diff --git a/src/api/tcpip.c b/src/api/tcpip.c
index e9d3ad77..4dfeabd3 100644
--- a/src/api/tcpip.c
+++ b/src/api/tcpip.c
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ static sys_mbox_t mbox;
 sys_mutex_t lock_tcpip_core;
 #endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_CORE_LOCKING */
 
+#if LWIP_TIMERS
+/* wait for a message, timeouts are processed while waiting */
+#define TCPIP_MBOX_FETCH(mbox, msg) sys_timeouts_mbox_fetch(mbox, msg)
+#else /* LWIP_TIMERS */
+/* wait for a message with timers disabled (e.g. pass a timer-check trigger into tcpip_thread) */
+#define TCPIP_MBOX_FETCH(mbox, msg) sys_mbox_fetch(mbox, msg)
+#endif /* LWIP_TIMERS */
 
 /**
  * The main lwIP thread. This thread has exclusive access to lwIP core functions
@@ -91,7 +98,7 @@ tcpip_thread(void *arg)
     UNLOCK_TCPIP_CORE();
     LWIP_TCPIP_THREAD_ALIVE();
     /* wait for a message, timeouts are processed while waiting */
-    sys_timeouts_mbox_fetch(&mbox, (void **)&msg);
+    TCPIP_MBOX_FETCH(&mbox, (void **)&msg);
     LOCK_TCPIP_CORE();
     if (msg == NULL) {
       LWIP_DEBUGF(TCPIP_DEBUG, ("tcpip_thread: invalid message: NULL\n"));
@@ -119,7 +126,7 @@ tcpip_thread(void *arg)
       break;
 #endif /* !LWIP_TCPIP_CORE_LOCKING_INPUT */
 
-#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT
+#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS
     case TCPIP_MSG_TIMEOUT:
       LWIP_DEBUGF(TCPIP_DEBUG, ("tcpip_thread: TIMEOUT %p\n", (void *)msg));
       sys_timeout(msg->msg.tmo.msecs, msg->msg.tmo.h, msg->msg.tmo.arg);
@@ -130,7 +137,7 @@ tcpip_thread(void *arg)
       sys_untimeout(msg->msg.tmo.h, msg->msg.tmo.arg);
       memp_free(MEMP_TCPIP_MSG_API, msg);
       break;
-#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT */
+#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS */
 
     case TCPIP_MSG_CALLBACK:
       LWIP_DEBUGF(TCPIP_DEBUG, ("tcpip_thread: CALLBACK %p\n", (void *)msg));
@@ -249,7 +256,7 @@ tcpip_callback_with_block(tcpip_callback_fn function, void *ctx, u8_t block)
   return ERR_OK;
 }
 
-#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT
+#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS
 /**
  * call sys_timeout in tcpip_thread
  *
@@ -304,7 +311,7 @@ tcpip_untimeout(sys_timeout_handler h, void *arg)
   sys_mbox_post(&mbox, msg);
   return ERR_OK;
 }
-#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT */
+#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS */
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/priv/tcpip_priv.h b/src/include/lwip/priv/tcpip_priv.h
index b6e42935..5fc80f3f 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/priv/tcpip_priv.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/priv/tcpip_priv.h
@@ -112,10 +112,10 @@ enum tcpip_msg_type {
   TCPIP_MSG_API,
   TCPIP_MSG_API_CALL,
   TCPIP_MSG_INPKT,
-#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT
+#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS
   TCPIP_MSG_TIMEOUT,
   TCPIP_MSG_UNTIMEOUT,
-#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT */
+#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS */
   TCPIP_MSG_CALLBACK,
   TCPIP_MSG_CALLBACK_STATIC
 };
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@ struct tcpip_msg {
       tcpip_callback_fn function;
       void *ctx;
     } cb;
-#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT
+#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS
     struct {
       u32_t msecs;
       sys_timeout_handler h;
       void *arg;
     } tmo;
-#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT */
+#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS */
   } msg;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/tcpip.h b/src/include/lwip/tcpip.h
index dc060b20..404a4a2c 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/tcpip.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/tcpip.h
@@ -90,10 +90,10 @@ err_t  tcpip_trycallback(struct tcpip_callback_msg* msg);
 err_t  pbuf_free_callback(struct pbuf *p);
 err_t  mem_free_callback(void *m);
 
-#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT
+#if LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS
 err_t  tcpip_timeout(u32_t msecs, sys_timeout_handler h, void *arg);
 err_t  tcpip_untimeout(sys_timeout_handler h, void *arg);
-#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT */
+#endif /* LWIP_TCPIP_TIMEOUT && LWIP_TIMERS */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }