diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index 7a39984d2b02d9b4c4fb765b27646c77cc083609..51d867b6b05e6c947bcbecd570f3579303c2e5f5 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -366,3 +366,7 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter pcd8544,$(USEMODULE)))
     USEMODULE += xtimer
 endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter nvram_spi,$(USEMODULE)))
+    USEMODULE += xtimer
+endif
diff --git a/drivers/nvram_spi/nvram-spi.c b/drivers/nvram_spi/nvram-spi.c
index 441dc4ab131cc62cb65c92e0f9a84c9fb135ef6a..941e2c42d71c77f8f728fee1838552c32f58be42 100644
--- a/drivers/nvram_spi/nvram-spi.c
+++ b/drivers/nvram_spi/nvram-spi.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #include "byteorder.h"
 #include "periph/spi.h"
 #include "periph/gpio.h"
-#include "hwtimer.h"
+#include "xtimer.h"
 
 /**
  * @ingroup     nvram
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static int nvram_spi_write(nvram_t *dev, uint8_t *src, uint32_t dst, size_t len)
     }
     /* Release CS */
     gpio_set(spi_dev->cs);
-    hwtimer_spin(NVRAM_SPI_CS_TOGGLE_TICKS);
+    xtimer_spin(NVRAM_SPI_CS_TOGGLE_TICKS);
     /* Re-assert CS */
     gpio_clear(spi_dev->cs);
     /* Write command and address */
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ static int nvram_spi_write_9bit_addr(nvram_t *dev, uint8_t *src, uint32_t dst, s
         return status;
     }
     gpio_set(spi_dev->cs);
-    hwtimer_spin(NVRAM_SPI_CS_TOGGLE_TICKS);
+    xtimer_spin(NVRAM_SPI_CS_TOGGLE_TICKS);
     gpio_clear(spi_dev->cs);
     /* Write command and address */
     status = spi_transfer_reg(spi_dev->spi, cmd, addr, NULL);