diff --git a/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include b/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
index 5a78964016..f119139994 100644
--- a/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
 else ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   # PyOCD doesn't recognize automatically the board ID, so target type has to
   # be passed explicitly
-  FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t nrf51
+  PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t nrf51
 endif
 
 # include nrf51 boards common configuration
diff --git a/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include b/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include
index 24799c202f..d9ad7eb1cb 100644
--- a/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ else
   ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
     # The board is not recognized automatically by pyocd, so the CPU target
     # option is passed explicitly
-    FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t nrf52840
+    PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t nrf52840
   else ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
     OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= dap
   endif
diff --git a/boards/microbit-v2/Makefile.include b/boards/microbit-v2/Makefile.include
index 817c16b926..2b0afee20a 100644
--- a/boards/microbit-v2/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/microbit-v2/Makefile.include
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ PROGRAMMER ?= openocd
 ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   # The board is not recognized automatically by pyocd, so the CPU target
   # option is passed explicitly
-  FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t $(CPU)
+  PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t $(CPU)
 else ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER = dap
 endif
diff --git a/boards/nrf52832-mdk/Makefile.include b/boards/nrf52832-mdk/Makefile.include
index 6bead94ad4..31d573cb34 100644
--- a/boards/nrf52832-mdk/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/nrf52832-mdk/Makefile.include
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ PROGRAMMER ?= pyocd
 ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   # The board is not recognized automatically by pyocd, so the CPU target
   # option is passed explicitly
-  FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t $(CPU)
+  PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t $(CPU)
 else ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER = dap
 endif
diff --git a/boards/nrf52840-mdk/Makefile.include b/boards/nrf52840-mdk/Makefile.include
index f5d2d4c030..faf922bc83 100644
--- a/boards/nrf52840-mdk/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/nrf52840-mdk/Makefile.include
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ PROGRAMMER ?= pyocd
 ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   # The board is not recognized automatically by pyocd, so the CPU target
   # option is passed explicitly
-  FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t nrf52840
+  PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t nrf52840
 else ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
   OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER = dap
 endif
diff --git a/boards/pinetime/Makefile.include b/boards/pinetime/Makefile.include
index 2ce2c5e203..7702f36a50 100644
--- a/boards/pinetime/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/pinetime/Makefile.include
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ RIOT_TERMINAL ?= jlink
 
 # define pyocd as programmer to program with stlink
 ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
-  FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t $(CPU)
+  PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?= -t $(CPU)
 endif
 
 # use shared Makefile.include
diff --git a/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh b/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh
index 36b91f7d62..4d0802ea6a 100755
--- a/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('OPENOCD_RESET_USE_CONNECT_ASSERT_SRST')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('OPENOCD_CMD_RESET_RUN')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('OPENOCD_PRE_FLASH_CMDS' 'OPENOCD_PRE_VERIFY_CMDS')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('PRE_FLASH_CHECK_SCRIPT')
-UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('FLASH_TARGET_TYPE')
+UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('JLINK_DEVICE' 'JLINK_IF')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('JLINK_PRE_FLASH' 'JLINK_RESET_FILE')
diff --git a/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh b/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh
index 174cd601fb..346cec8b6e 100755
--- a/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #
 #               options:
 #               <hex_file>:   Filename of the hex file that will be flashed
-#               FLASH_TARGET_TYPE: CPU target type (nrf52, nrf51, etc)
+#               PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE: CPU target type (nrf52, nrf51, etc)
 #
 # debug:        debug <elfile>
 #               starts pyocd-gdbserver as GDB server in the background and
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
 : ${DBG_FLAGS:=${DBG_DEFAULT_FLAGS} ${DBG_EXTRA_FLAGS}}
 # CPU Target type.
 # Use `-t` followed by value. Example: -t nrf51
-: ${FLASH_TARGET_TYPE:=}
+: ${PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE:=}
 # This is an optional offset to the base address that can be used to flash an
 # image in a different location than it is linked at. This feature can be useful
 # when flashing images for firmware swapping/remapping boot loaders.
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ do_flash() {
     fi
 
     # flash device
-    sh -c "${PYOCD_FLASH} ${FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} ${PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} -a ${IMAGE_OFFSET} \"${HEX_FILE}\"" &&
+    sh -c "${PYOCD_FLASH} ${PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} ${PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} -a ${IMAGE_OFFSET} \"${HEX_FILE}\"" &&
     echo 'Done flashing'
 }
 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ do_debug() {
     trap '' INT
     # start PyOCD as GDB server
     ${SETSID} sh -c "${PYOCD_GDBSERVER} \
-            ${FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} \
+            ${PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} \
             ${PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} \
             -p ${GDB_PORT} \
             -T ${TELNET_PORT} & \
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ do_debug() {
 do_debugserver() {
     # start PyOCD as GDB server
     sh -c "${PYOCD_GDBSERVER} \
-            ${FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} \
+            ${PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} \
             ${PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} \
             -p ${GDB_PORT} \
             -T ${TELNET_PORT}"
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ do_debugserver() {
 
 do_reset() {
     # start PyOCD and invoke board reset
-    sh -c "${PYOCD_CMD} cmd -c reset ${FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} ${PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT}"
+    sh -c "${PYOCD_CMD} cmd -c reset ${PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE} ${PYOCD_ADAPTER_INIT}"
 }
 
 #
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/pyocd.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/pyocd.inc.mk
index 087ab9b118..4d38b1f909 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/pyocd.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/pyocd.inc.mk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ DEBUGGER ?= $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh
 DEBUGSERVER ?= $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh
 RESET ?= $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/pyocd/pyocd.sh
 
-FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?=
+PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE ?=
 FLASHFILE ?= $(HEXFILE)
 FFLAGS ?= flash $(FLASHFILE)
 DEBUGGER_FLAGS ?= debug $(ELFFILE)
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ RESET_FLAGS ?= reset
 
 PYOCD_TARGETS = debug% flash% reset
 
-# Export FLASH_TARGET_TYPE to required targets only if not empty
-ifneq (,$(FLASH_TARGET_TYPE))
-  $(call target-export-variables,$(PYOCD_TARGETS),FLASH_TARGET_TYPE)
+# Export PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE to required targets only if not empty
+ifneq (,$(PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE))
+  $(call target-export-variables,$(PYOCD_TARGETS),PYOCD_FLASH_TARGET_TYPE)
 endif
 
 # Add serial matching command, only if DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID was specified