diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 462c3ab82e..cd65dba748 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -407,7 +407,10 @@ ifneq (,$(IOTLAB_NODE))
 endif
 
 # Add standard include directories
-INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/core/include -I$(RIOTBASE)/drivers/include -I$(RIOTBASE)/sys/include
+INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/core/lib/include
+INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/core/include
+INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/drivers/include
+INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/sys/include
 
 # process provided features
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.features
diff --git a/boards/native/Makefile.include b/boards/native/Makefile.include
index 3ba0c19aae..118eb8a4b4 100644
--- a/boards/native/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/native/Makefile.include
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 NATIVEINCLUDES += -DNATIVE_INCLUDES
 NATIVEINCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBOARD)/native/include/
+NATIVEINCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/core/lib/include/
 NATIVEINCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/core/include/
 NATIVEINCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/drivers/include/
 
diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index f387da65ef..50308607e3 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # exclude submodule sources from *.c wildcard source selection
-SRC := $(filter-out init.c mbox.c msg.c msg_bus.c panic.c thread_flags.c,$(wildcard *.c))
+SRC := $(filter-out mbox.c msg.c msg_bus.c thread_flags.c,$(wildcard *.c))
 
 # enable submodules
 SUBMODULES := 1
diff --git a/core/lib/Makefile b/core/lib/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43b65f5209
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/lib/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+MODULE = core_lib
+
+# enable submodules
+SUBMODULES := 1
+# set this so the panic and init code is available as "core_panic" and "core_init"
+# instead of "core_lib_..."
+BASE_MODULE = core
+
+# exclude submodule sources from *.c wildcard source selection
+SRC := $(filter-out panic.c init.c,$(wildcard *.c))
+
+include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/core/assert.c b/core/lib/assert.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/assert.c
rename to core/lib/assert.c
diff --git a/core/atomic_c11.c b/core/lib/atomic_c11.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/atomic_c11.c
rename to core/lib/atomic_c11.c
diff --git a/core/atomic_sync.c b/core/lib/atomic_sync.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/atomic_sync.c
rename to core/lib/atomic_sync.c
diff --git a/core/bitarithm.c b/core/lib/bitarithm.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/bitarithm.c
rename to core/lib/bitarithm.c
diff --git a/core/clist.c b/core/lib/clist.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/clist.c
rename to core/lib/clist.c
diff --git a/core/include/assert.h b/core/lib/include/assert.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/assert.h
rename to core/lib/include/assert.h
diff --git a/core/include/bitarithm.h b/core/lib/include/bitarithm.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/bitarithm.h
rename to core/lib/include/bitarithm.h
diff --git a/core/include/cib.h b/core/lib/include/cib.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/cib.h
rename to core/lib/include/cib.h
diff --git a/core/include/clist.h b/core/lib/include/clist.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/clist.h
rename to core/lib/include/clist.h
diff --git a/core/include/debug.h b/core/lib/include/debug.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/debug.h
rename to core/lib/include/debug.h
diff --git a/core/include/irq.h b/core/lib/include/irq.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/irq.h
rename to core/lib/include/irq.h
diff --git a/core/include/kernel_defines.h b/core/lib/include/kernel_defines.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/kernel_defines.h
rename to core/lib/include/kernel_defines.h
diff --git a/core/include/kernel_init.h b/core/lib/include/kernel_init.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/kernel_init.h
rename to core/lib/include/kernel_init.h
diff --git a/core/include/list.h b/core/lib/include/list.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/list.h
rename to core/lib/include/list.h
diff --git a/core/include/log.h b/core/lib/include/log.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/log.h
rename to core/lib/include/log.h
diff --git a/core/include/macros/units.h b/core/lib/include/macros/units.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/macros/units.h
rename to core/lib/include/macros/units.h
diff --git a/core/include/macros/xtstr.h b/core/lib/include/macros/xtstr.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/macros/xtstr.h
rename to core/lib/include/macros/xtstr.h
diff --git a/core/include/panic.h b/core/lib/include/panic.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/panic.h
rename to core/lib/include/panic.h
diff --git a/core/include/priority_queue.h b/core/lib/include/priority_queue.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/priority_queue.h
rename to core/lib/include/priority_queue.h
diff --git a/core/include/ringbuffer.h b/core/lib/include/ringbuffer.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/ringbuffer.h
rename to core/lib/include/ringbuffer.h
diff --git a/core/include/rmutex.h b/core/lib/include/rmutex.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/rmutex.h
rename to core/lib/include/rmutex.h
diff --git a/core/include/thread_config.h b/core/lib/include/thread_config.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/thread_config.h
rename to core/lib/include/thread_config.h
diff --git a/core/include/xfa.h b/core/lib/include/xfa.h
similarity index 100%
rename from core/include/xfa.h
rename to core/lib/include/xfa.h
diff --git a/core/init.c b/core/lib/init.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/init.c
rename to core/lib/init.c
diff --git a/core/panic.c b/core/lib/panic.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/panic.c
rename to core/lib/panic.c
diff --git a/core/priority_queue.c b/core/lib/priority_queue.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/priority_queue.c
rename to core/lib/priority_queue.c
diff --git a/core/ringbuffer.c b/core/lib/ringbuffer.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/ringbuffer.c
rename to core/lib/ringbuffer.c
diff --git a/core/rmutex.c b/core/lib/rmutex.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/rmutex.c
rename to core/lib/rmutex.c
diff --git a/makefiles/application.inc.mk b/makefiles/application.inc.mk
index 68e867f268..0460b057c1 100644
--- a/makefiles/application.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/application.inc.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 MODULE = $(APPLICATION_MODULE)
 
 DIRS += $(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU) $(BOARDDIR)
-DIRS += $(RIOTBASE)/core $(RIOTBASE)/drivers $(RIOTBASE)/sys
+DIRS += $(RIOTBASE)/core $(RIOTBASE)/core/lib $(RIOTBASE)/drivers $(RIOTBASE)/sys
 
 # For regular modules, adding files to BLOBS to their Makefile is sufficient to
 # create the corresponding headers.
diff --git a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
index 74849bbbab..8e3f6b21df 100644
--- a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-DEFAULT_MODULE += board board_common_init cpu core core_init core_msg core_panic sys
+DEFAULT_MODULE += board board_common_init \
+                  cpu \
+                  core core_init core_lib core_msg core_panic \
+                  sys
 
 # Include potentially added default modules by the board
 -include $(BOARDDIR)/Makefile.default
diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 2531e39681..94ce28ad20 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -274,6 +274,9 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += ztimer64_%
 ## configuration header board.h. These can be found out by running tests/ztimer_overhead
 PSEUDOMODULES += ztimer_auto_adjust
 
+# core_lib is not a submodule
+NO_PSEUDOMODULES += core_lib
+
 # ztimer's main module is called "ztimer_core"
 NO_PSEUDOMODULES += ztimer_core
 NO_PSEUDOMODULES += netdev_ieee802154_submac