diff --git a/src/audio/dcblock/Kconfig b/src/audio/dcblock/Kconfig
index 7a4113153b51..1b38cdf7ff54 100644
--- a/src/audio/dcblock/Kconfig
+++ b/src/audio/dcblock/Kconfig
@@ -6,3 +6,22 @@ config COMP_DCBLOCK
 	help
 	  Select for DC Blocking Filter component. This component filters out
 	  the DC offset which often originates from a microphone's output.
+
+choice
+	prompt "DC Blocking Filter HIFI level"
+	depends on COMP_DCBLOCK
+	default DCBLOCK_HIFI_MAX
+
+config DCBLOCK_HIFI_MAX
+	bool "Max level available in the toolchain"
+
+config DCBLOCK_HIFI_4
+	bool "HIFI4 DCBLOCK"
+
+config DCBLOCK_HIFI_3
+	bool "HIFI3 DCBLOCK"
+
+config DCBLOCK_HIFI_NONE
+	bool "Generic DCBLOCK, no HIFI"
+
+endchoice
diff --git a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock.h b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock.h
index bc2bec3f339a..eaf09da22bf2 100644
--- a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock.h
+++ b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock.h
@@ -15,20 +15,6 @@
 #include <module/module/base.h>
 #include <module/module/interface.h>
 
-/* __XCC__ is both for xt_xcc and xt_clang */
-#if defined(__XCC__)
-# include <xtensa/config/core-isa.h>
-# if XCHAL_HAVE_HIFI4
-#  define DCBLOCK_HIFI4
-# elif XCHAL_HAVE_HIFI3
-#  define DCBLOCK_HIFI3
-# else
-#  define DCBLOCK_GENERIC
-# endif
-#else
-# define DCBLOCK_GENERIC
-#endif
-
 struct audio_stream;
 struct comp_dev;
 
diff --git a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_generic.c b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_generic.c
index 2ca1d0a70f10..4ff5fa11315b 100644
--- a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_generic.c
+++ b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_generic.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "dcblock.h"
 
-#ifdef DCBLOCK_GENERIC
+#if SOF_USE_HIFI(NONE, DCBLOCK)
 
 LOG_MODULE_DECLARE(dcblock, CONFIG_SOF_LOG_LEVEL);
 
diff --git a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi3.c b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi3.c
index f731bdbdbb18..d49a1ccca986 100644
--- a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi3.c
+++ b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi3.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "dcblock.h"
 
-#ifdef DCBLOCK_HIFI3
+#if SOF_USE_HIFI(3, DCBLOCK)
 
 #include <xtensa/tie/xt_hifi3.h>
 LOG_MODULE_DECLARE(dcblock, CONFIG_SOF_LOG_LEVEL);
diff --git a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi4.c b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi4.c
index dc8090efa7b8..44afa6834c91 100644
--- a/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi4.c
+++ b/src/audio/dcblock/dcblock_hifi4.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "dcblock.h"
 
-#ifdef DCBLOCK_HIFI4
+#if SOF_USE_HIFI(4, DCBLOCK)
 
 #include <xtensa/tie/xt_hifi4.h>
 LOG_MODULE_DECLARE(dcblock, CONFIG_SOF_LOG_LEVEL);
diff --git a/src/include/sof/common.h b/src/include/sof/common.h
index a2ccf29a49f4..349b806e08a8 100644
--- a/src/include/sof/common.h
+++ b/src/include/sof/common.h
@@ -177,6 +177,33 @@
 #define IS_ENABLED_STEP_3(ignore, value, ...) (!!(value))
 #endif
 
+#define SOF_CONFIG_HIFI(level, component) (CONFIG_ ## component ## _HIFI_ ## level)
+
+/* True if:
+ *  (1) EITHER this particular level was manually forced in Kconfig,
+ *  (2) OR:  - this component defaulted to "MAX"
+ *           - AND this level is the max available in the XC HAL.
+ */
+#define SOF_USE_HIFI(level, component) (SOF_CONFIG_HIFI(level, component) || \
+	(SOF_CONFIG_HIFI(MAX, component) && level == SOF_MAX_XCHAL_HIFI))
+
+#ifndef __XCC__ // Cadence toolchains: either xt-xcc or xt-clang.
+#  define SOF_MAX_XCHAL_HIFI NONE
+#else
+#  include <xtensa/config/core-isa.h>
+// Maybe we could make this fully generic (and less readable!) using
+// IS_ENABLED() above.
+#  if XCHAL_HAVE_HIFI5
+#    define SOF_MAX_XCHAL_HIFI 5
+#  elif XCHAL_HAVE_HIFI4
+#    define SOF_MAX_XCHAL_HIFI 4
+#  elif XCHAL_HAVE_HIFI3
+#    define SOF_MAX_XCHAL_HIFI 3
+#  else
+#    define SOF_MAX_XCHAL_HIFI NONE
+#  endif
+#endif
+
 #ifndef __GLIBC_USE
 #define __GLIBC_USE(x) 0
 #endif