diff --git a/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/Makefile b/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/Makefile
index 6978deae0d..1068a95143 100644
--- a/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/Makefile
+++ b/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/Makefile
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ USEMODULE += core_thread_flags
 # TEST_TIMER_DEV takes a 0-based index to the periph_timer instance defined in
 # the board's periph_conf.h. TEST_TIMER_FREQ as an integer number which will
 # be used as "freq" parameter in the timer_init() call.
+# TEST_TIMER_WIDTH defines the timer width in number of bits.
 # Note: not all implementations support arbitrary frequencies.
-#CFLAGS += -DTEST_TIMER_DEV=foo -DTEST_TIMER_FREQ=bar
+#CFLAGS += -DTEST_TIMER_DEV=foo -DTEST_TIMER_FREQ=bar -DTEST_TIMER_WIDTH=n
 
 # this test currently fails all CI boards and native
 TEST_ON_CI_BLACKLIST += all
diff --git a/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/main.c b/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/main.c
index a45d413b93..0c67999128 100644
--- a/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/main.c
+++ b/tests/periph_timer_short_relative_set/main.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 # include "xtimer.h"
 # define TEST_TIMER_DEV      XTIMER_DEV
 # define TEST_TIMER_FREQ     XTIMER_HZ
+# define TEST_TIMER_WIDTH    XTIMER_WIDTH
 #else
 # ifndef TEST_TIMER_FREQ
 #  define TEST_TIMER_FREQ     (1000000LU)
@@ -42,6 +43,12 @@
 #define TEST_MAX_DIFF   (1000LU)
 #endif
 
+#if TEST_TIMER_WIDTH == 32
+# define TEST_TIMER_MAX      (0xFFFFFFFFLU)
+#else
+# define TEST_TIMER_MAX      ((1UL << TEST_TIMER_WIDTH) - 1)
+#endif
+
 static void cb(void *arg, int chan)
 {
     (void)chan;
@@ -65,7 +72,8 @@ int main(void)
         uint32_t before = timer_read(TEST_TIMER_DEV);
         timer_set(TEST_TIMER_DEV, 0, interval);
         while(!thread_flags_clear(1)) {
-            uint32_t diff = timer_read(TEST_TIMER_DEV) - before;
+            uint32_t diff = (timer_read(TEST_TIMER_DEV) - before)
+                            & TEST_TIMER_MAX;
             if (diff > TEST_MAX_DIFF) {
                 printf("ERROR: too long delay, aborted after %" PRIu32
                         " (TEST_MAX_DIFF=%lu)\n"