diff --git a/boards/common/esp8266/include/board_common.h b/boards/common/esp8266/include/board_common.h
index 90942b864d78..1392fcea24cf 100644
--- a/boards/common/esp8266/include/board_common.h
+++ b/boards/common/esp8266/include/board_common.h
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ extern "C" {
  * @name    XTimer configuration
  * @{
  */
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (0U)
-
 #if defined(MODULE_ESP_SW_TIMER)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (100U)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (100U)
diff --git a/boards/common/iotlab/include/board_common.h b/boards/common/iotlab/include/board_common.h
index a7d67c0e1e52..bf3f620bb9ca 100644
--- a/boards/common/iotlab/include/board_common.h
+++ b/boards/common/iotlab/include/board_common.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ extern "C" {
  * @{
  */
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH        (16U)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD     (6U)
 /** @} */
 
 /**
diff --git a/boards/common/nucleo/include/board_nucleo.h b/boards/common/nucleo/include/board_nucleo.h
index 47ae5a8f1079..ae4cf119e2e2 100644
--- a/boards/common/nucleo/include/board_nucleo.h
+++ b/boards/common/nucleo/include/board_nucleo.h
@@ -37,10 +37,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH                (16)
 #endif
 
-#if defined(CPU_MODEL_STM32F334R8)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (5)
-#endif
-
 #if defined(CPU_FAM_STM32F1)
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH                (16)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (19)
@@ -48,12 +44,10 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #if defined(CPU_FAM_STM32L1)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (11)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (6)
 #endif
 
 #if defined(CPU_FAM_STM32F4) || defined(CPU_MODEL_STM32F303ZE)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (8)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (6)
 #endif
 /** @} */
 
diff --git a/boards/frdm-kw41z/include/board.h b/boards/frdm-kw41z/include/board.h
index f80508cd4952..b905078f885e 100644
--- a/boards/frdm-kw41z/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/frdm-kw41z/include/board.h
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ extern "C"
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH                (16)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (5)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (5)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (4)
 #define XTIMER_HZ                   (32768ul)
 #endif
 /** @} */
diff --git a/boards/hamilton/include/board.h b/boards/hamilton/include/board.h
index 5bc11e93c096..5fe82d16a110 100644
--- a/boards/hamilton/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/hamilton/include/board.h
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 #define XTIMER_DEV          TIMER_DEV(1)
 #define XTIMER_CHAN         (0)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD     (0)
 /** @} */
 
 /**
diff --git a/boards/msba2/include/board.h b/boards/msba2/include/board.h
index ec14288a9220..ec04a03fd72c 100644
--- a/boards/msba2/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/msba2/include/board.h
@@ -45,13 +45,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #define LED1_TOGGLE         (FIO3PIN ^= LED1_MASK)
 /** @} */
 
-/**
- * @name    xtimer tuning values
- * @{
- */
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD     7
-/** @} */
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/boards/mulle/include/board.h b/boards/mulle/include/board.h
index ba396f9e5bf2..59271dd58013 100644
--- a/boards/mulle/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/mulle/include/board.h
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH                (16)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (4)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (4)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (3)
 #define XTIMER_HZ                   (32768ul)
 #else
 /* PIT xtimer configuration */
@@ -57,7 +56,6 @@
 #define XTIMER_CHAN                 (0)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (40)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (40)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (30)
 #endif
 /** @} */
 
diff --git a/boards/phynode-kw41z/include/board.h b/boards/phynode-kw41z/include/board.h
index dba1849176ea..80beb71fc642 100644
--- a/boards/phynode-kw41z/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/phynode-kw41z/include/board.h
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ extern "C"
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH                (16)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (5)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (5)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (4)
 #define XTIMER_HZ                   (32768ul)
 #endif
 /** @} */
diff --git a/boards/stm32f4discovery/include/board.h b/boards/stm32f4discovery/include/board.h
index ae9c0e650c59..fc0c4af577ac 100644
--- a/boards/stm32f4discovery/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/stm32f4discovery/include/board.h
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ extern "C" {
  * @name xtimer configuration
  * @{
  */
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD     (6)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF      (10)
 /** @} */
 
diff --git a/boards/teensy31/include/board.h b/boards/teensy31/include/board.h
index 31da950e29e2..7704242794e5 100644
--- a/boards/teensy31/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/teensy31/include/board.h
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #define XTIMER_CHAN                 (0)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (40)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (40)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (30)
 /** @} */
 
 /**
diff --git a/boards/usb-kw41z/include/board.h b/boards/usb-kw41z/include/board.h
index 7634b3806fa1..d3e2170f2f8b 100644
--- a/boards/usb-kw41z/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/usb-kw41z/include/board.h
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ extern "C"
 #define XTIMER_WIDTH                (16)
 #define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (5)
 #define XTIMER_ISR_BACKOFF          (5)
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD             (4)
 #define XTIMER_HZ                   (32768ul)
 #endif
 /** @} */
diff --git a/cpu/native/include/periph_conf.h b/cpu/native/include/periph_conf.h
index 90de7a52339f..68075ac85f54 100644
--- a/cpu/native/include/periph_conf.h
+++ b/cpu/native/include/periph_conf.h
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ extern "C" {
 /**
  * @brief xtimer configuration
  */
-#define XTIMER_OVERHEAD 14
-
 /* timer_set_absolute() has a high margin for possible underflow if set with
  * value not far in the future. To prevent this, we set high backoff values
  * here.
diff --git a/drivers/dose/dose.c b/drivers/dose/dose.c
index a7d220d933ca..4b835e3aad73 100644
--- a/drivers/dose/dose.c
+++ b/drivers/dose/dose.c
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ static const netdev_driver_t netdev_driver_dose = {
 
 void dose_setup(dose_t *ctx, const dose_params_t *params)
 {
-    static const xtimer_ticks32_t min_timeout = {.ticks32 = XTIMER_BACKOFF + XTIMER_OVERHEAD};
+    static const xtimer_ticks32_t min_timeout = {.ticks32 = XTIMER_BACKOFF};
 
     ctx->netdev.driver = &netdev_driver_dose;