diff --git a/sys/include/xtimer.h b/sys/include/xtimer.h
index b40f15f0ac..dae327a6d2 100644
--- a/sys/include/xtimer.h
+++ b/sys/include/xtimer.h
@@ -99,6 +99,20 @@ static inline xtimer_ticks64_t xtimer_now64(void);
  */
 void xtimer_now_timex(timex_t *out);
 
+/**
+ * @brief get the current system time in microseconds since start
+ *
+ * This is a convenience function for @c xtimer_usec_from_ticks(xtimer_now())
+ */
+static inline uint32_t xtimer_now_usec(void);
+
+/**
+ * @brief get the current system time in microseconds since start
+ *
+ * This is a convenience function for @c xtimer_usec_from_ticks64(xtimer_now64())
+ */
+static inline uint64_t xtimer_now_usec64(void);
+
 /**
  * @brief xtimer initialization function
  *
diff --git a/sys/include/xtimer/implementation.h b/sys/include/xtimer/implementation.h
index 9a567b0532..e4c376de6d 100644
--- a/sys/include/xtimer/implementation.h
+++ b/sys/include/xtimer/implementation.h
@@ -120,6 +120,16 @@ static inline xtimer_ticks64_t xtimer_now64(void)
     return ret;
 }
 
+static inline uint32_t xtimer_now_usec(void)
+{
+    return xtimer_usec_from_ticks(xtimer_now());
+}
+
+static inline uint64_t xtimer_now_usec64(void)
+{
+    return xtimer_usec_from_ticks64(xtimer_now64());
+}
+
 static inline void _xtimer_spin(uint32_t offset) {
     uint32_t start = _xtimer_lltimer_now();
 #if XTIMER_MASK