diff --git a/makefiles/mcuboot.mk b/makefiles/mcuboot.mk
index c6ff736e08..611c6c7567 100644
--- a/makefiles/mcuboot.mk
+++ b/makefiles/mcuboot.mk
@@ -41,13 +41,11 @@ $(MCUBOOT_BIN):
 
 .PHONY: mcuboot-flash-bootloader mcuboot-flash
 
-mcuboot-flash-bootloader: HEXFILE = $(MCUBOOT_BIN)
 mcuboot-flash-bootloader: FLASHFILE = $(MCUBOOT_BIN)
 mcuboot-flash-bootloader: export FLASH_ADDR = 0x0
 mcuboot-flash-bootloader: $(MCUBOOT_BIN) $(FLASHDEPS)
 	$(flash-recipe)
 
-mcuboot-flash: HEXFILE = $(SIGN_BINFILE)
 mcuboot-flash: FLASHFILE = $(SIGN_BINFILE)
 mcuboot-flash: export FLASH_ADDR = $(MCUBOOT_SLOT0_SIZE)
 mcuboot-flash: mcuboot $(FLASHDEPS) mcuboot-flash-bootloader
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/jlink.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/jlink.inc.mk
index af9741807c..61abdd1290 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/jlink.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/jlink.inc.mk
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ export DEBUGGER = $(RIOTTOOLS)/jlink/jlink.sh
 export DEBUGSERVER = $(RIOTTOOLS)/jlink/jlink.sh
 export RESET = $(RIOTTOOLS)/jlink/jlink.sh
 
-HEXFILE = $(BINFILE)
+FLASHFILE ?= $(BINFILE)
 
-export FFLAGS ?= flash $(HEXFILE)
+export FFLAGS ?= flash $(FLASHFILE)
 export DEBUGGER_FLAGS ?= debug $(ELFFILE)
 export DEBUGSERVER_FLAGS ?= debug-server
 export RESET_FLAGS ?= reset