diff --git a/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include b/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include
index dea8f3289d71..59aff47c79c5 100644
--- a/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include
@@ -268,25 +268,17 @@ LINKFLAGS += -T$(BINDIR)/memory.ld
 LINKFLAGS += -T$(BINDIR)/sections.ld
 
 LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/soc/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).peripherals.ld
-LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.api.ld
 LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.ld
+LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.api.ld
+LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.libgcc.ld
 
-ifneq (,$(filter esp32 esp32s2,$(CPU_FAM)))
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.newlib-data.ld
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.newlib-funcs.ld
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.newlib-time.ld
+ifeq (esp32s2,$(CPU_FAM))
   LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.spiflash.ld
 else ifeq (esp32c3,$(CPU_FAM))
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.libgcc.ld
   LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.newlib.ld
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.version.ld
   LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.eco3.ld
 else ifeq (esp32s3,$(CPU_FAM))
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.libgcc.ld
   LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.newlib.ld
-  LINKFLAGS += -T$(ESP32_SDK_DIR)/components/esp_rom/$(CPU_FAM)/ld/$(CPU_FAM).rom.version.ld
-else
-  $(error Unknown link flags for ESP32x SoC variant (family): $(CPU_FAM))
 endif
 
 LINKFLAGS += -nostdlib -lgcc -Wl,-gc-sections
diff --git a/cpu/esp32/include/sys/features.h b/cpu/esp32/include/sys/features.h
index 6d01ef0f95ef..a8712f88269e 100644
--- a/cpu/esp32/include/sys/features.h
+++ b/cpu/esp32/include/sys/features.h
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 #undef _POSIX_THREADS
 
+/*
+ * To avoid type conflicts between the `pthread_rwlockattr_t` definition
+ * in RIOT's `pthread` implementation and newlibc's `sys/_pthreadtypes.h`,
+ * the macro `_POSIX_READER_WRITER_LOCKS` must be undefined.
+ */
+#undef _POSIX_READER_WRITER_LOCKS
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/cpu/esp32/syscalls.c b/cpu/esp32/syscalls.c
index aa215985a97d..dc4df027c29a 100644
--- a/cpu/esp32/syscalls.c
+++ b/cpu/esp32/syscalls.c
@@ -278,32 +278,6 @@ extern struct __lock __attribute__((alias("s_shared_mutex"))) __lock___arc4rando
 
 void IRAM syscalls_init_arch(void)
 {
-#if defined(_RETARGETABLE_LOCKING)
-    /* initialization of static locking variables in ROM, different ROM
-     * versions of newlib use different locking variables */
-#if defined(CPU_FAM_ESP32)
-    extern _lock_t __sfp_lock;
-    extern _lock_t __sinit_lock;
-    extern _lock_t __env_lock_object;
-    extern _lock_t __tz_lock_object;
-
-    __sfp_lock = (_lock_t)&s_shared_rmutex;
-    __sinit_lock = (_lock_t)&s_shared_rmutex;
-    __env_lock_object = (_lock_t)&s_shared_mutex;
-    __tz_lock_object = (_lock_t)&s_shared_rmutex;
-#elif defined(CPU_FAM_ESP32S2)
-    extern _lock_t __sinit_recursive_mutex;
-    extern _lock_t __sfp_recursive_mutex;
-
-    __sinit_recursive_mutex = (_lock_t)&s_shared_rmutex;
-    __sfp_recursive_mutex = (_lock_t)&s_shared_rmutex;
-#else
-    /* TODO: Other platforms don't provide access to these ROM variables.
-     * It could be necessary to call `esp_rom_newlib_init_common_mutexes`. For
-     * the moment it doesn't seems to be necessary to call this function. */
-#endif
-#endif /* _RETARGETABLE_LOCKING */
-
     /* initialize and enable the system timer in us (TMG0 is enabled by default) */
     timer_hal_init(&sys_timer, TIMER_SYSTEM_GROUP, TIMER_SYSTEM_INDEX);
     timer_hal_set_divider(&sys_timer, rtc_clk_apb_freq_get() / MHZ);