diff --git a/makefiles/default_modules.deps.mk b/makefiles/default_modules.deps.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fb86b1c6b6c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/default_modules.deps.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# This files contains dependencies for default modules. They are parsed at the
+# end of the dependency loop. They MAY inlcude new modules, but this modules
+# MUST NOT have dependencies themselfs.
+
+ifneq (,$(filter auto_init_ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ztimer_init
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter auto_init_saul,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += saul_init_devs
+endif
diff --git a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
index f0bc0f9bad47..65ab1286067b 100644
--- a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 DEFAULT_MODULE += board cpu core core_init core_msg core_panic sys
 
-DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init
-
-# Initialize all used peripherals by default
-DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init
-
 # Include potentially added default modules by the board
 -include $(BOARDDIR)/Makefile.default
 
diff --git a/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk b/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
index 9fde1a721239..e0db0f771ce7 100644
--- a/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
@@ -35,15 +35,27 @@ NEW_STATE := $(USEMODULE) $(USEPKG) $(FEATURES_USED)
 ifneq ($(OLD_STATE),$(NEW_STATE))
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
 else
+  # Include late allowing them to have been disabled during dependency resolution
+  DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init periph_init
+  USEMODULE += $(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE),auto_init periph_init)
+
   # If module auto_init is not used, silently disable all of its submodules
   ifeq (,$(filter auto_init,$(USEMODULE)))
     DISABLE_MODULE += auto_init_%
   endif
 
-  # add default modules again, as $(DEFAULT_MODULE) might have been extended
-  # during dependency processing
+  # If module periph_init is not used, silently disable all of its submodules
+  ifeq (,$(filter periph_init,$(USEMODULE)))
+    DISABLE_MODULE += periph_init_%
+  endif
+
+  # Add default modules again, as $(DEFAULT_MODULE) might have been extended
+  # during dependency resolution
   USEMODULE += $(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE),$(DEFAULT_MODULE))
 
+  # Include eventual dependencies for default modules
+  include $(RIOTMAKE)/default_modules.deps.mk
+
   # Sort and de-duplicate used modules and default modules for readability
   USEMODULE := $(sort $(USEMODULE))
   DEFAULT_MODULE := $(sort $(DEFAULT_MODULE))
diff --git a/makefiles/features_modules.inc.mk b/makefiles/features_modules.inc.mk
index 3fb6eccf6f52..d6afe8b38449 100644
--- a/makefiles/features_modules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/features_modules.inc.mk
@@ -10,32 +10,30 @@ PERIPH_FEATURES := $(filter periph_%,$(FEATURES_USED))
 USEMODULE += $(PERIPH_FEATURES)
 
 # Add all USED periph_% init modules unless they are blacklisted
-ifneq (,$(filter periph_init, $(USEMODULE)))
-  PERIPH_IGNORE_MODULES := \
-    periph_init% \
-    periph_common \
-    periph_flexcomm \
-    periph_gpio_mux \
-    periph_i2c_hw \
-    periph_i2c_sw \
-    periph_rtc_ms \
-    periph_mcg \
-    periph_wdog \
-    periph_flash \
-    periph_rtc_rtt \
-    periph_rtt_hw_rtc \
-    periph_rtt_hw_sys \
-    periph_clic \
-    periph_coretimer \
-    periph_plic \
-    periph_spi_on_qspi
-    #
-  PERIPH_MODULES := $(filter-out $(PERIPH_IGNORE_MODULES),\
-                                 $(filter periph_%,$(USEMODULE)))
-  # Use simple expansion to avoid USEMODULE referencing itself
-  PERIPH_INIT_MODULES := $(subst periph_,periph_init_,$(PERIPH_MODULES))
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += $(PERIPH_INIT_MODULES)
-endif
+PERIPH_IGNORE_MODULES := \
+  periph_init% \
+  periph_common \
+  periph_flexcomm \
+  periph_gpio_mux \
+  periph_i2c_hw \
+  periph_i2c_sw \
+  periph_rtc_ms \
+  periph_mcg \
+  periph_wdog \
+  periph_flash \
+  periph_rtc_rtt \
+  periph_rtt_hw_rtc \
+  periph_rtt_hw_sys \
+  periph_clic \
+  periph_coretimer \
+  periph_plic \
+  periph_spi_on_qspi
+  #
+PERIPH_MODULES := $(filter-out $(PERIPH_IGNORE_MODULES),\
+                               $(filter periph_%,$(USEMODULE)))
+# Use simple expansion to avoid USEMODULE referencing itself
+PERIPH_INIT_MODULES := $(subst periph_,periph_init_,$(PERIPH_MODULES))
+DEFAULT_MODULE += $(PERIPH_INIT_MODULES)
 
 # select cpu_check_address pseudomodule if the corresponding feature is used
 USEMODULE += $(filter cpu_check_address, $(FEATURES_USED))
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.dep b/sys/Makefile.dep
index 53fd1ad29ba1..964c7007ae72 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/Makefile.dep
@@ -88,10 +88,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter base64url,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += base64
 endif
 
-ifneq (,$(filter auto_init_saul,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += saul_init_devs
-endif
-
 ifneq (,$(filter csma_sender,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += random
   USEMODULE += xtimer
@@ -115,15 +111,12 @@ ifneq (,$(filter dhcpv6_client,$(USEMODULE)))
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter dhcpv6_relay,$(USEMODULE)))
+  DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init_dhcpv6_relay
   USEMODULE += event
   USEMODULE += sock_async_event
   USEMODULE += sock_udp
 endif
 
-ifneq (,$(filter auto_init_dhcpv6_relay,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += dhcpv6_relay
-endif
-
 ifneq (,$(filter dns_%,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += dns
 endif
diff --git a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
index d75d73e91cd2..009271e26308 100644
--- a/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/ztimer/Makefile.dep
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += ztimer_core
   USEMODULE += ztimer_convert_frac
   USEMODULE += ztimer_convert_shift
-  ifneq (,$(filter auto_init_ztimer,$(USEMODULE)))
-    USEMODULE += ztimer_init
-  endif
   DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init_ztimer
   DEFAULT_MODULE += ztimer_init
 endif
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_relay/Makefile b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_relay/Makefile
index b9cd770f0212..bf1fce0cc015 100644
--- a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_relay/Makefile
+++ b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_relay/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ RIOTBASE ?= $(CURDIR)/../..
 
 export TAP ?= tap0
 
-USEMODULE += auto_init_dhcpv6_relay
+USEMODULE += dhcpv6_relay
 USEMODULE += event_thread
 USEMODULE += gnrc_ipv6_default
 USEMODULE += gnrc_netif_single          # Only one interface used and it makes