diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index 37102745d2..882bb15404 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -676,20 +676,13 @@ ifneq (,$(filter arduino_pwm,$(FEATURES_USED)))
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter xtimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-  ifeq (,$(filter ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
+  ifeq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
     DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init_xtimer
     FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_timer
     USEMODULE += div
-  else
-    USEMODULE += ztimer_xtimer_compat
   endif
 endif
 
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += div
-  PSEUDOMODULES += xtimer
-endif
-
 ifneq (,$(filter saul,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += phydat
 endif
@@ -1022,49 +1015,8 @@ ifneq (,$(filter periph_uart_nonblocking,$(USEMODULE)))
   FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_uart
 endif
 
-#
-# ztimer dependencies
-#
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_usec
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_%,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_core
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_extend
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_convert_%,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_convert
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_periph,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_timer
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_rtt,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_rtt
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_convert_frac,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += frac
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-  # this is the default module for ztimer
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_auto_init
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_core
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_convert_frac
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_convert_shift
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_usec,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += ztimer
-  USEMODULE += ztimer_periph
-endif
-
-ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_msec,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += ztimer
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer%,$(USEMODULE)))
+  include $(RIOTBASE)/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
 endif
 
 # Enable periph_gpio when periph_gpio_irq is enabled
diff --git a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9e0287fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#
+# ztimer dependencies
+#
+
+
+# "ztimer" is the default meta-module of ztimer
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_auto_init
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_core
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_convert_frac
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_convert_shift
+endif
+
+# "ztimer_xtimer_compat" is a wrapper of the xtimer API on ztimer_used
+# (it is currently incomplete)
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += div
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_usec
+  PSEUDOMODULES += xtimer
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_%,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_core
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_extend
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_convert_%,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_convert
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_periph,$(USEMODULE)))
+  FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_timer
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_rtt,$(USEMODULE)))
+  FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_rtt
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_convert_frac,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += frac
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_usec,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_periph
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_msec,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer
+endif