diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/sock/gnrc_sock.c b/sys/net/gnrc/sock/gnrc_sock.c
index 3fb8a8dab2a8..c1864a01ddf8 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/sock/gnrc_sock.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/sock/gnrc_sock.c
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@
 #if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER_USEC)
 #include "ztimer.h"
 #endif
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER)
-#include "xtimer.h"
-#endif
 
 #include "sock_types.h"
 #include "gnrc_sock_internal.h"
@@ -41,22 +38,8 @@ extern gnrc_pktsnip_t *gnrc_pktbuf_fuzzptr;
 gnrc_pktsnip_t *gnrc_sock_prevpkt = NULL;
 #endif
 
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER) || IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER_USEC)
-#define _TIMEOUT_MAGIC      (0xF38A0B63U)
-#define _TIMEOUT_MSG_TYPE   (0x8474)
-
-static void _callback_put(void *arg)
-{
-    msg_t timeout_msg = { .sender_pid = KERNEL_PID_UNDEF,
-                          .type = _TIMEOUT_MSG_TYPE,
-                          .content = { .value = _TIMEOUT_MAGIC } };
-    gnrc_sock_reg_t *reg = arg;
-
-    /* should be safe, because otherwise if mbox were filled this callback is
-     * senseless */
-    mbox_try_put(&reg->mbox, &timeout_msg);
-}
-#endif
+#define TIMEOUT_SUPPORTED \
+    (IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER_USEC) && IS_USED(MODULE_CORE_THREAD_FLAGS) && IS_USED(MODULE_CORE_MBOX))
 
 #ifdef SOCK_HAS_ASYNC
 static void _netapi_cb(uint16_t cmd, gnrc_pktsnip_t *pkt, void *ctx)
@@ -119,60 +102,40 @@ ssize_t gnrc_sock_recv(gnrc_sock_reg_t *reg, gnrc_pktsnip_t **pkt_out,
     if (mbox_size(&reg->mbox) != GNRC_SOCK_MBOX_SIZE) {
         return -EINVAL;
     }
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER_USEC)
-    ztimer_t timeout_timer = { .base = { .next = NULL } };
-    if ((timeout != SOCK_NO_TIMEOUT) && (timeout != 0)) {
-        timeout_timer.callback = _callback_put;
-        timeout_timer.arg = reg;
-        ztimer_set(ZTIMER_USEC, &timeout_timer, timeout);
-    }
-#elif IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER)
-    xtimer_t timeout_timer = { .callback = NULL };
-
-    /* xtimer_spin would make this never receive anything.
-     * Avoid that by setting the minimal not spinning timeout. */
-    if (timeout < XTIMER_BACKOFF && timeout > 0) {
-        timeout = XTIMER_BACKOFF;
-    }
 
-    if ((timeout != SOCK_NO_TIMEOUT) && (timeout != 0)) {
-        timeout_timer.callback = _callback_put;
-        timeout_timer.arg = reg;
-        xtimer_set(&timeout_timer, timeout);
-    }
-#endif
-    if (timeout != 0) {
 #if defined(DEVELHELP) && IS_ACTIVE(SOCK_HAS_ASYNC)
-        if (reg->async_cb.generic) {
-            /* this warning is a false positive when sock_*_recv() was not called from
-             * the asynchronous handler */
-            LOG_WARNING("gnrc_sock: timeout != 0 within the asynchronous callback lead "
-                        "to unexpected delays within the asynchronous handler.\n");
-        }
-#endif
-        mbox_get(&reg->mbox, &msg);
+    if ((timeout != 0) && (reg->async_cb.generic)) {
+        /* this warning is a false positive when sock_*_recv() was not called from
+         * the asynchronous handler */
+        LOG_WARNING("gnrc_sock: timeout != 0 within the asynchronous callback lead "
+                    "to unexpected delays within the asynchronous handler.\n");
     }
-    else {
+#endif
+
+    switch (timeout) {
+    case 0: /* non-blocking without timeout */
         if (!mbox_try_get(&reg->mbox, &msg)) {
             return -EAGAIN;
         }
-    }
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER_USEC)
-    ztimer_remove(ZTIMER_USEC, &timeout_timer);
-#elif IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER)
-    xtimer_remove(&timeout_timer);
+        break;
+    case SOCK_NO_TIMEOUT: /* blocking without timeout */
+        mbox_get(&reg->mbox, &msg);
+        break;
+    default: /* non-blocking with timeout */
+#if TIMEOUT_SUPPORTED
+        if (ztimer_mbox_get_timeout(ZTIMER_USEC, &reg->mbox, &msg, timeout)) {
+            return -ETIMEDOUT;
+        }
+#else
+        return -ENOTSUP;
 #endif
+        break;
+    }
+
     switch (msg.type) {
         case GNRC_NETAPI_MSG_TYPE_RCV:
             pkt = msg.content.ptr;
             break;
-#if IS_USED(MODULE_XTIMER) || IS_USED(MODULE_ZTIMER_USEC)
-        case _TIMEOUT_MSG_TYPE:
-            if (msg.content.value == _TIMEOUT_MAGIC) {
-                return -ETIMEDOUT;
-            }
-#endif
-            /* Falls Through. */
         default:
             return -EINVAL;
     }