diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml
index a170a76c..75a87c61 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         cp ${CONTRIB}/examples/example_app/lwipcfg.h.example ${CONTRIB}/examples/example_app/lwipcfg.h
         cd ${CONTRIB}/ports/unix/example_app
-        export CFLAGS="-DESP_LWIP=LWIP_NETCONN_FULLDUPLEX"
+        export CFLAGS="-DESP_LWIP=LWIP_NETCONN_FULLDUPLEX -DESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND=ESP_LWIP -DESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND=ESP_LWIP"
         export LWIPDIR=../../../../src/
         chmod +x iteropts.sh && ./iteropts.sh
 
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 3e71427c..c8cedf42 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ validate_opts:
     - *get_contrib
     - cp ${CONTRIB}/examples/example_app/lwipcfg.h.example ${CONTRIB}/examples/example_app/lwipcfg.h
     - cd ${CONTRIB}/ports/unix/example_app
-    - export CFLAGS="-DESP_LWIP=LWIP_NETCONN_FULLDUPLEX"
+    - export CFLAGS="-DESP_LWIP=LWIP_NETCONN_FULLDUPLEX -DESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND=ESP_LWIP -DESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND=ESP_LWIP -DESP_DNS=ESP_LWIP"
     - export LWIPDIR=../../../../src/
     - chmod +x iteropts.sh && ./iteropts.sh
 
diff --git a/src/core/ipv4/igmp.c b/src/core/ipv4/igmp.c
index b655aa3a..9d94decb 100644
--- a/src/core/ipv4/igmp.c
+++ b/src/core/ipv4/igmp.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ Steve Reynolds
 #include "lwip/netif.h"
 #include "lwip/stats.h"
 #include "lwip/prot/igmp.h"
+#include "lwip/timeouts.h"
 
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -107,6 +108,11 @@ static void   igmp_send(struct netif *netif, struct igmp_group *group, u8_t type
 static ip4_addr_t     allsystems;
 static ip4_addr_t     allrouters;
 
+#if ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+#include <stdbool.h>
+static bool is_tmr_start = false;
+#endif
+
 /**
  * Initialize the IGMP module
  */
@@ -633,6 +639,17 @@ igmp_leavegroup_netif(struct netif *netif, const ip4_addr_t *groupaddr)
   }
 }
 
+#if ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+/**
+ * Wrapper function with matching prototype which calls the actual callback
+ */
+static void igmp_timeout_cb(void *arg)
+{
+  LWIP_UNUSED_ARG(arg);
+
+  igmp_tmr();
+}
+#endif
 /**
  * The igmp timer function (both for NO_SYS=1 and =0)
  * Should be called every IGMP_TMR_INTERVAL milliseconds (100 ms is default).
@@ -641,6 +658,9 @@ void
 igmp_tmr(void)
 {
   struct netif *netif;
+#if ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+  bool tmr_restart = false;
+#endif
 
   NETIF_FOREACH(netif) {
     struct igmp_group *group = netif_igmp_data(netif);
@@ -651,10 +671,23 @@ igmp_tmr(void)
         if (group->timer == 0) {
           igmp_timeout(netif, group);
         }
+#if ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+        else {
+          tmr_restart = true;
+        }
+#endif
       }
       group = group->next;
     }
   }
+#if ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+  if (tmr_restart) {
+    sys_timeout(IGMP_TMR_INTERVAL, igmp_timeout_cb, NULL);
+  } else {
+    sys_untimeout(igmp_timeout_cb, NULL);
+    is_tmr_start = false;
+  }
+#endif
 }
 
 /**
@@ -701,6 +734,12 @@ igmp_start_timer(struct igmp_group *group, u8_t max_time)
   if (group->timer == 0) {
     group->timer = 1;
   }
+#if ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+  if (!is_tmr_start) {
+    sys_timeout(IGMP_TMR_INTERVAL, igmp_timeout_cb, NULL);
+    is_tmr_start = true;
+  }
+#endif
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/core/ipv6/mld6.c b/src/core/ipv6/mld6.c
index 087af74a..f690c3ed 100644
--- a/src/core/ipv6/mld6.c
+++ b/src/core/ipv6/mld6.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 #include "lwip/netif.h"
 #include "lwip/memp.h"
 #include "lwip/stats.h"
+#include "lwip/timeouts.h"
 
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -86,6 +87,10 @@ static err_t mld6_remove_group(struct netif *netif, struct mld_group *group);
 static void mld6_delayed_report(struct mld_group *group, u16_t maxresp);
 static void mld6_send(struct netif *netif, struct mld_group *group, u8_t type);
 
+#if ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+#include <stdbool.h>
+static bool is_tmr_start = false;
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Stop MLD processing on interface
@@ -488,6 +493,17 @@ mld6_leavegroup_netif(struct netif *netif, const ip6_addr_t *groupaddr)
   return ERR_VAL;
 }
 
+#if ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+/**
+ * Wrapper function with matching prototype which calls the actual callback
+ */
+static void mld6_timeout_cb(void *arg)
+{
+  LWIP_UNUSED_ARG(arg);
+
+  mld6_tmr();
+}
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Periodic timer for mld processing. Must be called every
@@ -499,6 +515,9 @@ void
 mld6_tmr(void)
 {
   struct netif *netif;
+#if ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+  bool tmr_restart = false;
+#endif
 
   NETIF_FOREACH(netif) {
     struct mld_group *group = netif_mld6_data(netif);
@@ -514,10 +533,23 @@ mld6_tmr(void)
             group->group_state = MLD6_GROUP_IDLE_MEMBER;
           }
         }
+#if ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+        else {
+          tmr_restart = true;
+        }
+#endif
       }
       group = group->next;
     }
   }
+#if ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+  if (tmr_restart) {
+    sys_timeout(MLD6_TMR_INTERVAL, mld6_timeout_cb, NULL);
+  } else {
+    sys_untimeout(mld6_timeout_cb, NULL);
+    is_tmr_start = false;
+  }
+#endif
 }
 
 /**
@@ -550,6 +582,12 @@ mld6_delayed_report(struct mld_group *group, u16_t maxresp_in)
       ((group->timer == 0) || (maxresp < group->timer)))) {
     group->timer = maxresp;
     group->group_state = MLD6_GROUP_DELAYING_MEMBER;
+#if ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
+  if (!is_tmr_start) {
+      sys_timeout(MLD6_TMR_INTERVAL, mld6_timeout_cb, NULL);
+      is_tmr_start = true;
+  }
+#endif
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/timeouts.c b/src/core/timeouts.c
index f37acfec..34aad13a 100644
--- a/src/core/timeouts.c
+++ b/src/core/timeouts.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ const struct lwip_cyclic_timer lwip_cyclic_timers[] = {
 #if LWIP_AUTOIP
   {AUTOIP_TMR_INTERVAL, HANDLER(autoip_tmr)},
 #endif /* LWIP_AUTOIP */
-#if LWIP_IGMP
+#if LWIP_IGMP && !ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
   {IGMP_TMR_INTERVAL, HANDLER(igmp_tmr)},
 #endif /* LWIP_IGMP */
 #endif /* LWIP_IPV4 */
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ const struct lwip_cyclic_timer lwip_cyclic_timers[] = {
 #if LWIP_IPV6_REASS
   {IP6_REASS_TMR_INTERVAL, HANDLER(ip6_reass_tmr)},
 #endif /* LWIP_IPV6_REASS */
-#if LWIP_IPV6_MLD
+#if LWIP_IPV6_MLD && !ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND
   {MLD6_TMR_INTERVAL, HANDLER(mld6_tmr)},
 #endif /* LWIP_IPV6_MLD */
 #if LWIP_IPV6_DHCP6
diff --git a/test/unit/lwipopts.h b/test/unit/lwipopts.h
index 36adf955..05b320c9 100644
--- a/test/unit/lwipopts.h
+++ b/test/unit/lwipopts.h
@@ -151,10 +151,14 @@ u32_t esp_random(void);
 #define UDP_DEBUG                       LWIP_DBG_ON
 #define TCP_DEBUG                       LWIP_DBG_ON
 #endif /* ESP_TEST_DEBUG */
+#define ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND           1
+#define ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND           1
+
 #else
-#define ESP_LWIP                        0
-#define ESP_DHCP 0
-#define ESP_DHCP_DISABLE_VENDOR_CLASS_IDENTIFIER 1
+#define ESP_LWIP                                0
+#define ESP_LWIP_IGMP_TIMERS_ONDEMAND           0
+#define ESP_LWIP_MLD6_TIMERS_ONDEMAND           0
+
 #endif /* ESP_LWIP */
 
 #endif /* LWIP_HDR_LWIPOPTS_H */