diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index aa68fdddc1..9ddde728c7 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ CLEAN = $(filter clean, $(MAKECMDGOALS))
 
 # include makefiles utils tools
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/utils/variables.mk
+include $(RIOTMAKE)/utils/strings.mk
 
 # get host operating system
 OS := $(shell uname)
diff --git a/makefiles/utils/strings.mk b/makefiles/utils/strings.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0edb0ce85e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/utils/strings.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Make only version of string functions
+#
+# This replaces the pattern of using ':= $(shell echo $(var) | tr 'a-z-' 'A-Z_)'
+# On local tests the make version was ~100 times faster than the shell one
+
+lowercase = $(subst A,a,$(subst B,b,$(subst C,c,$(subst D,d,$(subst E,e,$(subst F,f,$(subst G,g,$(subst H,h,$(subst I,i,$(subst J,j,$(subst K,k,$(subst L,l,$(subst M,m,$(subst N,n,$(subst O,o,$(subst P,p,$(subst Q,q,$(subst R,r,$(subst S,s,$(subst T,t,$(subst U,u,$(subst V,v,$(subst W,w,$(subst X,x,$(subst Y,y,$(subst Z,z,$1))))))))))))))))))))))))))
+uppercase = $(subst a,A,$(subst b,B,$(subst c,C,$(subst d,D,$(subst e,E,$(subst f,F,$(subst g,G,$(subst h,H,$(subst i,I,$(subst j,J,$(subst k,K,$(subst l,L,$(subst m,M,$(subst n,N,$(subst o,O,$(subst p,P,$(subst q,Q,$(subst r,R,$(subst s,S,$(subst t,T,$(subst u,U,$(subst v,V,$(subst w,W,$(subst x,X,$(subst y,Y,$(subst z,Z,$1))))))))))))))))))))))))))
+uppercase_and_underscore = $(call uppercase,$(subst -,_,$1))
diff --git a/makefiles/utils/test-strings.mk b/makefiles/utils/test-strings.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e1e2059c35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/utils/test-strings.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+include strings.mk
+
+STRING_LOWER = abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-123456789
+STRING_UPPER = ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ-123456789
+STRING_MACRO = ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_123456789
+
+test-lowercase:
+	$(Q)bash -c 'test "$(STRING_LOWER)" = "$(call lowercase,$(STRING_UPPER))" || { echo ERROR: "$(STRING_LOWER)" != "$(call lowercase,$(STRING_UPPER))"; exit 1; }'
+
+test-uppercase:
+	$(Q)bash -c 'test "$(STRING_UPPER)" = "$(call uppercase,$(STRING_LOWER))" || { echo ERROR: "$(STRING_UPPER)" != "$(call uppercase,$(STRING_LOWER))"; exit 1; }'
+
+test-uppercase_and_underscore:
+	$(Q)bash -c 'test "$(STRING_MACRO)" = "$(call uppercase_and_underscore,$(STRING_LOWER))" || { echo ERROR: "$(STRING_MACRO)" != "$(call uppercase_and_underscore,$(STRING_LOWER))"; exit 1; }'
diff --git a/tests/build_system_utils/Makefile b/tests/build_system_utils/Makefile
index dc3afac78b..2b0157e028 100644
--- a/tests/build_system_utils/Makefile
+++ b/tests/build_system_utils/Makefile
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ MAKEFILES_UTILS = $(RIOTMAKE)/utils
 COMPILE_TESTS += test-ensure_value test-ensure_value-negative
 COMPILE_TESTS += test-exported-variables
 COMPILE_TESTS += test-memoized-variables
+COMPILE_TESTS += test-lowercase
+COMPILE_TESTS += test-uppercase
+COMPILE_TESTS += test-uppercase_and_underscore
 
 # Tests will be run both in the host machine and in `docker`
 all: build-system-utils-tests
@@ -39,3 +42,10 @@ test-exported-variables:
 
 test-memoized-variables:
 	$(Q)$(call command_should_succeed,"$(MAKE)" -C $(MAKEFILES_UTILS) -f test-variables.mk test-memoized-variables)
+
+test-lowercase:
+	$(Q)$(call command_should_succeed,"$(MAKE)" -C $(MAKEFILES_UTILS) -f test-strings.mk test-lowercase)
+test-uppercase:
+	$(Q)$(call command_should_succeed,"$(MAKE)" -C $(MAKEFILES_UTILS) -f test-strings.mk test-uppercase)
+test-uppercase_and_underscore:
+	$(Q)$(call command_should_succeed,"$(MAKE)" -C $(MAKEFILES_UTILS) -f test-strings.mk test-uppercase_and_underscore)