diff --git a/sys/xtimer/Kconfig b/sys/xtimer/Kconfig
index b4de1eb6e5..ea4c879a0d 100644
--- a/sys/xtimer/Kconfig
+++ b/sys/xtimer/Kconfig
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ if MODULE_XTIMER
 
 config MODULE_XTIMER_NO_ZTIMER_DEFAULT
     bool "xtimer does not select ztimer"
-    default y
 
 config MODULE_AUTO_INIT_XTIMER
     bool "Auto-init xtimer"
diff --git a/sys/xtimer/Makefile.dep b/sys/xtimer/Makefile.dep
index 4d141a49aa..ae685c3ced 100644
--- a/sys/xtimer/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/xtimer/Makefile.dep
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init_xtimer
 # dependency inclusion order issues
 FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_timer
 
-USEMODULE += xtimer_no_ztimer_default
 ifeq (,$(filter xtimer_no_ztimer_default,$(USEMODULE)))
   ifeq (,$(filter xtimer_on_ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
     USEMODULE += ztimer_xtimer_compat