diff --git a/sys/Makefile.dep b/sys/Makefile.dep
index e15977a0bb..b24eef8d08 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/Makefile.dep
@@ -528,7 +528,6 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter event_periodic_callback,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += event_callback
   USEMODULE += event_periodic
-  USEMODULE += event_thread
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter emcute,$(USEMODULE)))
diff --git a/sys/include/event/periodic_callback.h b/sys/include/event/periodic_callback.h
index 40c9677fae..98ed61a174 100644
--- a/sys/include/event/periodic_callback.h
+++ b/sys/include/event/periodic_callback.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 
 #include "event/callback.h"
 #include "event/periodic.h"
-#include "event/thread.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/tests/event_periodic_callback/Makefile b/tests/event_periodic_callback/Makefile
index d9b69a6e4a..2d3e6c14d1 100644
--- a/tests/event_periodic_callback/Makefile
+++ b/tests/event_periodic_callback/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 USEMODULE += event_periodic_callback
+USEMODULE += event_thread
 USEMODULE += ztimer_msec
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/event_periodic_callback/main.c b/tests/event_periodic_callback/main.c
index fb07e69f55..ef4d081310 100644
--- a/tests/event_periodic_callback/main.c
+++ b/tests/event_periodic_callback/main.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "event/periodic_callback.h"
+#include "event/thread.h"
 
 static void _event_cb(void *ctx)
 {