diff --git a/makefiles/deprecated_modules.inc.mk b/makefiles/deprecated_modules.inc.mk
index 6bdbc5c007..84f29e0a7c 100644
--- a/makefiles/deprecated_modules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/deprecated_modules.inc.mk
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 # Keep this list ALPHABETICALLY SORTED!!!!111elven
 DEPRECATED_MODULES += event_thread_lowest
 DEPRECATED_MODULES += gnrc_netdev_default
+DEPRECATED_MODULES += sema_deprecated
diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 2531e39681..29a2be0f82 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += saul_pwm
 PSEUDOMODULES += scanf_float
 PSEUDOMODULES += sched_cb
 PSEUDOMODULES += sched_runq_callback
+PSEUDOMODULES += sema_deprecated
 PSEUDOMODULES += semtech_loramac_rx
 PSEUDOMODULES += senml_cbor
 PSEUDOMODULES += senml_phydat
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.dep b/sys/Makefile.dep
index 82271037cc..619d64ee3e 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/Makefile.dep
@@ -339,6 +339,16 @@ ifneq (,$(filter sema_inv,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += atomic_utils
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter sema,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter sema_deprecated,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += sema
+  USEMODULE += ztimer64
+  USEMODULE += ztimer64_usec
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter telnet,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += pipe
   USEMODULE += sock_tcp
diff --git a/sys/include/sema.h b/sys/include/sema.h
index 77fd56666f..58488ede7f 100644
--- a/sys/include/sema.h
+++ b/sys/include/sema.h
@@ -28,9 +28,10 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 #include "mutex.h"
-
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER)
 #include "ztimer.h"
+
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_SEMA_DEPRECATED)
+#include "ztimer64.h"
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -112,30 +113,6 @@ static inline unsigned sema_get_value(const sema_t *sema)
 {
     return sema->value;
 }
-
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER) || !IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER)
-/**
- * @brief Wait for a semaphore, blocking or non-blocking.
- *
- * @details For commit purposes you should probably use sema_wait(),
- *          sema_wait_timed() and sema_try_wait() instead.
- *
- * @pre `(sema != NULL)`
- *
- * @param[in]  sema       A semaphore.
- * @param[in]  block      if true, block until semaphore is available.
- * @param[in]  timeout    if blocking, time in microseconds until the semaphore
- *                        times out. 0 waits forever.
- *
- * @return  0 on success
- * @return  -ETIMEDOUT, if the semaphore times out.
- * @return  -ECANCELED, if the semaphore was destroyed.
- * @return  -EAGAIN,    if the semaphore is not posted (only if block = 0)
- */
-int _sema_wait_xtimer(sema_t *sema, int block, uint64_t timeout);
-#endif
-
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER)
 /**
  * @brief   Wait for a semaphore, blocking or non-blocking.
  *
@@ -157,6 +134,30 @@ int _sema_wait_xtimer(sema_t *sema, int block, uint64_t timeout);
  */
 int _sema_wait_ztimer(sema_t *sema, int block,
                       ztimer_clock_t *clock, uint32_t timeout);
+
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_SEMA_DEPRECATED)
+/**
+ * @brief   Wait for a semaphore, blocking or non-blocking.
+ *
+ * @internal only
+ * @details For commit purposes you should probably use sema_wait(),
+ *          sema_wait_timed_ztimer64() and sema_try_wait() instead.
+ *
+ * @pre `(sema != NULL)`
+ *
+ * @param[in]  sema       A semaphore.
+ * @param[in]  block      if true, block until semaphore is available.
+ * @param[in]  clock      ztimer64 clock
+ * @param[in]  timeout    if blocking, ticks of @p clock until the semaphore
+ *                        times out. 0 waits forever.
+ *
+ * @return  0 on success
+ * @return  -ETIMEDOUT, if the semaphore times out.
+ * @return  -ECANCELED, if the semaphore was destroyed.
+ * @return  -EAGAIN,    if the semaphore is not posted (only if block = 0)
+ */
+int _sema_wait_ztimer64(sema_t *sema, int block,
+                        ztimer64_clock_t *clock, uint64_t timeout);
 #endif
 
 /**
@@ -171,11 +172,7 @@ int _sema_wait_ztimer(sema_t *sema, int block,
  */
 static inline int sema_wait(sema_t *sema)
 {
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER)
     return _sema_wait_ztimer(sema, 1, NULL, 0);
-#else
-    return _sema_wait_xtimer(sema, 1, 0);
-#endif
 }
 
 /**
@@ -191,16 +188,14 @@ static inline int sema_wait(sema_t *sema)
  */
 static inline int sema_try_wait(sema_t *sema)
 {
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER)
     return _sema_wait_ztimer(sema, 0, NULL, 0);
-#else
-    return _sema_wait_xtimer(sema, 0, 0);
-#endif
 }
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER) || defined(DOXYGEN)
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_SEMA_DEPRECATED) || defined(DOXYGEN)
 /**
- * @brief   Wait for a semaphore being posted.
+ * @brief   Wait for a semaphore being posted with a 64bit timeout
+ *
+ * @deprecated  Will be removed after release 2021.07
  *
  * @pre `(sema != NULL)`
  *
@@ -215,11 +210,10 @@ static inline int sema_try_wait(sema_t *sema)
  */
 static inline int sema_wait_timed(sema_t *sema, uint64_t timeout)
 {
-    return _sema_wait_xtimer(sema, (timeout != 0), timeout);
+    return  _sema_wait_ztimer64(sema, (timeout != 0), ZTIMER64_USEC, timeout);
 }
 #endif
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER) || defined(DOXYGEN)
 /**
  * @brief   Wait for a semaphore being posted, using ztimer as backend
  *
@@ -242,7 +236,6 @@ static inline int sema_wait_timed_ztimer(sema_t *sema,
 {
     return _sema_wait_ztimer(sema, (timeout != 0), clock, timeout);
 }
-#endif
 
 /**
  * @brief   Signal semaphore.
diff --git a/sys/sema/Kconfig b/sys/sema/Kconfig
index c05c224fd1..038136f70c 100644
--- a/sys/sema/Kconfig
+++ b/sys/sema/Kconfig
@@ -8,4 +8,9 @@
 config MODULE_SEMA
     bool "Semaphore"
     depends on TEST_KCONFIG
-    depends on MODULE_XTIMER || MODULE_ZTIMER
+    select MODULE_ZTIMER
+
+config MODULE_SEMA_DEPRECATED
+    bool "Semaphore compatible with 64bit timeouts, deprecated"
+    select MODULE_SEMA
+    select ZTIMER64_USEC
diff --git a/sys/sema/sema.c b/sys/sema/sema.c
index 37c5601e5f..95c89330df 100644
--- a/sys/sema/sema.c
+++ b/sys/sema/sema.c
@@ -22,10 +22,6 @@
 #include "assert.h"
 #include "sema.h"
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER)
-#include "xtimer.h"
-#endif
-
 #define ENABLE_DEBUG 0
 #include "debug.h"
 
@@ -49,8 +45,8 @@ void sema_destroy(sema_t *sema)
     mutex_unlock(&sema->mutex);
 }
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER)
-int _sema_wait_xtimer(sema_t *sema, int block, uint64_t us)
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_SEMA_DEPRECATED)
+int _sema_wait_ztimer64(sema_t *sema, int block, ztimer64_clock_t *clock, uint64_t us)
 {
     assert(sema != NULL);
 
@@ -66,9 +62,9 @@ int _sema_wait_xtimer(sema_t *sema, int block, uint64_t us)
             mutex_lock(&sema->mutex);
         }
         else {
-            uint64_t start = xtimer_now_usec64();
-            block = !xtimer_mutex_lock_timeout(&sema->mutex, us);
-            uint64_t elapsed = xtimer_now_usec64() - start;
+            uint64_t start = ztimer64_now(clock);
+            block = !ztimer64_mutex_lock_timeout(clock, &sema->mutex, us);
+            uint64_t elapsed = ztimer64_now(clock) - start;
 
             if (elapsed < us) {
                 us -= elapsed;
@@ -103,7 +99,6 @@ int _sema_wait_xtimer(sema_t *sema, int block, uint64_t us)
 }
 #endif
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER)
 int _sema_wait_ztimer(sema_t *sema, int block,
                       ztimer_clock_t *clock, uint32_t timeout)
 {
@@ -156,7 +151,6 @@ int _sema_wait_ztimer(sema_t *sema, int block,
 
     return 0;
 }
-#endif
 
 int sema_post(sema_t *sema)
 {
diff --git a/tests/sema/Makefile b/tests/sema/Makefile
index 0d0af60982..ce88d28105 100644
--- a/tests/sema/Makefile
+++ b/tests/sema/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 USEMODULE += sema
-USEMODULE += xtimer
-USEMODULE += ztimer_usec
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include