diff --git a/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile b/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile
index 48cf81df4e..db3f153186 100644
--- a/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile
+++ b/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST += all
 # This test randomly fails on `native` so disable it from CI
 TEST_ON_CI_BLACKLIST += native
 
-# This application uses getchar and thus expects input from stdio
-USEMODULE += stdin
+USEMODULE += test_utils_interactive_sync
 
 # Port and pin configuration for probing with oscilloscope
 # Port number should be found in port enum e.g in cpu/include/periph_cpu.h
diff --git a/tests/xtimer_usleep/main.c b/tests/xtimer_usleep/main.c
index 12949b7fa5..f54d5c450e 100644
--- a/tests/xtimer_usleep/main.c
+++ b/tests/xtimer_usleep/main.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "xtimer.h"
 #include "timex.h"
+#include "test_utils/interactive_sync.h"
 
 #define RUNS                (5U)
 #define SLEEP_TIMES_NUMOF   ARRAY_SIZE(sleep_times)
@@ -61,8 +62,7 @@ int main(void)
 
     printf("Running test %u times with %u distinct sleep times\n", RUNS,
            (unsigned)SLEEP_TIMES_NUMOF);
-    puts("Please hit any key and then ENTER to continue");
-    getchar();
+    test_utils_interactive_sync();
     start_test = xtimer_now_usec();
     for (unsigned m = 0; m < RUNS; m++) {
         for (unsigned n = 0;
diff --git a/tests/xtimer_usleep/tests/01-run.py b/tests/xtimer_usleep/tests/01-run.py
index 3766be750a..bcf0927baf 100755
--- a/tests/xtimer_usleep/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/xtimer_usleep/tests/01-run.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 import sys
 import time
-from testrunner import run
+from testrunner import run, test_utils_interactive_sync
 
 
 US_PER_SEC = 1000000
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ def testfunc(child):
     RUNS = int(child.match.group(1))
     SLEEP_TIMES_NUMOF = int(child.match.group(2))
     try:
-        child.expect_exact(u"Please hit any key and then ENTER to continue")
-        child.sendline(u"a")
+        test_utils_interactive_sync(child)
         start_test = time.time()
         for m in range(RUNS):
             for n in range(SLEEP_TIMES_NUMOF):