * Then interrupts are enabled
+ * When inside nested critical section
+ * Then interrupts are disabled
+ * When after nested critical section
+ * Then interrupts are enabled again
+ *
+ */
+template <int N>
+void test_critical_section();
+
+
+/**@}*/
+
+#endif // MBED_CRITICAL_SECTION_TEST_H
diff --git a/TESTS/mbed_hal/critical_section/main.cpp b/TESTS/mbed_hal/critical_section/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..faa0039fc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TESTS/mbed_hal/critical_section/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/* mbed Microcontroller Library
+ * Copyright (c) 2018 ARM Limited
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+#include "critical_section_test.h"
+#include "hal/critical_section_api.h"
+#include "utest/utest.h"
+#include "unity/unity.h"
+#include "greentea-client/test_env.h"
+#include "mbed.h"
+#include "cmsis.h"
+#ifdef TARGET_NRF5 // for all NRF5x targets
+#include "nrf_nvic.h" // for __NRF_NVIC_APP_IRQS_0 / __NRF_NVIC_APP_IRQS_1
+#endif
+
+using utest::v1::Case;
+
+bool test_are_interrupts_enabled(void)
+{
+    // NRF5x targets don't disable interrupts when in critical section, instead they mask application interrupts this is due to BLE stack
+    // (BLE to be operational requires some interrupts to be always enabled)
+#ifdef TARGET_NRF52_DK
+	// check if APP interrupts are masked for NRF52_DK board
+	return (((NVIC->ISER[0] & __NRF_NVIC_APP_IRQS_0) != 0) || ((NVIC->ISER[1] & __NRF_NVIC_APP_IRQS_1) != 0));
+#elif TARGET_NRF5
+	// check if APP interrupts are masked for other NRF5 boards
+	return ((NVIC->ISER[0] & __NRF_NVIC_APP_IRQS_0) != 0);
+#else
+#if defined(__CORTEX_A9)
+    return ((__get_CPSR() & 0x80) == 0);
+#else
+    return ((__get_PRIMASK() & 0x1) == 0);
+#endif
+#endif
+}
+
+
+template<int N>
+void test_critical_section()
+{
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(hal_in_critical_section());
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(test_are_interrupts_enabled());
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+        hal_critical_section_enter();
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(hal_in_critical_section());
+        TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(test_are_interrupts_enabled());
+    }
+
+    // assumed to be called once (according API)
+    hal_critical_section_exit();
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(hal_in_critical_section());
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(test_are_interrupts_enabled());
+}
+
+Case cases[] = {
+    Case("Test critical section single lock", test_critical_section<1>),
+    Case("Test critical section nested lock", test_critical_section<10>)
+};
+
+utest::v1::status_t greentea_test_setup(const size_t number_of_cases)
+{
+    GREENTEA_SETUP(10, "timing_drift_auto");
+    return utest::v1::greentea_test_setup_handler(number_of_cases);
+}
+
+utest::v1::Specification specification(greentea_test_setup, cases);
+
+int main()
+{
+    return !utest::v1::Harness::run(specification);
+}