diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile
index f8fcbb53a0..83d059dc34 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 MODULE = board
+DIRS = $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.dep b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.dep
index 7de44689f6..babcd96228 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.dep
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.dep
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-ifneq (,$(filter gnrc_netdev_default netdev_default,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += nrfmin
-endif
+include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.dep
diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.features b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.features
index 32008a8330..e5a4957546 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.features
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.features
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
 # Put defined MCU peripherals here (in alphabetical order)
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_adc
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_gpio periph_gpio_irq
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_i2c
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtt
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_spi
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_timer
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_uart
 
-# Various other features (if any)
-
-# The board MPU family (used for grouping by the CI system)
-FEATURES_MCU_GROUP = cortex_m0_2
-
-include $(RIOTCPU)/nrf51/Makefile.features
+# include common nrf51 based boards features
+include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.features
diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include
index e4c6cac363..e73b42a69b 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
-# define the used CPU
-export CPU = nrf51
+# define the used CPU model
 export CPU_MODEL = nrf51x22xxaa
 
+# include common nrf51 boards module into the build
+USEMODULE += boards_common_nrf51
+
 # define the default port depending on the host OS
 PORT_LINUX ?= /dev/ttyUSB0
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART*)))
 
-# setup serial terminal
-include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/serial.inc.mk
+# this board uses an ST-Link v2 debug adapter
+DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= stlink
+STLINK_VERSION ?= 2
 
-export DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= stlink
-export STLINK_VERSION ?= 2
+PROGRAMMER = openocd
 
-# this board uses openocd
-include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd.inc.mk
+# include nrf51 boards common configuration
+include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/include/board.h b/boards/airfy-beacon/include/board.h
index c83bd8d0ee..d5c83e217a 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/include/board.h
@@ -19,27 +19,10 @@
 #ifndef BOARD_H
 #define BOARD_H
 
-#include "cpu.h"
+#include "board_common.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
- extern "C" {
-#endif
-
-/**
- * @name    Xtimer configuration
- * @{
- */
-#define XTIMER_WIDTH                (24)
-#define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (40)
-/** @} */
-
-/**
- * @brief   Initialize board specific hardware, including clock, LEDs and std-IO
- */
-void board_init(void);
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-} /* end extern "C" */
+ extern "C" {}
 #endif
 
 #endif /* BOARD_H */
diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/include/periph_conf.h b/boards/airfy-beacon/include/periph_conf.h
index 69d3f16bd6..916f3e5494 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/include/periph_conf.h
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/include/periph_conf.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define PERIPH_CONF_H
 
 #include "periph_cpu.h"
+#include "periph_conf_common.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
  extern "C" {
@@ -41,20 +42,6 @@
                                              *         2: derived from HFCLK */
 /** @} */
 
-/**
- * @name    Timer configuration
- * @{
- */
-static const timer_conf_t timer_config[] = {
-    /* dev, channels, width */
-    { NRF_TIMER0, 3, TIMER_BITMODE_BITMODE_24Bit, TIMER0_IRQn }
-};
-
-#define TIMER_0_ISR         isr_timer0
-
-#define TIMER_NUMOF         (sizeof(timer_config) / sizeof(timer_config[0]))
-/** @} */
-
 /**
  * @name    UART configuration
  *
@@ -66,16 +53,6 @@ static const timer_conf_t timer_config[] = {
 #define UART_PIN_TX         18
 /** @} */
 
-/**
- * @name    Real time counter configuration
- * @{
- */
-#define RTT_NUMOF           (1U)
-#define RTT_DEV             (1)             /* NRF_RTC1 */
-#define RTT_MAX_VALUE       (0x00ffffff)
-#define RTT_FREQUENCY       (1024)
-/** @} */
-
 /**
  * @name    SPI configuration
  * @{