diff --git a/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.dep b/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.dep
index 46de66a114..f0202d4006 100644
--- a/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.dep
+++ b/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.dep
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
-USEMODULE += vfs
-USEMODULE += littlefs2_fs
-USEMODULE += mtd
+DEFAULT_MODULE += littlefs2_fs
+
+# require littlefs2_fs dependencies if this module isn't disabled
+ifeq (,$(filter littlefs2_fs,$(DISABLE_MODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += vfs
+  USEMODULE += mtd
+endif
 
 FEATURES_BLACKLIST += arch_msp430
diff --git a/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.include b/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.include
index f7398fb4ef..51511c6d2f 100644
--- a/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.include
+++ b/pkg/littlefs2/Makefile.include
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 INCLUDES += -I$(PKGDIRBASE)/littlefs2
 
-DIRS += $(RIOTBASE)/pkg/littlefs2/fs
+ifneq (,$(filter littlefs2_fs,$(USEMODULE)))
+  DIRS += $(RIOTBASE)/pkg/littlefs2/fs
+endif
 
 # Reduce LFS_NAME_MAX to 31 (as VFS_NAME_MAX default)
 CFLAGS += -DLFS_NAME_MAX=31