diff --git a/kernel/unified/include/timeout_q.h b/kernel/unified/include/timeout_q.h
index 9aead81e966..1be213633be 100644
--- a/kernel/unified/include/timeout_q.h
+++ b/kernel/unified/include/timeout_q.h
@@ -277,15 +277,12 @@ static inline void _nano_timer_timeout_add(struct _timeout *t,
 }
 
 /* find the closest deadline in the timeout queue */
-static inline uint32_t _nano_get_earliest_timeouts_deadline(void)
+static inline int32_t _timeout_get_next_expiry(void)
 {
-	sys_dlist_t *q = &_nanokernel.timeout_q;
-	struct _timeout *t =
-		(struct _timeout *)sys_dlist_peek_head(q);
+	struct _timeout *t = (struct _timeout *)
+			     sys_dlist_peek_head(&_timeout_q);
 
-	return t ? min((uint32_t)t->delta_ticks_from_prev,
-					(uint32_t)_nanokernel.task_timeout)
-			 : (uint32_t)_nanokernel.task_timeout;
+	return t ? t->delta_ticks_from_prev : K_FOREVER;
 }
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/kernel/unified/include/wait_q.h b/kernel/unified/include/wait_q.h
index 134e3a5d31a..be2b3fcf81a 100644
--- a/kernel/unified/include/wait_q.h
+++ b/kernel/unified/include/wait_q.h
@@ -111,8 +111,7 @@ static inline void _timeout_remove_tcs_from_wait_q(struct tcs *tcs)
 #else
 	#define _timeout_tcs_init(tcs) do { } while ((0))
 	#define _timeout_abort(tcs) do { } while ((0))
-	#define _nano_get_earliest_timeouts_deadline() \
-		((uint32_t)TICKS_UNLIMITED)
+	#define _timeout_get_next_expiry() (K_FOREVER)
 
 	#define _TIMEOUT_TICK_GET()  0
 	#define _TIMEOUT_ADD(thread, pq, ticks) do { } while (0)
diff --git a/kernel/unified/sys_clock.c b/kernel/unified/sys_clock.c
index aedfb7129bd..67e05a45e70 100644
--- a/kernel/unified/sys_clock.c
+++ b/kernel/unified/sys_clock.c
@@ -225,5 +225,5 @@ void _nano_sys_clock_tick_announce(int32_t ticks)
  */
 uint32_t _nano_get_earliest_deadline(void)
 {
-	return _nano_get_earliest_timeouts_deadline();
+	return (uint32_t) _timeout_get_next_expiry();
 }