diff --git a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/Makefile b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/Makefile
index a8586b0ed5..9e5c044122 100644
--- a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/Makefile
+++ b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/Makefile
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
 
 .PHONY: dhcpv6_server
 
-dhcpv6_server: IFACE := ${IFACE}
+# export IFACE variable to environment of dhcpv6_server and
+# test-with-config/check-config rules
+# see: https://doc.riot-os.org/build-system-basics.html#variable-declaration-guidelines
+$(call target-export-variables,test-with-config/check-config,IFACE)
+
+dhcpv6_server:
 dhcpv6_server:
 	$(CURDIR)/dhcpv6_server.sh $(DHCPV6_SERVER_PORT) $(CURDIR)/kea-dhcp6.conf
 
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-with-config/check-config.sh b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-with-config/check-config.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..bc60111fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gnrc_dhcpv6_client/tests-with-config/check-config.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+#
+# check_config.sh
+# Copyright (C) 2021 Martine Lenders <mail@martine-lenders.eu>
+#
+# Distributed under terms of the MIT license.
+#
+
+ip link show dev "${IFACE}" > /dev/null
+RESULT=$?
+
+if [ $RESULT -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "You may be able to create \"${IFACE}\" by using e.g." \
+         "\`${RIOTTOOLS#${RIOTBASE}/}/tapsetup/tapsetup\`."
+fi
+
+exit $RESULT