diff --git a/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.dep b/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.dep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a348f4ade4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.dep
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# expand atmega_pcint for additional PCINTs of atmega1281
+ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1 atmega_pcint2
+endif
+
+include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.dep
diff --git a/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.include
index 3c826aa587..7abf3c2509 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega1281/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 RAM_LEN = 8K
 ROM_LEN = 128K
 
-# expand atmega_pcint for additional PCINTs of atmega1281
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1 atmega_pcint2
-endif
-
 # CPU depends on the atmega common module, so include it
 include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/atmega1284p/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega1284p/Makefile.include
index 6bd27a9343..368ebd5779 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega1284p/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega1284p/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 RAM_LEN = 16K
 ROM_LEN = 128K
 
-# expand atmega_pcint for atmega1284p
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1 atmega_pcint2 atmega_pcint3
-endif
-
 # CPU depends on the atmega common module, so include it
 include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/atmega128rfa1/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega128rfa1/Makefile.include
index 93564e8080..368ebd5779 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega128rfa1/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega128rfa1/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 RAM_LEN = 16K
 ROM_LEN = 128K
 
-# expand atmega_pcint for atmega128rfa1
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1
-endif
-
 # CPU depends on the atmega common module, so include it
 include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/atmega2560/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega2560/Makefile.include
index 07c5448328..674831f872 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega2560/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega2560/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 RAM_LEN = 8K
 ROM_LEN = 256K
 
-# expand atmega_pcint with additional PCINTs for atmega2560
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1 atmega_pcint2
-endif
-
 # CPU depends on the atmega common module, so include it
 include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/atmega256rfr2/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega256rfr2/Makefile.include
index 43c5888c1d..92250fe3c3 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega256rfr2/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega256rfr2/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 RAM_LEN = 32K
 ROM_LEN = 256K
 
-# expand atmega_pcint for atmega256rfr2
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1
-endif
-
 # CPU depends on the atmega common module, so include it
 include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.dep b/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.dep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..64d02fe932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.dep
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# additional PCINTs for atmega328p
+ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1 atmega_pcint2
+endif
+
+include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.dep
diff --git a/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.include
index 6c2b1845b9..0a24ecf028 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega328p/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 RAM_LEN = 2K
 ROM_LEN = 32K
 
-# additional PCINTs for atmega328p
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint1 atmega_pcint2
-endif
-
 # CPU depends on the atmega common module, so include it
 include $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/atmega32u4/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega32u4/Makefile.include
index c767d1f12f..9638331d3f 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega32u4/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega32u4/Makefile.include
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 # this CPU implementation is using the new core/CPU interface
 CFLAGS += -DCOREIF_NG=1
 
-# tell the build system that the CPU depends on the atmega common files
-USEMODULE += atmega_common
-
 # define path to atmega common module, which is needed for this CPU
 export ATMEGA_COMMON = $(RIOTCPU)/atmega_common/
 
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.dep b/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.dep
index efee68f6f9..d418eb3b8f 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.dep
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.dep
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# tell the build system to build the atmega common files
+USEMODULE += atmega_common
+
 # expand atmega_pcint module
 ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += atmega_pcint0
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.include b/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.include
index fe4ef3d9b9..188dc1466a 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/Makefile.include
@@ -9,31 +9,4 @@ USEMODULE += avr_libc_extra
 PSEUDOMODULES += atmega_pcint
 PSEUDOMODULES += atmega_pcint%
 
-# expand atmega_pcint module
-# atmega16u4 only features atmega_pcint0, therefore additional pseudomodules
-# are activated in each CPU's Makefile.include
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += atmega_pcint0
-endif
-
-# feature for atmega_pcint0 module
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint0,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += atmega_pcint0
-endif
-
-# feature for atmega_pcint1 module
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint1,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += atmega_pcint1
-endif
-
-# feature for atmega_pcint2 module
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint2,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += atmega_pcint2
-endif
-
-# feature for atmega_pcint3 module
-ifneq (,$(filter atmega_pcint3,$(USEMODULE)))
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += atmega_pcint3
-endif
-
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/arch/atmega.inc.mk