diff --git a/ports/mimxrt/mpconfigport.h b/ports/mimxrt/mpconfigport.h
index 224714b071..2e955fd06a 100644
--- a/ports/mimxrt/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/mimxrt/mpconfigport.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ uint32_t trng_random_u32(void);
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SPI              (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SOFTSPI          (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_TIMER            (1)
+#define MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS         systick_ms
 #define MICROPY_PY_ONEWIRE                  (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_UPLATFORM                (1)
 
diff --git a/ports/renesas-ra/mpconfigport.h b/ports/renesas-ra/mpconfigport.h
index 9336ec4add..6d40ac8fac 100644
--- a/ports/renesas-ra/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/renesas-ra/mpconfigport.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SPI_LSB  (SPI_FIRSTBIT_LSB)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SOFTSPI  (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_TIMER    (1)
+#define MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS uwTick
 #endif
 #define MICROPY_HW_SOFTSPI_MIN_DELAY (0)
 #define MICROPY_HW_SOFTSPI_MAX_BAUDRATE (48000000 / 48)
diff --git a/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h b/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h
index b3ca67caec..8e51720fd5 100644
--- a/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/samd/mpconfigport.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@
 #define MICROPY_HW_SOFTSPI_MIN_DELAY        (1)
 #define MICROPY_HW_SOFTSPI_MAX_BAUDRATE     (1000000)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_TIMER            (1)
+#define MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS         systick_ms
 #define MICROPY_PY_OS_DUPTERM               (3)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_BITSTREAM        (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_PULSE            (1)
diff --git a/ports/samd/mphalport.h b/ports/samd/mphalport.h
index 4799c575c9..d5fc935343 100644
--- a/ports/samd/mphalport.h
+++ b/ports/samd/mphalport.h
@@ -43,10 +43,6 @@ uint64_t mp_hal_ticks_us_64(void);
 
 void mp_hal_set_interrupt_char(int c);
 
-// Define an alias fo systick_ms, because the shared softtimer.c uses
-// the symbol uwTick for the systick ms counter.
-#define uwTick systick_ms
-
 #define mp_hal_delay_us_fast  mp_hal_delay_us
 
 static inline uint64_t mp_hal_ticks_ms_64(void) {
diff --git a/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h b/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h
index 2898b01a38..18521ef1d8 100644
--- a/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/stm32/mpconfigport.h
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SPI_LSB  (SPI_FIRSTBIT_LSB)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SOFTSPI  (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_TIMER    (1)
+#define MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS uwTick
 #endif
 #define MICROPY_HW_SOFTSPI_MIN_DELAY (0)
 #define MICROPY_HW_SOFTSPI_MAX_BAUDRATE (HAL_RCC_GetSysClockFreq() / 48)
diff --git a/shared/runtime/softtimer.c b/shared/runtime/softtimer.c
index 8bc9621b3d..4d96301eac 100644
--- a/shared/runtime/softtimer.c
+++ b/shared/runtime/softtimer.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #define TICKS_PERIOD 0x80000000
 #define TICKS_DIFF(t1, t0) ((int32_t)(((t1 - t0 + TICKS_PERIOD / 2) & (TICKS_PERIOD - 1)) - TICKS_PERIOD / 2))
 
-extern __IO uint32_t uwTick;
+extern __IO uint32_t MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS;
 
 volatile uint32_t soft_timer_next;
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ STATIC int soft_timer_lt(mp_pairheap_t *n1, mp_pairheap_t *n2) {
 
 STATIC void soft_timer_schedule_systick(uint32_t ticks_ms) {
     uint32_t irq_state = disable_irq();
-    uint32_t uw_tick = uwTick;
+    uint32_t uw_tick = MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS;
     if (TICKS_DIFF(ticks_ms, uw_tick) <= 0) {
         soft_timer_next = uw_tick + 1;
     } else {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ void soft_timer_deinit(void) {
 
 // Must be executed at IRQ_PRI_PENDSV
 void soft_timer_handler(void) {
-    uint32_t ticks_ms = uwTick;
+    uint32_t ticks_ms = MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS;
     soft_timer_entry_t *heap = soft_timer_heap;
     while (heap != NULL && TICKS_DIFF(heap->expiry_ms, ticks_ms) <= 0) {
         soft_timer_entry_t *entry = heap;
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void soft_timer_handler(void) {
     soft_timer_heap = heap;
     if (heap == NULL) {
         // No more timers left, set largest delay possible
-        soft_timer_next = uwTick;
+        soft_timer_next = MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS;
     } else {
         // Set soft_timer_next so SysTick calls us back at the correct time
         soft_timer_schedule_systick(heap->expiry_ms);
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ void soft_timer_static_init(soft_timer_entry_t *entry, uint16_t mode, uint32_t d
 
 void soft_timer_insert(soft_timer_entry_t *entry, uint32_t initial_delta_ms) {
     mp_pairheap_init_node(soft_timer_lt, &entry->pairheap);
-    entry->expiry_ms = mp_hal_ticks_ms() + initial_delta_ms;
+    entry->expiry_ms = MICROPY_SOFT_TIMER_TICKS_MS + initial_delta_ms;
     uint32_t irq_state = raise_irq_pri(IRQ_PRI_PENDSV);
     soft_timer_heap = (soft_timer_entry_t *)mp_pairheap_push(soft_timer_lt, &soft_timer_heap->pairheap, &entry->pairheap);
     if (entry == soft_timer_heap) {