diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/Kconfig b/cpu/atmega_common/Kconfig
index 7130759aee..a35a7f3258 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/Kconfig
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/Kconfig
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ config CPU_COMMON_ATMEGA
     select HAS_PERIPH_GPIO
     select HAS_PERIPH_GPIO_IRQ
     select HAS_PERIPH_PM
+    select HAS_PERIPH_RTC_MS
     select HAS_PERIPH_RTT_SET_COUNTER
     select HAS_PERIPH_TIMER_PERIODIC
     select HAS_PERIPH_RTT_OVERFLOW
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.features b/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.features
index 5303f12db8..1987a53914 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.features
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.features
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_cpuid
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_eeprom
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_gpio periph_gpio_irq
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_pm
+FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtc_ms
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtt_set_counter
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_timer_periodic
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtt_overflow
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/periph/rtc.c b/cpu/atmega_common/periph/rtc.c
index 086438be51..dfea732364 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/periph/rtc.c
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/periph/rtc.c
@@ -103,6 +103,28 @@ int rtc_get_time(struct tm *time)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int rtc_get_time_ms(struct tm *time, uint16_t *ms)
+{
+    uint8_t cnt_before, cnt_after;
+
+    /* loop in case of overflow */
+    do {
+        cnt_before = TCNT2;
+
+        /* prevent compiler from reordering memory access to tm_now,
+         * including moving it out of the loop
+         */
+        __asm__ volatile ("" : : : "memory");
+        *time = tm_now;
+
+        cnt_after  = TCNT2;
+    } while (cnt_before > cnt_after);
+
+    *ms = (cnt_after * 1000UL) >> 8;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int rtc_get_alarm(struct tm *time)
 {
     *time = tm_alarm;
diff --git a/cpu/lpc23xx/Kconfig b/cpu/lpc23xx/Kconfig
index 49d96963bf..e44ce63356 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc23xx/Kconfig
+++ b/cpu/lpc23xx/Kconfig
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ config CPU_FAM_LPC23XX
     select HAS_PERIPH_GPIO
     select HAS_PERIPH_GPIO_IRQ
     select HAS_PERIPH_TIMER_PERIODIC
+    select HAS_PERIPH_RTC_MS
 
 ## CPU Models
 config CPU_MODEL_LPC2387
diff --git a/cpu/lpc23xx/Makefile.features b/cpu/lpc23xx/Makefile.features
index 0d9de8eb1c..850654fb2d 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc23xx/Makefile.features
+++ b/cpu/lpc23xx/Makefile.features
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@ FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_dac
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_flashpage
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_gpio periph_gpio_irq
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_timer_periodic
+FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtc_ms
 
 include $(RIOTCPU)/arm7_common/Makefile.features
diff --git a/cpu/lpc23xx/periph/rtc.c b/cpu/lpc23xx/periph/rtc.c
index 2680d1806a..475aba0aa7 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc23xx/periph/rtc.c
+++ b/cpu/lpc23xx/periph/rtc.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "periph/rtc.h"
 #include "VIC.h"
 #include "lpc23xx.h"
+#include "timex.h"
 
 #define ENABLE_DEBUG 0
 #include "debug.h"
@@ -110,6 +111,22 @@ int rtc_get_time(struct tm *localt)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int rtc_get_time_ms(struct tm *time, uint16_t *ms)
+{
+    uint16_t ccr_before, ccr_after;
+
+    /* loop in case of overflow */
+    do {
+        ccr_before = RTC_CCR >> 1;
+        rtc_get_time(time);
+        ccr_after = RTC_CCR >> 1;
+    } while (ccr_before > ccr_after);
+
+    /* CCR is 15-bit counter, increments second with each overflow */
+    *ms = (ccr_after * MS_PER_SEC) >> 15;
+
+    return 0;
+}
 
 int rtc_set_alarm(struct tm *localt, rtc_alarm_cb_t cb, void *arg)
 {
diff --git a/drivers/include/periph/rtc.h b/drivers/include/periph/rtc.h
index 9a424fecc7..0071711999 100644
--- a/drivers/include/periph/rtc.h
+++ b/drivers/include/periph/rtc.h
@@ -90,6 +90,19 @@ int rtc_set_time(struct tm *time);
  */
 int rtc_get_time(struct tm *time);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Get current RTC time with sub-second component.
+ *        Requires the `periph_rtc_ms` feature.
+ *
+ * @param[out] time         Pointer to the struct to write the time to.
+ * @param[out] ms           Pointer to a variable to hold the microsecond
+ *                          component of the current RTC time.
+ *
+ * @return  0 for success
+ * @return -1 an error occurred
+ */
+int rtc_get_time_ms(struct tm *time, uint16_t *ms);
+
 /**
  * @brief Set an alarm for RTC to the specified value.
  *
diff --git a/drivers/rtt_rtc/Makefile.features b/drivers/rtt_rtc/Makefile.features
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ed82b05fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/rtt_rtc/Makefile.features
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtc
+FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtc_ms
diff --git a/drivers/rtt_rtc/rtt_rtc.c b/drivers/rtt_rtc/rtt_rtc.c
index 878bc6ea94..2e16ac69c6 100644
--- a/drivers/rtt_rtc/rtt_rtc.c
+++ b/drivers/rtt_rtc/rtt_rtc.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "periph/rtc.h"
 #include "periph/rtt.h"
+#include "timex.h"
 
 #define ENABLE_DEBUG    0
 #include "debug.h"
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #define TICKS(x)        (    (x) * RTT_SECOND)
 #define SECONDS(x)      (_RTT(x) / RTT_SECOND)
+#define SUBSECONDS(x)   (_RTT(x) % RTT_SECOND)
 
 /* Place counter in .noinit section if no backup RAM is available.
    This means the date is undefined at cold boot, but will likely still
@@ -133,6 +135,22 @@ int rtc_set_time(struct tm *time)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int rtc_get_time_ms(struct tm *time, uint16_t *ms)
+{
+    uint32_t prev = rtc_now;
+
+    /* repeat calculation if an alarm triggered in between */
+    do {
+        uint32_t now = rtt_get_counter();
+        uint32_t tmp = _rtc_now(now);
+
+        rtc_localtime(tmp, time);
+        *ms = (SUBSECONDS(now) * MS_PER_SEC) / RTT_SECOND;
+    } while (prev != rtc_now);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int rtc_get_time(struct tm *time)
 {
     uint32_t prev = rtc_now;
diff --git a/kconfigs/Kconfig.features b/kconfigs/Kconfig.features
index f7acc8e560..43b800f18a 100644
--- a/kconfigs/Kconfig.features
+++ b/kconfigs/Kconfig.features
@@ -252,6 +252,11 @@ config HAS_PERIPH_RTC
     help
         Indicates that an RTC peripheral is present.
 
+config HAS_PERIPH_RTC_MS
+    bool
+    help
+        Indicates that the RTC peripheral can provide sub-second timestamps.
+
 config HAS_PERIPH_RTT
     bool
     help
diff --git a/tests/periph_rtc/Makefile b/tests/periph_rtc/Makefile
index e549720ff4..3d33287f19 100644
--- a/tests/periph_rtc/Makefile
+++ b/tests/periph_rtc/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
-FEATURES_REQUIRED = periph_rtc
+FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_rtc
+FEATURES_OPTIONAL += periph_rtc_ms
 
 DISABLE_MODULE += periph_init_rtc
 
diff --git a/tests/periph_rtc/main.c b/tests/periph_rtc/main.c
index 09c4c41999..db798a6fd0 100644
--- a/tests/periph_rtc/main.c
+++ b/tests/periph_rtc/main.c
@@ -47,6 +47,18 @@ static void print_time(const char *label, const struct tm *time)
             time->tm_sec);
 }
 
+static void print_time_ms(const char *label, const struct tm *time, uint16_t ms)
+{
+    printf("%s  %04d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d.%03d\n", label,
+            time->tm_year + TM_YEAR_OFFSET,
+            time->tm_mon + 1,
+            time->tm_mday,
+            time->tm_hour,
+            time->tm_min,
+            time->tm_sec,
+            ms);
+}
+
 static void inc_secs(struct tm *time, unsigned val)
 {
     time->tm_sec += val;
@@ -81,8 +93,14 @@ int main(void)
     rtc_set_time(&time);
 
     /* read RTC to confirm value */
-    rtc_get_time(&time);
-    print_time("Clock value is now ", &time);
+    if (IS_USED(MODULE_PERIPH_RTC_MS)) {
+        uint16_t ms;
+        rtc_get_time_ms(&time, &ms);
+        print_time_ms("Clock value is now ", &time, ms);
+    } else {
+        rtc_get_time(&time);
+        print_time("Clock value is now ", &time);
+    }
 
     /* set initial alarm */
     inc_secs(&time, PERIOD);
@@ -95,17 +113,32 @@ int main(void)
 
     /* clear alarm */
     rtc_clear_alarm();
-    rtc_get_time(&time);
-    print_time("  Alarm cleared at ", &time);
+    if (IS_USED(MODULE_PERIPH_RTC_MS)) {
+        uint16_t ms;
+        rtc_get_time_ms(&time, &ms);
+        print_time_ms("  Alarm cleared at ", &time, ms);
+    } else {
+        rtc_get_time(&time);
+        print_time("  Alarm cleared at ", &time);
+    }
 
     /* verify alarm has been cleared */
     xtimer_sleep(PERIOD);
-    rtc_get_time(&time);
+
+    const char *message;
     if (mutex_trylock(&rtc_mtx)) {
-        print_time("   Error: Alarm at ", &time);
+        message = "   Error: Alarm at ";
+    } else {
+        message = "       No alarm at ";
     }
-    else {
-        print_time("       No alarm at ", &time);
+
+    if (IS_USED(MODULE_PERIPH_RTC_MS)) {
+        uint16_t ms;
+        rtc_get_time_ms(&time, &ms);
+        print_time_ms(message, &time, ms);
+    } else {
+        rtc_get_time(&time);
+        print_time(message, &time);
     }
 
     /* set alarm */