diff --git a/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.dep b/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.dep
index 68eec7c9c0..476c169f94 100644
--- a/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.dep
+++ b/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.dep
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ ifneq (,$(filter log_color,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += esp_log_colored
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter 4 5,$(LOG_LEVEL)))
+  USEMODULE += esp_log_startup
+endif
+
 # each device has SPI flash memory, but it has to be enabled explicitly
 ifneq (,$(filter esp_spiffs,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += spiffs
diff --git a/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.include b/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.include
index 446999b446..3d9e91020f 100644
--- a/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/esp_common/Makefile.include
@@ -4,13 +4,6 @@
 # use flash mode dout by default to keep GPIO9 and GPIO10 free for use
 FLASH_MODE ?= dout
 
-# SPECIAL module dependencies
-# cannot be done in Makefile.dep since Makefile.dep is included too late
-
-ifneq (,$(filter 4 5,$(LOG_LEVEL)))
-  USEMODULE += esp_log_startup
-endif
-
 # ESP* pseudomodules
 
 PSEUDOMODULES += esp_gdb
@@ -97,11 +90,9 @@ LINKFLAGS += -nostdlib -Wl,-gc-sections -Wl,-static
 # LINKFLAGS += -Wl,--verbose
 # LINKFLAGS += -Wl,--print-gc-sections
 
+# NOTE: These checks can be turned into normal conditionals when #9913 is fixed
 BOOTLOADER_COLOR = $(if $(filter esp_log_colored,$(USEMODULE)),_colors)
-
-ifneq (,$(filter esp_log_startup,$(USEMODULE)))
-  BOOTLOADER_INFO = _info
-endif
+BOOTLOADER_INFO = $(if $(filter esp_log_startup,$(USEMODULE)),_info)
 
 BOOTLOADER_BIN = bootloader$(BOOTLOADER_COLOR)$(BOOTLOADER_INFO).bin