diff --git a/boards/openmote-b/Makefile.include b/boards/openmote-b/Makefile.include
index f72a87e3fd..95547fc254 100644
--- a/boards/openmote-b/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/openmote-b/Makefile.include
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbserial*)))
 PROGRAMMER ?= cc2538-bsl
 
 CC2538_BSL_FLAGS_OPTS ?= --bootloader-invert-lines
-ifeq ($(PROGRAMMER),cc2538-bsl)
-  FLASHFILE ?= $(HEXFILE)
-endif
+CC2538_BSL_FLASHFILE ?= $(HEXFILE)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/cc2538/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/openmote-cc2538/Makefile.include b/boards/openmote-cc2538/Makefile.include
index 79b0e8d2a0..8aad9c6654 100644
--- a/boards/openmote-cc2538/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/openmote-cc2538/Makefile.include
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ PORT_LINUX ?= /dev/ttyUSB0
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbserial*)))
 
 PROGRAMMER ?= cc2538-bsl
-
-ifeq ($(PROGRAMMER),cc2538-bsl)
-  FLASHFILE ?= $(HEXFILE)
-endif
+CC2538_BSL_FLASHFILE ?= $(HEXFILE)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/cc2538/Makefile.include
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/cc2538-bsl.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/cc2538-bsl.inc.mk
index 59da9006ae..acd44b79eb 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/cc2538-bsl.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/cc2538-bsl.inc.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-FLASHFILE ?= $(BINFILE)
+CC2538_BSL_FLASHFILE ?= $(BINFILE)
+FLASHFILE ?= $(CC2538_BSL_FLASHFILE)
 CC2538_BSL ?= $(RIOTTOOLS)/cc2538-bsl/cc2538-bsl.py
 PROG_BAUD ?= 500000	# default value in cc2538-bsl