diff --git a/examples/benchmark_udp/Makefile b/examples/benchmark_udp/Makefile
index f895c45c01..91a80e33a1 100644
--- a/examples/benchmark_udp/Makefile
+++ b/examples/benchmark_udp/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ ifeq (0,$(LWIP))
   USEMODULE += gnrc_ipv6_default
 else
   USEMODULE += lwip_ipv6
-  USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
 endif
 
 # Add also the shell, some shell commands
diff --git a/examples/gcoap/Makefile b/examples/gcoap/Makefile
index 93bfc25e1b..6709318142 100644
--- a/examples/gcoap/Makefile
+++ b/examples/gcoap/Makefile
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ ifeq (,$(filter 1, $(LWIP_IPV4) $(LWIP_IPV6)))
   # Additional networking modules that can be dropped if not needed
   USEMODULE += gnrc_icmpv6_echo
 else
-  USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
-
   ifeq (1,$(LWIP_IPV4))
     USEMODULE += ipv4_addr
 
diff --git a/examples/gcoap_dtls/Makefile b/examples/gcoap_dtls/Makefile
index ce1ee3396b..c5b2a4630d 100644
--- a/examples/gcoap_dtls/Makefile
+++ b/examples/gcoap_dtls/Makefile
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ ifeq (,$(filter 1, $(LWIP_IPV4) $(LWIP_IPV6)))
   # Additional networking modules that can be dropped if not needed
   USEMODULE += gnrc_icmpv6_echo
 else
-  USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
-
   ifeq (1,$(LWIP_IPV4))
     USEMODULE += ipv4_addr
 
diff --git a/examples/paho-mqtt/Makefile.lwip b/examples/paho-mqtt/Makefile.lwip
index fe16608954..1ad78897c8 100644
--- a/examples/paho-mqtt/Makefile.lwip
+++ b/examples/paho-mqtt/Makefile.lwip
@@ -20,6 +20,5 @@ ifneq (0,$(LWIP_IPV6))
 endif
 
 ifneq (0,$(USE_LWIP))
-  USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
   USEMODULE += lwip
 endif
diff --git a/examples/telnet_server/Makefile b/examples/telnet_server/Makefile
index a865188ddf..468d171438 100644
--- a/examples/telnet_server/Makefile
+++ b/examples/telnet_server/Makefile
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ ifeq (0,$(LWIP))
   USEMODULE += gnrc_icmpv6_echo
 else
   USEMODULE += lwip_ipv6
-  USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
 endif
 
 USEMODULE += netutils
diff --git a/pkg/lwip/Makefile.dep b/pkg/lwip/Makefile.dep
index d040e64f1c..0574301ead 100644
--- a/pkg/lwip/Makefile.dep
+++ b/pkg/lwip/Makefile.dep
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ ifneq (,$(filter lwip_dhcp_auto,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += lwip_dhcp
 endif
 
+# if an actual netdev is used, we need lwip_netdev to integrate it
+ifneq (,$(filter lwip_ethernet lwip_sixlowpan,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter netif,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += fmt
 endif
diff --git a/tests/pkg/lwip/Makefile b/tests/pkg/lwip/Makefile
index c129757ac7..a5b5baff56 100644
--- a/tests/pkg/lwip/Makefile
+++ b/tests/pkg/lwip/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ ifneq (0, $(LWIP_IPV6))
 endif
 
 # including lwip_ipv6_mld would currently break this test on at86rf2xx radios
-USEMODULE += lwip lwip_netdev
+USEMODULE += lwip
 USEMODULE += lwip_udp
 USEMODULE += lwip_tcp
 USEMODULE += sock_async_event
diff --git a/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_ip/Makefile b/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_ip/Makefile
index 7c3ca41fd2..8312e51f4d 100644
--- a/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_ip/Makefile
+++ b/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_ip/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ endif
 
 USEMODULE += inet_csum
 USEMODULE += l2util
-USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
 USEMODULE += netdev_eth
 USEMODULE += netdev_test
 USEMODULE += ps
diff --git a/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_tcp/Makefile b/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_tcp/Makefile
index 0454f9cc76..558ce04afb 100644
--- a/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_tcp/Makefile
+++ b/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_tcp/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ ifneq (0, $(LWIP_IPV6))
 endif
 
 USEMODULE += inet_csum
-USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
 USEMODULE += netdev_eth
 USEMODULE += netdev_test
 USEMODULE += ps
diff --git a/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_udp/Makefile b/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_udp/Makefile
index 0712df9d69..cae1e23d14 100644
--- a/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_udp/Makefile
+++ b/tests/pkg/lwip_sock_udp/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ endif
 
 USEMODULE += inet_csum
 USEMODULE += l2util
-USEMODULE += lwip_netdev
 USEMODULE += netdev_eth
 USEMODULE += netdev_test
 USEMODULE += ps