diff --git a/components/esp_event/esp_event.c b/components/esp_event/esp_event.c
index 4edb3ff2da..3925787b2b 100644
--- a/components/esp_event/esp_event.c
+++ b/components/esp_event/esp_event.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static void handler_execute(esp_event_loop_instance_t* loop, esp_event_handler_n
 
     (*(handler->handler_ctx->handler))(handler->handler_ctx->arg, post.base, post.id, data_ptr);
 #else
-    (*(handler->handler_ctx->handler))(handler->handler_ctx->arg, post.base, post.id, post.data);
+    (*(handler->handler_ctx->handler))(handler->handler_ctx->arg, post.base, post.id, post.data.ptr);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ESP_EVENT_LOOP_PROFILING
@@ -438,14 +438,11 @@ static void loop_node_remove_all_handler(esp_event_loop_node_t* loop_node)
 static void inline __attribute__((always_inline)) post_instance_delete(esp_event_post_instance_t* post)
 {
 #if CONFIG_ESP_EVENT_POST_FROM_ISR
-    if (post->data_allocated && post->data.ptr) {
+    if (post->data_allocated)
+#endif
+    {
         free(post->data.ptr);
     }
-#else
-    if (post->data) {
-        free(post->data);
-    }
-#endif
     memset(post, 0, sizeof(*post));
 }
 
@@ -944,12 +941,10 @@ esp_err_t esp_event_post_to(esp_event_loop_handle_t event_loop, esp_event_base_t
         }
 
         memcpy(event_data_copy, event_data, event_data_size);
-#if CONFIG_ESP_EVENT_POST_FROM_ISR
         post.data.ptr = event_data_copy;
+#if CONFIG_ESP_EVENT_POST_FROM_ISR
         post.data_allocated = true;
         post.data_set = true;
-#else
-        post.data = event_data_copy;
 #endif
     }
     post.base = event_base;
diff --git a/components/esp_event/private_include/esp_event_internal.h b/components/esp_event/private_include/esp_event_internal.h
index f7b1612996..76304c689c 100644
--- a/components/esp_event/private_include/esp_event_internal.h
+++ b/components/esp_event/private_include/esp_event_internal.h
@@ -91,14 +91,10 @@ typedef struct esp_event_remove_handler_context_t {
     bool legacy;                                                    /**< Set to true when the handler unregistration request was made from legacy code */
 } esp_event_remove_handler_context_t;
 
-#if CONFIG_ESP_EVENT_POST_FROM_ISR
 typedef union esp_event_post_data {
     uint32_t val;
     void *ptr;
 } esp_event_post_data_t;
-#else
-typedef void* esp_event_post_data_t;
-#endif
 
 /// Event posted to the event queue
 typedef struct esp_event_post_instance {
diff --git a/components/esp_event/test_apps/main/test_event_common.cpp b/components/esp_event/test_apps/main/test_event_common.cpp
index 569b97902e..37b656275b 100644
--- a/components/esp_event/test_apps/main/test_event_common.cpp
+++ b/components/esp_event/test_apps/main/test_event_common.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include "inttypes.h"
 #include "sdkconfig.h"
 #include "freertos/FreeRTOS.h"
 #include "freertos/task.h"
diff --git a/components/esp_event/test_apps/sdkconfig.ci.no_isr_post b/components/esp_event/test_apps/sdkconfig.ci.no_isr_post
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b0464b258
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esp_event/test_apps/sdkconfig.ci.no_isr_post
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# This configuration checks the event loop if posting from ISR is disabled
+CONFIG_ESP_TASK_WDT_INIT=n
+CONFIG_POST_EVENTS_FROM_ISR=n