diff --git a/drivers/include/net/netdev/ieee802154_submac.h b/drivers/include/net/netdev/ieee802154_submac.h
index c78862962d..f91f0298e9 100644
--- a/drivers/include/net/netdev/ieee802154_submac.h
+++ b/drivers/include/net/netdev/ieee802154_submac.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ typedef struct {
     ieee802154_submac_t submac;         /**< IEEE 802.15.4 SubMAC descriptor */
     xtimer_t ack_timer;                 /**< xtimer descriptor for the ACK timeout timer */
     int isr_flags;                      /**< netdev submac @ref NETDEV_EVENT_ISR flags */
+    int8_t retrans;                     /**< number of frame retransmissions of the last TX */
 } netdev_ieee802154_submac_t;
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c b/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c
index 351e843f8f..06a41ce03f 100644
--- a/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c
+++ b/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ static int _get(netdev_t *netdev, netopt_t opt, void *value, size_t max_len)
         case NETOPT_STATE:
             *((netopt_state_t*) value) = _get_submac_state(submac);
             return 0;
+        case NETOPT_TX_RETRIES_NEEDED:
+            if (netdev_submac->retrans < 0) {
+                return -ENOTSUP;
+            }
+            *((uint8_t*) value) = netdev_submac->retrans;
+            return 1;
         default:
             break;
     }
@@ -201,12 +207,15 @@ static void submac_tx_done(ieee802154_submac_t *submac, int status,
                            ieee802154_tx_info_t *info)
 {
     (void)status;
-    (void)info;
     netdev_ieee802154_submac_t *netdev_submac = container_of(submac,
                                                              netdev_ieee802154_submac_t,
                                                              submac);
     netdev_t *netdev = (netdev_t *)netdev_submac;
 
+    if (info) {
+        netdev_submac->retrans = info->retrans;
+    }
+
     switch (status) {
     case TX_STATUS_SUCCESS:
         netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE);
diff --git a/sys/include/net/ieee802154/radio.h b/sys/include/net/ieee802154/radio.h
index f831b84e6f..14d0db7afa 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/ieee802154/radio.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/ieee802154/radio.h
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ typedef struct {
  */
 typedef struct {
     ieee802154_tx_status_t status;      /**< status of the last transmission */
-    uint8_t retrans;                    /**< number of frame retransmissions of the last TX */
+    int8_t retrans;                     /**< number of frame retransmissions of the last TX */
 } ieee802154_tx_info_t;
 
 /**
diff --git a/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/submac.c b/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/submac.c
index 518b737ea0..a824822853 100644
--- a/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/submac.c
+++ b/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/submac.c
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ static void _handle_tx_success(ieee802154_submac_t *submac,
 
     if (ieee802154_radio_has_frame_retrans(dev) ||
         ieee802154_radio_has_irq_ack_timeout(dev) || !submac->wait_for_ack) {
+        if (!ieee802154_radio_has_frame_retrans_info(dev)) {
+            info->retrans = -1;
+        }
         _tx_end(submac, info->status, info);
     }
     else {