diff --git a/drivers/include/sx127x.h b/drivers/include/sx127x.h
index 386effcf67..bddce07705 100644
--- a/drivers/include/sx127x.h
+++ b/drivers/include/sx127x.h
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ void sx127x_set_preamble_length(sx127x_t *dev, uint16_t preamble);
  * @param[in] dev                      The sx127x device descriptor
  * @param[in] timeout                  The LoRa symbol timeout
  */
-void sx127x_set_symbol_timeout(sx127x_t *dev, uint8_t timeout);
+void sx127x_set_symbol_timeout(sx127x_t *dev, uint16_t timeout);
 
 /**
  * @brief   Sets the SX127X RX timeout
diff --git a/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_getset.c b/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_getset.c
index cc781802a5..9ec4bcd8c3 100644
--- a/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_getset.c
+++ b/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_getset.c
@@ -866,16 +866,16 @@ void sx127x_set_tx_timeout(sx127x_t *dev, uint32_t timeout)
     dev->settings.lora.tx_timeout = timeout;
 }
 
-void sx127x_set_symbol_timeout(sx127x_t *dev, uint8_t timeout)
+void sx127x_set_symbol_timeout(sx127x_t *dev, uint16_t timeout)
 {
     DEBUG("[sx127x] Set symbol timeout: %d\n", timeout);
 
     uint8_t config2_reg = sx127x_reg_read(dev, SX127X_REG_LR_MODEMCONFIG2);
 
     config2_reg &= SX127X_RF_LORA_MODEMCONFIG2_SYMBTIMEOUTMSB_MASK;
-    config2_reg |= timeout & ~SX127X_RF_LORA_MODEMCONFIG2_SYMBTIMEOUTMSB_MASK;
+    config2_reg |= (timeout >> 8) & ~SX127X_RF_LORA_MODEMCONFIG2_SYMBTIMEOUTMSB_MASK;
     sx127x_reg_write(dev, SX127X_REG_LR_MODEMCONFIG2, config2_reg);
-    sx127x_reg_write(dev, SX127X_REG_LR_SYMBTIMEOUTLSB, timeout);
+    sx127x_reg_write(dev, SX127X_REG_LR_SYMBTIMEOUTLSB, timeout & 0xFF);
 }
 
 bool sx127x_get_iq_invert(const sx127x_t *dev)
diff --git a/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_netdev.c b/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_netdev.c
index 329ca0f70d..c4d9667f24 100644
--- a/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/sx127x/sx127x_netdev.c
@@ -444,8 +444,8 @@ static int _set(netdev_t *netdev, netopt_t opt, const void *val, size_t len)
         return sizeof(netopt_enable_t);
 
     case NETOPT_RX_SYMBOL_TIMEOUT:
-        assert(len <= sizeof(uint8_t));
-        sx127x_set_symbol_timeout(dev, *((const uint8_t *)val));
+        assert(len <= sizeof(uint16_t));
+        sx127x_set_symbol_timeout(dev, *((const uint16_t *)val));
         return sizeof(uint16_t);
 
     case NETOPT_RX_TIMEOUT: