diff --git a/sys/Makefile.include b/sys/Makefile.include
index f6add34d89..5832c2e7f2 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.include
+++ b/sys/Makefile.include
@@ -111,3 +111,9 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter zptr,$(USEMODULE)))
   include $(RIOTBASE)/sys/zptr/Makefile.include
 endif
+
+# Convert xtimer into a pseudo module if its API is already implemented by
+# ztimer's compatibility wrapper
+ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
+  PSEUDOMODULES += xtimer
+endif
diff --git a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
index 96fdee11dc..d616f82849 100644
--- a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_xtimer_compat,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += div
   USEMODULE += ztimer_usec
-  PSEUDOMODULES += xtimer
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter ztimer_%,$(USEMODULE)))