diff --git a/drivers/stmpe811/Makefile.include b/drivers/stmpe811/Makefile.include
index 66e6da5c94..656f2ec0d8 100644
--- a/drivers/stmpe811/Makefile.include
+++ b/drivers/stmpe811/Makefile.include
@@ -3,3 +3,7 @@ USEMODULE_INCLUDES += $(USEMODULE_INCLUDES_stmpe811)
 
 PSEUDOMODULES += stmpe811_i2c
 PSEUDOMODULES += stmpe811_spi
+
+ifneq (,$(filter touch_dev,$(USEMODULE)))
+  CFLAGS += '-DSTMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD_ENABLED=1'
+endif
diff --git a/drivers/stmpe811/stmpe811.c b/drivers/stmpe811/stmpe811.c
index bc0911851c..549e12dc92 100644
--- a/drivers/stmpe811/stmpe811.c
+++ b/drivers/stmpe811/stmpe811.c
@@ -46,6 +46,23 @@
 #define ADDR                (dev->params.addr)
 #endif
 
+#ifndef STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD_ENABLED
+#define STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD_ENABLED    (0)
+#endif
+
+/* The driver only works reliably with FIFO threshold interrupts if the FIFO
+ * threshold is at least 2. The reason is that all interrupts are cleared when
+ * the status is checked in `stmpe811_read_touch_state` but the FIFO Threshold
+ * interrupt is asserted again immediately since the FIFO is not read so that
+ * a new interrupt is pending. On the other hand, the Touch Detected interrupt
+ * does not work reliably for the release event if only the Touch Detected
+ * interrupt in `stmpe811_read_touch_state` is cleared. The workaround is
+ * to set the FIFO threshold to at least 2 to introduce a small delay between
+ * the Touch Detect interrupt on a touch and the first FIFO threshold
+ * interrupt. */
+#ifndef STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD
+#define STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD     (STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD_ENABLED ? 2 : 1)
+#endif
 
 #if IS_USED(MODULE_STMPE811_SPI) /* using SPI mode */
 static inline void _acquire(const stmpe811_t *dev)
@@ -194,7 +211,7 @@ int stmpe811_init(stmpe811_t *dev, const stmpe811_params_t *params, stmpe811_eve
     }
 
     /* check mode configuration */
-    if(_stmpe811_check_mode(dev) != 0) {
+    if (_stmpe811_check_mode(dev) != 0) {
         DEBUG("[stmpe811] error: couldn't setup SPI\n");
         return -EIO;
     }
@@ -257,7 +274,7 @@ int stmpe811_init(stmpe811_t *dev, const stmpe811_params_t *params, stmpe811_eve
     ret += _write_reg(dev, STMPE811_TSC_CFG, reg);
 
     /* set fifo threshold */
-    ret += _write_reg(dev, STMPE811_FIFO_TH, 0x01);
+    ret += _write_reg(dev, STMPE811_FIFO_TH, STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD);
 
     /* reset fifo */
     _reset_fifo(dev);
@@ -287,7 +304,9 @@ int stmpe811_init(stmpe811_t *dev, const stmpe811_params_t *params, stmpe811_eve
         }
 
         /* Enable touchscreen interrupt */
-        ret += _write_reg(dev, STMPE811_INT_EN, STMPE811_INT_EN_TOUCH_DET);
+        ret += _write_reg(dev, STMPE811_INT_EN,
+                          STMPE811_INT_EN_TOUCH_DET |
+                          (STMPE811_FIFO_THRESHOLD_ENABLED ? STMPE811_INT_EN_FIFO_TH : 0));
 
         /* Enable global interrupt */
         ret += _write_reg(dev, STMPE811_INT_CTRL,
@@ -341,6 +360,14 @@ int stmpe811_read_touch_position(stmpe811_t *dev, stmpe811_touch_position_t *pos
     }
 #endif
 
+    /* Reset the FIFO, otherwise new touch data will be processed with a delay
+     * if the rate of calling this function to read the FIFO is slower than
+     * the rate at which the FIFO is filled. The reason for this is that with
+     * each call of this function only the oldest touch data is read
+     * value by value from the FIFO. Gestures, for example, can't be
+     * implemented with such a behavior. */
+    _reset_fifo(dev);
+
     /* Release device bus */
     _release(dev);
 
diff --git a/makefiles/driver_with_touch_dev.mk b/makefiles/driver_with_touch_dev.mk
index 2b6afdd8c1..cf394855ab 100644
--- a/makefiles/driver_with_touch_dev.mk
+++ b/makefiles/driver_with_touch_dev.mk
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ TOUCH_DEV_INTERFACE ?= $(MODULE)_touch_dev.c
 # by default include all .c files except <module>_touch_dev.c
 SRC = $(filter-out $(TOUCH_DEV_INTERFACE),$(wildcard *.c))
 
-# only include <module>_touch_dev.c if saul module is used
+# only include <module>_touch_dev.c if touch_dev module is used
 ifneq (,$(filter touch_dev,$(USEMODULE)))
   SRC += $(TOUCH_DEV_INTERFACE)
 endif