diff --git a/tests/bench_msg_pingpong/main.c b/tests/bench_msg_pingpong/main.c
index 334038f6ff..bdbfe8208f 100644
--- a/tests/bench_msg_pingpong/main.c
+++ b/tests/bench_msg_pingpong/main.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "macros/units.h"
 #include "thread.h"
+#include "clk.h"
 
 #include "msg.h"
 #include "xtimer.h"
@@ -80,10 +81,8 @@ int main(void)
     }
 
     printf("{ \"result\" : %"PRIu32, n);
-#ifdef CLOCK_CORECLOCK
     printf(", \"ticks\" : %"PRIu32,
-           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION_US/US_PER_MS) * (CLOCK_CORECLOCK/KHZ(1)))/n);
-#endif
+           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION_US/US_PER_MS) * (coreclk()/KHZ(1)))/n);
     puts(" }");
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/bench_mutex_pingpong/main.c b/tests/bench_mutex_pingpong/main.c
index 356719fc37..bed44025f3 100644
--- a/tests/bench_mutex_pingpong/main.c
+++ b/tests/bench_mutex_pingpong/main.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "macros/units.h"
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "mutex.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "xtimer.h"
@@ -79,10 +80,8 @@ int main(void)
     }
 
     printf("{ \"result\" : %"PRIu32, n);
-#ifdef CLOCK_CORECLOCK
     printf(", \"ticks\" : %"PRIu32,
-           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (CLOCK_CORECLOCK/KHZ(1)))/n);
-#endif
+           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (coreclk()/KHZ(1)))/n);
     puts(" }");
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/bench_sched_nop/main.c b/tests/bench_sched_nop/main.c
index 0e3381985f..19bab00baa 100644
--- a/tests/bench_sched_nop/main.c
+++ b/tests/bench_sched_nop/main.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "macros/units.h"
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 
 #include "xtimer.h"
@@ -53,10 +54,8 @@ int main(void)
     }
 
     printf("{ \"result\" : %"PRIu32, n);
-#ifdef CLOCK_CORECLOCK
     printf(", \"ticks\" : %"PRIu32,
-           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (CLOCK_CORECLOCK/KHZ(1)))/n);
-#endif
+           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (coreclk()/KHZ(1)))/n);
     puts(" }");
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/bench_thread_flags_pingpong/main.c b/tests/bench_thread_flags_pingpong/main.c
index 0653cdff19..84b3ac80a2 100644
--- a/tests/bench_thread_flags_pingpong/main.c
+++ b/tests/bench_thread_flags_pingpong/main.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "macros/units.h"
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 
 #include "thread_flags.h"
@@ -76,10 +77,8 @@ int main(void)
     }
 
     printf("{ \"result\" : %"PRIu32, n);
-#ifdef CLOCK_CORECLOCK
     printf(", \"ticks\" : %"PRIu32,
-           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (CLOCK_CORECLOCK/KHZ(1)))/n);
-#endif
+           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (coreclk()/KHZ(1)))/n);
     puts(" }");
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/bench_thread_yield_pingpong/main.c b/tests/bench_thread_yield_pingpong/main.c
index 10c758a053..aa590f064b 100644
--- a/tests/bench_thread_yield_pingpong/main.c
+++ b/tests/bench_thread_yield_pingpong/main.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "macros/units.h"
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "xtimer.h"
 
@@ -73,10 +74,8 @@ int main(void)
     }
 
     printf("{ \"result\" : %"PRIu32, n);
-#ifdef CLOCK_CORECLOCK
     printf(", \"ticks\" : %"PRIu32,
-           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (CLOCK_CORECLOCK/KHZ(1)))/n);
-#endif
+           (uint32_t)((TEST_DURATION/US_PER_MS) * (coreclk()/KHZ(1)))/n);
     puts(" }");
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/leds/main.c b/tests/leds/main.c
index 0c1bb366b1..417637e1b8 100644
--- a/tests/leds/main.c
+++ b/tests/leds/main.c
@@ -21,14 +21,11 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "board.h"
 #include "periph_conf.h"
 
-#ifdef CLOCK_CORECLOCK
-#define DELAY_SHORT         (CLOCK_CORECLOCK / 50)
-#else
-#define DELAY_SHORT         (500000UL)
-#endif
+#define DELAY_SHORT         (coreclk() / 50)
 #define DELAY_LONG          (DELAY_SHORT * 4)
 
 void dumb_delay(uint32_t delay)
diff --git a/tests/periph_timer/Makefile b/tests/periph_timer/Makefile
index 5e5af7f83b..baeb9a7d94 100644
--- a/tests/periph_timer/Makefile
+++ b/tests/periph_timer/Makefile
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ BOARDS_TIMER_32kHz := \
     stk3700 \
     #
 
-BOARDS_TIMER_CLOCK_CORECLOCK := \
+BOARDS_TIMER_SYSCLK := \
   cc2538dk \
   openmote-b \
   openmote-cc2538 \
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ else ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARDS_TIMER_250kHz),$(BOARD)))
   TIMER_SPEED ?= 250000
 else ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARDS_TIMER_32kHz),$(BOARD)))
   TIMER_SPEED ?= 32768
-else ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARDS_TIMER_CLOCK_CORECLOCK),$(BOARD)))
-  TIMER_SPEED ?= CLOCK_CORECLOCK
+else ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARDS_TIMER_SYSCLK),$(BOARD)))
+  TIMER_SPEED ?= coreclk\(\)
 endif
 
 TIMER_SPEED ?= 1000000
diff --git a/tests/periph_timer/main.c b/tests/periph_timer/main.c
index 1cd0a9e39b..ac398f636c 100644
--- a/tests/periph_timer/main.c
+++ b/tests/periph_timer/main.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "periph/timer.h"
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/periph_uart_mode/main.c b/tests/periph_uart_mode/main.c
index 33e16f944b..61075a1616 100644
--- a/tests/periph_uart_mode/main.c
+++ b/tests/periph_uart_mode/main.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#include "clk.h"
 #include "board.h"
 #include "periph/uart.h"
 #include "periph_conf.h"
@@ -69,7 +70,8 @@ static void _delay(void)
          * compilers would detect that the loop is only wasting CPU cycles and
          * optimize it out - but here the wasting of CPU cycles is desired.
          */
-        for (volatile uint32_t i = 0; i < CLOCK_CORECLOCK / 20; i++) { }
+        uint32_t loops = coreclk() / 20;
+        for (volatile uint32_t i = 0; i < loops; i++) { }
     }
 }