diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index e71195bf85..c26a8776cd 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += event_%
 PSEUDOMODULES += event_timeout
 PSEUDOMODULES += event_timeout_ztimer
 PSEUDOMODULES += evtimer_mbox
-PSEUDOMODULES += evtimer_on_ztimer
 PSEUDOMODULES += fatfs_vfs_format
 PSEUDOMODULES += fmt_%
 PSEUDOMODULES += gcoap_forward_proxy
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.dep b/sys/Makefile.dep
index b8a0dd8b11..b27127765e 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/Makefile.dep
@@ -998,14 +998,7 @@ ifneq (,$(filter ztimer64%,$(USEMODULE)))
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter evtimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-  ifneq (,$(filter evtimer_on_ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-    USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
-  else
-    USEMODULE += xtimer
-    ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
-      USEMODULE += evtimer_on_ztimer
-    endif
-  endif
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
 endif
 
 # handle xtimer's deps. Needs to be done *after* ztimer
diff --git a/sys/evtimer/evtimer.c b/sys/evtimer/evtimer.c
index 4821336d37..a8f8132446 100644
--- a/sys/evtimer/evtimer.c
+++ b/sys/evtimer/evtimer.c
@@ -93,19 +93,9 @@ static void _del_event_from_list(evtimer_t *evtimer, evtimer_event_t *event)
 static void _set_timer(evtimer_t *evtimer)
 {
     evtimer_event_t *next_event = evtimer->events;
-
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER)
     evtimer->base = ztimer_set(ZTIMER_MSEC, &evtimer->timer, next_event->offset);
     DEBUG("evtimer: now=%" PRIu32 " ms setting ztimer to %" PRIu32 " ms\n",
           evtimer->base, next_event->offset);
-#else
-    uint64_t offset_us = (uint64_t)next_event->offset * US_PER_MS;
-
-    DEBUG("evtimer: now=%" PRIu32 " us setting xtimer to %" PRIu32 ":%" PRIu32 " us\n",
-          xtimer_now_usec(), (uint32_t)(offset_us >> 32), (uint32_t)(offset_us));
-
-    xtimer_set64(&evtimer->timer, offset_us);
-#endif
 }
 
 static void _update_timer(evtimer_t *evtimer)
@@ -114,15 +104,10 @@ static void _update_timer(evtimer_t *evtimer)
         _set_timer(evtimer);
     }
     else {
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER)
         ztimer_remove(ZTIMER_MSEC, &evtimer->timer);
-#else
-        xtimer_remove(&evtimer->timer);
-#endif
     }
 }
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER)
 static void _update_head_offset(evtimer_t *evtimer)
 {
     if (evtimer->events) {
@@ -137,23 +122,6 @@ static void _update_head_offset(evtimer_t *evtimer)
         evtimer->base = now;
     }
 }
-#else /* IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER) */
-static uint32_t _get_offset(xtimer_t *timer)
-{
-    uint64_t left = xtimer_left_usec(timer);
-    /* add half of 125 so integer division rounds to nearest */
-    return div_u64_by_125((left >> 3) + 62);
-}
-
-static void _update_head_offset(evtimer_t *evtimer)
-{
-    if (evtimer->events) {
-        evtimer_event_t *event = evtimer->events;
-        event->offset = _get_offset(&evtimer->timer);
-        DEBUG("evtimer: _update_head_offset(): new head offset %" PRIu32 "\n", event->offset);
-    }
-}
-#endif /* !IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER) */
 
 void evtimer_add(evtimer_t *evtimer, evtimer_event_t *event)
 {
diff --git a/sys/include/evtimer.h b/sys/include/evtimer.h
index 66ff0a5d4b..28844200c2 100644
--- a/sys/include/evtimer.h
+++ b/sys/include/evtimer.h
@@ -15,24 +15,20 @@
  *
  * @note    Experimental and likely to replaced with unified timer API
  *
- * RIOT's main timer subsystem is @ref sys_xtimer "xtimer", but for many
- * applications @ref sys_xtimer "xtimer's" 64-bit absolute time values are
- * wasteful or clumsy to use.
- *
- * Compared to @ref sys_xtimer "xtimer", evtimer offers:
+ * RIOT's main timer subsystem is @ref sys_ztimer "ztimer" but compared to
+ * @ref sys_ztimer "ztimer", evtimer offers:
  *
  * - only relative 32-bit millisecond timer values
  *   Events can be scheduled with a relative offset of up to ~49.7 days in the
  *   future.
- *   **For time-critical stuff, use @ref sys_xtimer "xtimer"!**
+ *   **For time-critical stuff, use @ref sys_ztimer "ztimer"!**
  * - more flexible, "intrusive" timer type @ref evtimer_event_t only contains
  *   the necessary fields, which can be extended as needed, and handlers define
  *   actions taken on timer triggers. Check out @ref evtimer_msg_event_t as
  *   example.
- * - uses @ref sys_xtimer "xtimer" as backend by default. Alternatively, with
- *   the pseudomodule "evtimer_on_ztimer" compiled in, evtimer is backend by
- *   @ref sys_ztimer "ZTIMER_MSEC".
- *
+ * - when a number of timeouts with the same callback function need to be
+ *   scheduled, evtimer is using less RAM (due to storing the callback function
+ *   only once), while each ztimer has a function pointer for the callback.
  * @{
  *
  * @file
@@ -48,13 +44,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "modules.h"
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER)
 #include "ztimer.h"
-#else
-#include "xtimer.h"
-#endif
-
-#include "timex.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
@@ -77,12 +67,8 @@ typedef void(*evtimer_callback_t)(evtimer_event_t* event);
  * @brief   Event timer
  */
 typedef struct {
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER)
     ztimer_t timer;                 /**< Timer */
     uint32_t base;                  /**< Absolute time the first event is built on */
-#else
-    xtimer_t timer;                 /**< Timer */
-#endif
     evtimer_callback_t callback;    /**< Handler function for this evtimer's
                                          event type */
     evtimer_event_t *events;        /**< Event queue */
@@ -128,11 +114,7 @@ void evtimer_print(const evtimer_t *evtimer);
  */
 static inline uint32_t evtimer_now_msec(void)
 {
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_EVTIMER_ON_ZTIMER)
     return ztimer_now(ZTIMER_MSEC);
-#else
-    return xtimer_now_usec64() / US_PER_MS;
-#endif
 }
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
index eec51b70b0..e20ba7e2a7 100644
--- a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
@@ -11,13 +11,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
   DEFAULT_MODULE += ztimer_init
 endif
 
-# unless ztimer_xtimer_compat is used, make xtimer use ztimer_usec as backend.
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-  ifneq (,$(filter evtimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-    USEMODULE += evtimer_on_ztimer
-  endif
-endif
-
 ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += ztimer_usec
 endif
@@ -27,11 +20,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter ztimer64_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += ztimer_xtimer_compat
 endif
 
-# make evtimer use ztimer_msec as low level timer
-ifneq (,$(filter evtimer_on_ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
-endif
-
 ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_%,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += ztimer_core
   USEMODULE += ztimer_extend
diff --git a/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/Makefile b/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/Makefile
index aacc3125a5..007687a90c 100644
--- a/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/Makefile
+++ b/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 include ../Makefile.sys_common
 
 USEMODULE += evtimer
-USEMODULE += xtimer
+USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
 
 # This test randomly fails on `native` so disable it from CI
 TEST_ON_CI_BLACKLIST += native
diff --git a/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/main.c b/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/main.c
index 961e2f5c8e..59e4f6de14 100644
--- a/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/main.c
+++ b/tests/sys/evtimer_msg/main.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "evtimer_msg.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "msg.h"
-#include "xtimer.h"
+#include "ztimer.h"
 
 static char worker_stack[THREAD_STACKSIZE_MAIN];
 static evtimer_t evtimer;
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ int main(void)
            NEVENTS);
 
     /* The last offset is the largest, wait for it and a tiny bit more */
-    xtimer_msleep((offsets[3] + 10));
+    ztimer_sleep(ZTIMER_MSEC, (offsets[3] + 10));
     puts("By now all msgs should have been received");
     puts("If yes, the tests were successful");
 }
diff --git a/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/Makefile b/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/Makefile
index 485222d0a7..071591b0b1 100644
--- a/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/Makefile
+++ b/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 include ../Makefile.sys_common
 
 USEMODULE += evtimer
-USEMODULE += xtimer
+USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
 
 # microbit qemu lacks rtt
 TEST_ON_CI_BLACKLIST += microbit
diff --git a/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/main.c b/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/main.c
index 89768ee4ec..43ecfb2122 100644
--- a/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/main.c
+++ b/tests/sys/evtimer_underflow/main.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "evtimer_msg.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "msg.h"
-#include "xtimer.h"
+#include "ztimer.h"
 
 #define WORKER_MSG_QUEUE_SIZE   (8)
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void *worker_thread(void *arg)
 
 void sleep_msec(uint16_t t)
 {
-    xtimer_msleep(t);
+    ztimer_sleep(ZTIMER_MSEC, t);
 }
 
 int main(void)