diff --git a/boards/arduino-duemilanove/Makefile.include b/boards/arduino-duemilanove/Makefile.include
index a0f5e11c21..b728112919 100644
--- a/boards/arduino-duemilanove/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/arduino-duemilanove/Makefile.include
@@ -4,6 +4,5 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 BAUD        ?= 9600
 
 ARDUINO_DUEMILANOVE_BOOTLOADER ?= atmegaboot
-BOOTLOADER ?= $(ARDUINO_DUEMILANOVE_BOOTLOADER)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/arduino-atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/arduino-leonardo/Makefile.include b/boards/arduino-leonardo/Makefile.include
index e932229c56..263d22ec8a 100644
--- a/boards/arduino-leonardo/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/arduino-leonardo/Makefile.include
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ BAUD            ?= 9600
 
 # PROGRAMMER defaults to avr109 which is the internal flasher via USB. Can be
 # overridden for debugging (which requires changes that require to use an ISP)
-BOOTLOADER ?= avr109
+ARDUINO_LEONARDO_BOOTLOADER ?= avr109
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/arduino-atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/arduino-mega2560/Makefile.include b/boards/arduino-mega2560/Makefile.include
index 5745b15c7b..c8e3852dbc 100644
--- a/boards/arduino-mega2560/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/arduino-mega2560/Makefile.include
@@ -2,6 +2,5 @@
 BAUD        ?= 9600
 
 ARDUINO_MEGA2560_BOOTLOADER ?= stk500v2
-BOOTLOADER ?= $(ARDUINO_MEGA2560_BOOTLOADER)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/arduino-atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/arduino-nano/Makefile.include b/boards/arduino-nano/Makefile.include
index d7ca2b0d9d..1541ec8f54 100644
--- a/boards/arduino-nano/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/arduino-nano/Makefile.include
@@ -4,6 +4,5 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 BAUD        ?= 9600
 
 ARDUINO_NANO_BOOTLOADER ?= atmegaboot
-BOOTLOADER ?= $(ARDUINO_NANO_BOOTLOADER)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/arduino-atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/arduino-nano/doc.txt b/boards/arduino-nano/doc.txt
index ee69daa39f..46ff5fd9f4 100644
--- a/boards/arduino-nano/doc.txt
+++ b/boards/arduino-nano/doc.txt
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ available for RIOT. Refer to the project page for instructions on how to
 build an flash the bootloader. Don't forgot to also update the fuse settings
 to set the bootloader size to 256 words (512 bytes).
 
-Compile and flash with `make BOARD=arduino-nano BOOTLOADER=optiboot flash` or
+Compile and flash with `make BOARD=arduino-nano ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER=optiboot flash` or
 use `export ARDUINO_NANO_BOOTLOADER=optiboot` in order to not have to specify
 the bootloader during compilation and flashing.
 
diff --git a/boards/arduino-uno/Makefile.include b/boards/arduino-uno/Makefile.include
index 03869126c0..0d876a8d39 100644
--- a/boards/arduino-uno/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/arduino-uno/Makefile.include
@@ -2,6 +2,5 @@
 BAUD        ?= 9600
 
 ARDUINO_UNO_BOOTLOADER ?= optiboot
-BOOTLOADER ?= $(ARDUINO_UNO_BOOTLOADER)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/arduino-atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/avr-rss2/Makefile.include b/boards/avr-rss2/Makefile.include
index e56534e1db..297d084e70 100644
--- a/boards/avr-rss2/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/avr-rss2/Makefile.include
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 # refine serial port information for pyterm
 BAUD        ?= 115200
 AVR_RSS2_BOOTLOADER ?= stk500v2
-BOOTLOADER  ?= $(AVR_RSS2_BOOTLOADER)
-BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K # Unlike the Arduino Mega2560, the bootloader size is 4K
+ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K # Unlike the Arduino Mega2560, the bootloader size is 4K
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/common/atmega/Makefile.include b/boards/common/atmega/Makefile.include
index f78604ce08..3621acb1ca 100644
--- a/boards/common/atmega/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/atmega/Makefile.include
@@ -3,51 +3,54 @@ INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBOARD)/common/atmega/include
 # Use avrdude programmer
 PROGRAMMER ?= avrdude
 
+# Use atmega board specific bootloader by default
+ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER ?= $($(call uppercase_and_underscore,$(BOARD))_BOOTLOADER)
+
 # If avrdude specific programmer is not set, set it based on the bootloader used
 ifeq (,$(AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER))
-  ifeq (atmegaboot,$(BOOTLOADER))
+  ifeq (atmegaboot,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER))
     AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER = arduino
-    BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 2048
-    BOOTLOADER_BAUD ?= 57600
+    ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 2048
+    ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_BAUD ?= 57600
   endif
 
-  ifeq (optiboot,$(BOOTLOADER))
+  ifeq (optiboot,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER))
     AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER = arduino
     ifneq (,$(filter $(CPU), atmega128rfa1 atmega256rfr2 atmega1281 atmega1284p atmega2560))
       # The minimum bootloader size on these CPUs is 1 KiB (so 512 Byte are wasted)
-      BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 1024
+      ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 1024
     else
-      BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 512
+      ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 512
     endif
   endif
 
-  ifeq (stk500v1,$(BOOTLOADER))
+  ifeq (stk500v1,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER))
     AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER = stk500v1
-    BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 8K
+    ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 8K
   endif
 
-  ifeq (stk500v2,$(BOOTLOADER))
+  ifeq (stk500v2,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER))
     AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER = stk500v2
-    BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 8K
+    ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 8K
     # Disable auto erase; erasing the flash is done implicitly by the bootloader
     # and explicit erase is not supported
     FFLAGS_EXTRA += -D
   endif
 
-  ifeq (avr109,$(BOOTLOADER))
+  ifeq (avr109,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER))
     AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER = avr109
-    BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K
+    ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K
   endif
 
-  ifeq (derfmega,$(BOOTLOADER))
+  ifeq (derfmega,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER))
     AVRDUDE_PROGRAMMER = wiring
-    BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K
+    ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K
   endif
 
-  ifneq (,$(BOOTLOADER_BAUD))
-    FFLAGS_EXTRA += -b $(BOOTLOADER_BAUD)
+  ifneq (,$(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_BAUD))
+    FFLAGS_EXTRA += -b $(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_BAUD)
   endif
 endif
 
-BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 0
-ROM_RESERVED ?= $(BOOTLOADER_SIZE)
+ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 0
+ROM_RESERVED ?= $(ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE)
diff --git a/boards/derfmega128/Makefile.include b/boards/derfmega128/Makefile.include
index b9156fec90..eac4f2fd6b 100644
--- a/boards/derfmega128/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/derfmega128/Makefile.include
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ PORT_LINUX  ?= /dev/ttyUSB0
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 # refine serial port information for pyterm
 BAUD        ?= 115200
-BOOTLOADER  ?= derfmega
+DERFMEGA128_BOOTLOADER  ?= derfmega
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/derfmega256/Makefile.include b/boards/derfmega256/Makefile.include
index b9156fec90..04cd576dc0 100644
--- a/boards/derfmega256/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/derfmega256/Makefile.include
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ PORT_LINUX  ?= /dev/ttyUSB0
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 # refine serial port information for pyterm
 BAUD        ?= 115200
-BOOTLOADER  ?= derfmega
+DERFMEGA256_BOOTLOADER  ?= derfmega
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/atmega/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/mega-xplained/Makefile.include b/boards/mega-xplained/Makefile.include
index a259537114..e687e75691 100644
--- a/boards/mega-xplained/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/mega-xplained/Makefile.include
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Found by checking fuse settings (2048 words so 4KB)
 # https://www.microchip.com/DevelopmentTools/ProductDetails/atmega1284p-xpld
-BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K
+ATMEGA_BOOTLOADER_SIZE ?= 4K
 
 # For backward compatibility
 ifneq (,$(AVRDUDE_PORT))
diff --git a/boards/waspmote-pro/Makefile.include b/boards/waspmote-pro/Makefile.include
index 006b32a4b9..aa3e2956d6 100644
--- a/boards/waspmote-pro/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/waspmote-pro/Makefile.include
@@ -2,6 +2,5 @@
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbserial*)))
 BAUD        ?= 9600
 WASPMOTE_PRO_BOOTLOADER ?= stk500v1
-BOOTLOADER  ?= $(WASPMOTE_PRO_BOOTLOADER)
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/atmega/Makefile.include