diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 640e19f150..dd83db28a0 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -431,6 +431,8 @@ ifeq (1,$(TEST_KCONFIG))
   # Locate used packages in $(RIOTPKG).
   PKG_PATHS := $(sort $(foreach dir,$(RIOTPKG),\
     $(foreach pkg,$(USEPKG),$(dir $(wildcard $(dir)/$(pkg)/Makefile)))))
+
+  EXTERNAL_MODULE_PATHS := $(dir $(EXTERNAL_MODULE_KCONFIGS))
 else
   # always select provided architecture features
   FEATURES_REQUIRED += $(filter arch_%,$(FEATURES_PROVIDED))
diff --git a/makefiles/kconfig.mk b/makefiles/kconfig.mk
index 189d13c685..c64f1f6ebb 100644
--- a/makefiles/kconfig.mk
+++ b/makefiles/kconfig.mk
@@ -179,8 +179,8 @@ $(KCONFIG_GENERATED_ENV_CONFIG): FORCE | $(GENERATED_DIR)
 	  | $(LAZYSPONGE) $(LAZYSPONGE_FLAGS) $@
 
 # All directories in EXTERNAL_MODULES_PATHS which have a Kconfig file
-EXTERNAL_MODULE_KCONFIGS ?= $(sort $(foreach dir,$(EXTERNAL_MODULE_PATHS),\
-                              $(wildcard $(dir)/Kconfig)))
+EXTERNAL_MODULE_KCONFIGS ?= $(sort $(foreach dir,$(EXTERNAL_MODULE_DIRS),\
+                              $(wildcard $(dir)/*/Kconfig)))
 # Build a Kconfig file that source all external modules configuration
 # files. Every EXTERNAL_MODULE_DIRS with a Kconfig file is written to
 # KCONFIG_EXTERNAL_CONFIGS as 'osource dir/Kconfig'
diff --git a/tests/kconfig/Makefile b/tests/kconfig/Makefile
index 5e73126239..89da973e17 100644
--- a/tests/kconfig/Makefile
+++ b/tests/kconfig/Makefile
@@ -4,4 +4,8 @@ USEMODULE += external_module_1
 USEMODULE += external_module_2
 EXTERNAL_MODULE_DIRS += external_modules
 
+ifeq (1, $(TEST_KCONFIG))
+  KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(APPDIR)/app.config
+endif
+
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/kconfig/app.config.test b/tests/kconfig/app.config.test
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5cf8111726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kconfig/app.config.test
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+CONFIG_MODULE_EXTERNAL_MODULE_1=y
+CONFIG_MODULE_EXTERNAL_MODULE_2=y
diff --git a/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_1/Kconfig b/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_1/Kconfig
index 6f3306d486..d15ced618c 100644
--- a/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_1/Kconfig
+++ b/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_1/Kconfig
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ config EXTERNAL_MODULE_1_MESSAGE
     default "External Message 1 defined in Kconfig file"
 
 endif # KCONFIG_EXTERNAL_MODULE_1
+
+config MODULE_EXTERNAL_MODULE_1
+    bool "Select external module 2"
+    depends on TEST_KCONFIG
diff --git a/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_2/Kconfig b/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_2/Kconfig
index 011963dcc4..a3d36cce87 100644
--- a/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_2/Kconfig
+++ b/tests/kconfig/external_modules/external_module_2/Kconfig
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ config EXTERNAL_MODULE_2_MESSAGE
     default "External Message 2 defined in Kconfig file"
 
 endif # KCONFIG_EXTERNAL_MODULE_2
+
+config MODULE_EXTERNAL_MODULE_2
+    bool "Select external module 2"
+    depends on TEST_KCONFIG