diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 365a3a32df..728393fab9 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -327,12 +327,12 @@ APPLICATION := $(strip $(APPLICATION))
 
 ifeq (,$(and $(DOWNLOAD_TO_STDOUT),$(DOWNLOAD_TO_FILE)))
   ifeq (,$(WGET))
-    ifeq (0,$(shell which wget 2>&1 > /dev/null ; echo $$?))
+    ifeq (0,$(shell which wget > /dev/null 2>&1 ; echo $$?))
       WGET := $(shell which wget)
     endif
   endif
   ifeq (,$(CURL))
-    ifeq (0,$(shell which curl 2>&1 > /dev/null ; echo $$?))
+    ifeq (0,$(shell which curl > /dev/null 2>&1 ; echo $$?))
       CURL := $(shell which curl)
     endif
   endif
@@ -349,10 +349,10 @@ ifeq (,$(and $(DOWNLOAD_TO_STDOUT),$(DOWNLOAD_TO_FILE)))
 endif
 
 ifeq (,$(UNZIP_HERE))
-  ifeq (0,$(shell which unzip 2>&1 > /dev/null ; echo $$?))
+  ifeq (0,$(shell which unzip > /dev/null 2>&1 ; echo $$?))
     UNZIP_HERE := $(shell which unzip) -q
   else
-    ifeq (0,$(shell which 7z 2>&1 > /dev/null ; echo $$?))
+    ifeq (0,$(shell which 7z > /dev/null 2>&1 ; echo $$?))
       UNZIP_HERE := $(shell which 7z) x -bd
     else
       $(error Neither unzip nor 7z is installed.)
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ endef
 # This is not the case on MacOSX, so it must be built on the fly
 ifeq ($(OS),Darwin)
   ifneq (,$(filter debug, $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
-    ifneq (0,$(shell command -v setsid 2>&1 > /dev/null ; echo $$?))
+    ifneq (0,$(shell command -v setsid > /dev/null 2>&1 ; echo $$?))
       SETSID = $(RIOTTOOLS)/setsid/setsid
       $(call target-export-variables,debug,$(SETSID))
       DEBUGDEPS += $(SETSID)
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/gdb.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/gdb.inc.mk
index c6691bc937..cfe06254d5 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/gdb.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/gdb.inc.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # new versions of gdb will support all architectures in one binary
-ifeq ($(shell gdb-multiarch -v 2>&1 > /dev/null; echo $$?),0)
+ifeq ($(shell gdb-multiarch -v > /dev/null 2>&1; echo $$?),0)
 export GDB        ?= gdb-multiarch
 else
 export GDBPREFIX  ?= $(PREFIX)
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/riotgen.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/riotgen.inc.mk
index 53eb93edc6..bc72e98824 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/riotgen.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/riotgen.inc.mk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 -include makefiles/color.inc.mk
 
 riotgen-installed:
-	@command -v riotgen 2>&1 > /dev/null || \
+	@command -v riotgen > /dev/null 2>&1 || \
 	{ $(COLOR_ECHO) \
 	"$(COLOR_RED)'riotgen' command is not available \
 	please consider installing it from \
diff --git a/pkg/flatbuffers/Makefile.include b/pkg/flatbuffers/Makefile.include
index 7834c14393..1a399bee76 100644
--- a/pkg/flatbuffers/Makefile.include
+++ b/pkg/flatbuffers/Makefile.include
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ INCLUDES += -I$(PKGDIRBASE)/flatbuffers/include
 
 FLATC ?= flatc
 
-ifneq (0,$(shell which flatc 2>&1 > /dev/null ; echo $$?))
+ifneq (0,$(shell which flatc > /dev/null 2>&1 ; echo $$?))
   FLATC = $(RIOTTOOLS)/flatc/flatc
   $(call target-export-variables,all,FLATC)
 endif