diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include
index d2b5f458cf..b287220b37 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/Makefile.include
@@ -6,7 +6,5 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART*)))
 OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= stlink
 STLINK_VERSION ?= 2
 
-PROGRAMMER = openocd
-
 # include nrf51 boards common configuration
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include b/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
index ec21564058..7261ddd8a4 100644
--- a/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # for this board we support flashing via openocd or pyocd
 PROGRAMMER ?= openocd
 
+# This board can be flashed with pyocd
+PROGRAMMERS_SUPPORTED += pyocd
+
 OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER = dap
 # PyOCD doesn't recognize automatically the board ID, so target type has to
 # be passed explicitly
diff --git a/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include b/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
index 5d6291a0ec..dc4d2d8f58 100644
--- a/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
@@ -16,3 +16,6 @@ else ifeq ($(PROGRAMMER),jlink)
   # setup JLink for flashing
   JLINK_DEVICE = nrf51822
 endif
+
+# Set openocd as default supported programmers
+PROGRAMMERS_SUPPORTED += openocd
diff --git a/boards/microbit/Makefile.include b/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
index 66107d5fa3..a51927daf9 100644
--- a/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART*)))
 
 # for this board we support flashing via openocd or pyocd
 PROGRAMMER ?= openocd
+PROGRAMMERS_SUPPORTED += pyocd
 
 OPENOCD_DEBUG_ADAPTER = dap