diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index d31ec529af..5e560da119 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -1083,6 +1083,12 @@ ifneq (,$(filter ecc_%,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += ecc
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter test_utils_interactive_sync,$(USEMODULE)))
+  ifneq (,$(filter shell,$(USEMODULE)))
+    DEFAULT_MODULE += test_utils_interactive_sync_shell
+  endif
+endif
+
 # recursively catch transitive dependencies
 USEMODULE := $(sort $(USEMODULE))
 USEPKG := $(sort $(USEPKG))
@@ -1102,5 +1108,11 @@ else
     USEMODULE += $(filter periph_init_%,$(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE),$(DEFAULT_MODULE)))
   endif
 
+  # Add test_utils_interactive_sync_shell
+  ifneq (,$(filter test_utils_interactive_sync,$(USEMODULE)))
+    USEMODULE += $(filter test_utils_interactive_sync_%, \
+      $(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE),$(DEFAULT_MODULE)))
+  endif
+
   USEMODULE := $(sort $(USEMODULE))
 endif
diff --git a/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/spawn.py b/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/spawn.py
index 1c2008a173..6061141758 100644
--- a/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/spawn.py
+++ b/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/spawn.py
@@ -99,9 +99,14 @@ def sync_child(child, env):
     # Do a child synchronization if used by a module
     modules = modules_list()
     if 'test_utils_interactive_sync' in modules:
-        utils.test_utils_interactive_sync(child,
-                                          TEST_INTERACTIVE_RETRIES,
-                                          TEST_INTERACTIVE_DELAY)
+        if 'test_utils_interactive_sync_shell' in modules:
+            utils.test_utils_interactive_sync_shell(child,
+                                                    TEST_INTERACTIVE_RETRIES,
+                                                    TEST_INTERACTIVE_DELAY)
+        else:
+            utils.test_utils_interactive_sync(child,
+                                              TEST_INTERACTIVE_RETRIES,
+                                              TEST_INTERACTIVE_DELAY)
     # If requested also reset after opening the terminal, this should not be used
     # by any application since it breaks the tests for boards that do not support
     # this feature.
diff --git a/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/utils.py b/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/utils.py
index 94a9091aeb..5f39f6b9dc 100644
--- a/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/utils.py
+++ b/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/utils.py
@@ -9,19 +9,33 @@
 import pexpect
 
 
-def test_utils_interactive_sync(child, retries, delay):
-    """Synchronisation for 'test_utils_interactive_sync' function.
+def _test_utils_interactive_sync(child, retries, delay, ready_cmd='r',
+                                 ready_exp='READY'):
 
-    Interacts through input to wait for node being ready.
-    """
-    for _ in range(0, retries):
-        child.sendline('r')
-        ret = child.expect_exact(['READY', pexpect.TIMEOUT], timeout=delay)
+    for _ in range(retries):
+        child.sendline(ready_cmd)
+        ret = child.expect_exact([ready_exp, pexpect.TIMEOUT], timeout=delay)
         if ret == 0:
             break
     else:
-        # Last call to make it fail her,
-        child.expect_exact('READY', timeout=0)
+        # Last call to make it fail here,
+        child.expect_exact(ready_exp, timeout=0)
 
+
+def test_utils_interactive_sync(child, retries, delay):
+    """Synchronization for 'test_utils_interactive_sync' function
+
+    Interacts through input to wait for node being ready.
+    """
+    _test_utils_interactive_sync(child, retries, delay)
     child.sendline('s')
     child.expect_exact('START')
+
+
+def test_utils_interactive_sync_shell(child, retries, delay):
+    """Synchronization `shell` and `test_utils_interactive_sync` modules are
+    used ('test_utils_interactive_sync' function is not)
+
+    Interacts through input to wait for node being ready.
+    """
+    _test_utils_interactive_sync(child, retries, delay, '\n', '>')
diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 917df3c8df..475c22a7eb 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += crypto_aes_precalculated
 # This pseudomodule causes a loop in AES to be unrolled (more flash, less CPU)
 PSEUDOMODULES += crypto_aes_unroll
 
+# declare shell version of test_utils_interactive_sync
+PSEUDOMODULES += test_utils_interactive_sync_shell
+
 # All auto_init modules are pseudomodules
 PSEUDOMODULES += auto_init_%
 NO_PSEUDOMODULES += auto_init_can
diff --git a/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c b/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c
index 315ffac856..406b4255b6 100644
--- a/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c
+++ b/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c
@@ -238,8 +238,7 @@ void auto_init(void)
         }
     }
 
-    if (IS_USED(MODULE_TEST_UTILS_INTERACTIVE_SYNC) &&
-        (!IS_USED(MODULE_SHELL_COMMANDS) || !IS_USED(MODULE_SHELL))) {
+    if (IS_USED(MODULE_TEST_UTILS_INTERACTIVE_SYNC) && !IS_USED(MODULE_SHELL)) {
         extern void test_utils_interactive_sync(void);
         test_utils_interactive_sync();
     }
diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
index f75b6868f1..f57b7b9eeb 100644
--- a/tests/README.md
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ default module in `Makefile.tests_common`. It can be disabled by setting in the
 application makefile `DISABLE_MODULE += test_utils_interactive_sync`. The python
 test script will adapt to it automatically.
 
+When using the `shell` module, `test_utils_interactive_sync` will use the shell
+itself to synchronize, and will not use `test_utils_interactive_sync();` function
+to synchronize. Some times you will want to synchronize before the start of the
+script and use `test_utils_interactive_sync();` function (e.g.:
+[tests/ps_schedstatistics](tests/ps_schedstatistics/main.c)). For these cases
+you can disable `test_utils_interactive_sync_shell` module in the application
+`Makefile`: `DISABLE_MODULE += test_utils_interactive_sync_shell`.
+
 
 Running automated tests
 -----------------------