diff --git a/drivers/at86rf215/at86rf215_netdev.c b/drivers/at86rf215/at86rf215_netdev.c
index a0afe64250..edb6d680cd 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf215/at86rf215_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/at86rf215/at86rf215_netdev.c
@@ -859,14 +859,18 @@ static void _tx_end(at86rf215_t *dev, netdev_event_t event)
 
 static void _ack_timeout_cb(void* arg) {
     at86rf215_t *dev = arg;
+    netdev_t *netdev = &dev->netdev.netdev;
+
     dev->timeout = AT86RF215_TIMEOUT_ACK;
-    msg_send_int(&dev->timer_msg, dev->timer_msg.sender_pid);
+    netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_ISR);
 }
 
 static void _backoff_timeout_cb(void* arg) {
     at86rf215_t *dev = arg;
+    netdev_t *netdev = &dev->netdev.netdev;
+
     dev->timeout = AT86RF215_TIMEOUT_CSMA;
-    msg_send_int(&dev->timer_msg, dev->timer_msg.sender_pid);
+    netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_ISR);
 }
 
 static void _set_idle(at86rf215_t *dev)
@@ -887,9 +891,6 @@ static void _set_idle(at86rf215_t *dev)
 /* wake up the radio thread after ACK timeout */
 static void _start_ack_timer(at86rf215_t *dev)
 {
-    dev->timer_msg.type = NETDEV_MSG_TYPE_EVENT;
-    dev->timer_msg.sender_pid = thread_getpid();
-
     dev->timer.arg = dev;
     dev->timer.callback = _ack_timeout_cb;
 
@@ -918,9 +919,6 @@ static void _start_backoff_timer(at86rf215_t *dev)
     DEBUG("Set CSMA backoff to %"PRIu32" (be %u min %u max %u base: %"PRIu32")\n",
           csma_backoff_usec, be, dev->csma_minbe, dev->csma_maxbe, base);
 
-    dev->timer_msg.type = NETDEV_MSG_TYPE_EVENT;
-    dev->timer_msg.sender_pid = thread_getpid();
-
     dev->timer.arg = dev;
     dev->timer.callback = _backoff_timeout_cb;
 
diff --git a/drivers/include/at86rf215.h b/drivers/include/at86rf215.h
index 97acfd9b59..40c4abed27 100644
--- a/drivers/include/at86rf215.h
+++ b/drivers/include/at86rf215.h
@@ -347,7 +347,6 @@ typedef struct at86rf215 {
     const at86rf215_RF_regs_t  *RF;         /**< Radio Frontend Registers */
     const at86rf215_BBC_regs_t *BBC;        /**< Baseband Registers */
     xtimer_t timer;                         /**< timer for ACK & CSMA timeout */
-    msg_t timer_msg;                        /**< message for timeout timer */
     uint32_t ack_timeout_usec;              /**< time to wait before retransmission in µs */
     uint32_t csma_backoff_period;           /**< CSMA Backoff period */
     uint16_t flags;                         /**< Device specific flags */