diff --git a/kernel/include/timeout_q.h b/kernel/include/timeout_q.h
index a8d6428c91f..75d3aa33a0a 100644
--- a/kernel/include/timeout_q.h
+++ b/kernel/include/timeout_q.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 static inline void _init_timeout(struct _timeout *t, _timeout_func_t fn)
 {
+	sys_dnode_init(&t->node);
 	t->dticks = _INACTIVE;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/timeout.c b/kernel/timeout.c
index 4d539db5ff9..4cd4c05d1f8 100644
--- a/kernel/timeout.c
+++ b/kernel/timeout.c
@@ -46,14 +46,11 @@ static struct _timeout *next(struct _timeout *t)
 
 static void remove_timeout(struct _timeout *t)
 {
-	if (t->node.next != NULL && t->node.prev != NULL) {
-		if (next(t) != NULL) {
-			next(t)->dticks += t->dticks;
-		}
-
-		sys_dlist_remove(&t->node);
+	if (next(t) != NULL) {
+		next(t)->dticks += t->dticks;
 	}
-	t->node.next = t->node.prev = NULL;
+
+	sys_dlist_remove(&t->node);
 	t->dticks = _INACTIVE;
 }
 
@@ -113,7 +110,7 @@ int _abort_timeout(struct _timeout *to)
 	int ret = _INACTIVE;
 
 	LOCKED(&timeout_lock) {
-		if (to->dticks != _INACTIVE) {
+		if (sys_dnode_is_linked(&to->node)) {
 			remove_timeout(to);
 			ret = 0;
 		}