diff --git a/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/include/nimble/npl_freertos.h b/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/include/nimble/npl_freertos.h
index 57c2db43e20..6cec8d98228 100644
--- a/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/include/nimble/npl_freertos.h
+++ b/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/include/nimble/npl_freertos.h
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Use esp timer instead of FreeRTOS timer to implement the callout. */
 #define BLE_NPL_USE_ESP_TIMER       (1)
 #else
-#define BLE_NPL_USE_ESP_TIMER       (0)
+/* Always use esp timer */
+#define BLE_NPL_USE_ESP_TIMER       (1)
 #endif
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/src/npl_os_freertos.c b/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/src/npl_os_freertos.c
index cf37b7dd531..be516ad85d1 100644
--- a/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/src/npl_os_freertos.c
+++ b/components/bt/porting/npl/freertos/src/npl_os_freertos.c
@@ -1010,6 +1010,9 @@ IRAM_ATTR npl_freertos_callout_reset(struct ble_npl_callout *co, ble_npl_time_t
     struct ble_npl_callout_freertos *callout = (struct ble_npl_callout_freertos *)co->co;
 #if BLE_NPL_USE_ESP_TIMER
     esp_timer_stop(callout->handle);
+    if (callout->evq) {
+        npl_freertos_eventq_remove(callout->evq, &callout->ev);
+    }
 
     return esp_err_to_npl_error(esp_timer_start_once(callout->handle, ticks*1000));
 #else
@@ -1021,6 +1024,9 @@ IRAM_ATTR npl_freertos_callout_reset(struct ble_npl_callout *co, ble_npl_time_t
     }
     if (in_isr()) {
         xTimerStopFromISR(callout->handle, &woken1);
+        if (callout->evq) {
+            npl_freertos_eventq_remove(callout->evq, &callout->ev);
+        }
         xTimerChangePeriodFromISR(callout->handle, ticks, &woken2);
         xTimerResetFromISR(callout->handle, &woken3);
 
@@ -1029,6 +1035,9 @@ IRAM_ATTR npl_freertos_callout_reset(struct ble_npl_callout *co, ble_npl_time_t
         }
     } else {
         xTimerStop(callout->handle, portMAX_DELAY);
+        if (callout->evq) {
+            npl_freertos_eventq_remove(callout->evq, &callout->ev);
+        }
         xTimerChangePeriod(callout->handle, ticks, portMAX_DELAY);
         xTimerReset(callout->handle, portMAX_DELAY);
     }
@@ -1061,6 +1070,10 @@ IRAM_ATTR npl_freertos_callout_stop(struct ble_npl_callout *co)
         xTimerStop(callout->handle, portMAX_DELAY);
     }
 #endif
+
+    if (callout->evq) {
+        npl_freertos_eventq_remove(callout->evq, &callout->ev);
+    }
 }
 
 bool