diff --git a/tests/Makefile.tests_common b/tests/Makefile.tests_common
index add1f2eb5d..cc8dc55b5c 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.tests_common
+++ b/tests/Makefile.tests_common
@@ -5,11 +5,6 @@ ifneq (,$(wildcard $(CURDIR)/tests*/.))
   DEFAULT_MODULE += test_utils_interactive_sync
   # add stack metric printing configuration when testing Kconfig
   DEFAULT_MODULE += test_utils_print_stack_usage
-
-  # do the same for Kconfig builds
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(RIOTBASE)/tests/test_utils.config
-  endif
 endif
 
 # terminate native when the test is complete
diff --git a/tests/build_system/kconfig/Makefile b/tests/build_system/kconfig/Makefile
index 4b7ac7d06a..7b032b3995 100644
--- a/tests/build_system/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/tests/build_system/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -8,8 +8,4 @@ USEPKG += external_pkg_1
 USEPKG += external_pkg_2
 EXTERNAL_PKG_DIRS += external_pkgs
 
-ifeq (1, $(TEST_KCONFIG))
-  KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config
-endif
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/drivers/grove_ledbar/Makefile b/tests/drivers/grove_ledbar/Makefile
index d554db8ca0..0664474c05 100644
--- a/tests/drivers/grove_ledbar/Makefile
+++ b/tests/drivers/grove_ledbar/Makefile
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ USEMODULE += grove_ledbar
 # disable native GPIOs for automatic test
 ifneq (,$(filter native native64,$(BOARD)))
   USEMODULE += periph_gpio_mock
-  # the same for Kconfig
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config.test.native
-  endif
 endif
 
 # set default device parameters in case they are undefined
diff --git a/tests/drivers/hd44780/Makefile b/tests/drivers/hd44780/Makefile
index dadfdcc227..56003ef023 100644
--- a/tests/drivers/hd44780/Makefile
+++ b/tests/drivers/hd44780/Makefile
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ USEMODULE += hd44780
 # disable native GPIOs for automatic test
 ifneq (,$(filter native native64,$(BOARD)))
   USEMODULE += periph_gpio_mock
-  # the same for Kconfig
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config.test.native
-  endif
 endif
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/drivers/my9221/Makefile b/tests/drivers/my9221/Makefile
index c93b73d88d..f069ac62e8 100644
--- a/tests/drivers/my9221/Makefile
+++ b/tests/drivers/my9221/Makefile
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ USEMODULE += my9221
 # disable native GPIOs for automatic test
 ifneq (,$(filter native native64,$(BOARD)))
   USEMODULE += periph_gpio_mock
-  # the same for Kconfig
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config.test.native
-  endif
 endif
 
 # set default device parameters in case they are undefined
diff --git a/tests/net/ieee802154_hal/Makefile b/tests/net/ieee802154_hal/Makefile
index 6265312d4d..6d3eeb519f 100644
--- a/tests/net/ieee802154_hal/Makefile
+++ b/tests/net/ieee802154_hal/Makefile
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter native native64,$(BOARD)))
   ZEP_PORT_BASE ?= 17754
   TERMFLAGS += -z [::1]:$(ZEP_PORT_BASE)
   USEMODULE += socket_zep
-  # the same for Kconfig
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config.test.native
-  endif
 endif
 
 USEMODULE += od
diff --git a/tests/periph/gpio/Makefile b/tests/periph/gpio/Makefile
index cfa6827930..0095f45d1f 100644
--- a/tests/periph/gpio/Makefile
+++ b/tests/periph/gpio/Makefile
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@ USEMODULE += benchmark
 # disable native GPIOs for automatic test
 ifneq (,$(filter native native64,$(BOARD)))
   USEMODULE += periph_gpio_mock
-  # the same for Kconfig
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config.test.native
-  endif
 endif
 
 BOARDS_BENCH_PORT_1 = \
diff --git a/tests/sys/shell_lock/Makefile b/tests/sys/shell_lock/Makefile
index 29bebcdd80..a023a1a860 100644
--- a/tests/sys/shell_lock/Makefile
+++ b/tests/sys/shell_lock/Makefile
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ USEMODULE += shell_cmds_default
 USEMODULE += shell_lock
 USEMODULE += shell_lock_auto_locking
 
-ifneq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_SHELL_LOCK_PASSWORD=\"password\"
-CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_SHELL_LOCK_AUTO_LOCK_TIMEOUT_MS=7000
+ifneq (1, $(SHOULD_RUN_KCONFIG))
+  CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_SHELL_LOCK_PASSWORD=\"password\"
+  CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_SHELL_LOCK_AUTO_LOCK_TIMEOUT_MS=7000
 endif
 
 # test_utils_interactive_sync_shell assumes that the prompt is always '> ' which breaks
diff --git a/tests/sys/ztimer_underflow/Makefile b/tests/sys/ztimer_underflow/Makefile
index c197e3ccd9..fa549b5abe 100644
--- a/tests/sys/ztimer_underflow/Makefile
+++ b/tests/sys/ztimer_underflow/Makefile
@@ -6,10 +6,6 @@ USEMODULE += ztimer
 USEMODULE += ztimer_usec
 ifeq ($(TEST_ZTIMER_CLOCK), ZTIMER_MSEC)
   USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
-	# the same for Kconfig
-  ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
-    KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config.msec.test
-  endif
 endif
 ifeq ($(TEST_ZTIMER_CLOCK), ZTIMER_SEC)
   USEMODULE += ztimer_sec