diff --git a/cpu/nrf52/periph/usbdev.c b/cpu/nrf52/periph/usbdev.c
index 2cc8ba7024..8e0b0a6be9 100644
--- a/cpu/nrf52/periph/usbdev.c
+++ b/cpu/nrf52/periph/usbdev.c
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
  * @author      Koen Zandberg <koen@bergzand.net>
  * @}
  */
+
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <errno.h>
diff --git a/cpu/sam0_common/periph/usbdev.c b/cpu/sam0_common/periph/usbdev.c
index 23836a4a2b..9230371cfe 100644
--- a/cpu/sam0_common/periph/usbdev.c
+++ b/cpu/sam0_common/periph/usbdev.c
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
  * @author  Koen Zandberg <koen@bergzand.net>
  * @}
  */
+
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <errno.h>
diff --git a/drivers/periph_common/init.c b/drivers/periph_common/init.c
index 73aeb4c499..099776e48c 100644
--- a/drivers/periph_common/init.c
+++ b/drivers/periph_common/init.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #ifdef MODULE_PERIPH_I2C
 #include "periph/i2c.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_cdcecm.c b/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_cdcecm.c
index 5bf9e2229c..617e85b2a4 100644
--- a/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_cdcecm.c
+++ b/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_cdcecm.c
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #ifdef MODULE_USBUS_CDC_ECM
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include "log.h"
 #include "usb/usbus/cdc/ecm.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ethernet.h"
diff --git a/sys/auto_init/usb/auto_init_usb.c b/sys/auto_init/usb/auto_init_usb.c
index 5c84350059..dfcabbd5d3 100644
--- a/sys/auto_init/usb/auto_init_usb.c
+++ b/sys/auto_init/usb/auto_init_usb.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include "usb/usbus.h"
 
 #ifdef MODULE_USBUS_CDC_ECM
diff --git a/sys/include/usb.h b/sys/include/usb.h
index 77abd1aed9..30848cb4fd 100644
--- a/sys/include/usb.h
+++ b/sys/include/usb.h
@@ -29,18 +29,26 @@ extern "C" {
  * @ingroup config
  * @{
  */
+
+#if !(defined(CONFIG_USB_VID) && defined(CONFIG_USB_PID))
+#ifdef USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+/* Reserved for RIOT standard peripherals as per http://pid.codes/1209/7D00/ */
+#define CONFIG_USB_VID (0x1209)
+#define CONFIG_USB_PID (0x7D00)
+#else
+#error Please configure your vendor and product IDs. For development, you may \
+    set CONFIG_USB_VID=0x1209 CONFIG_USB_PID=0x7D01.
+#endif
+#endif
+
 /**
  * @brief USB peripheral device vendor ID
  *
  * @note You must provide your own VID/PID combination when manufacturing a
  * device with USB.
  */
-#ifndef CONFIG_USB_VID
 #ifdef DOXYGEN
 #define CONFIG_USB_VID
-#else
-#error  Please supply your vendor ID by setting CONFIG_USB_VID
-#endif
 #endif
 
 /**
@@ -49,12 +57,8 @@ extern "C" {
  * @note You must provide your own VID/PID combination when manufacturing a
  * device with USB.
  */
-#ifndef CONFIG_USB_PID
 #ifdef DOXYGEN
 #define CONFIG_USB_PID
-#else
-#error  Please supply your vendor ID by setting CONFIG_USB_PID
-#endif
 #endif
 
 /**
@@ -123,6 +127,35 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 /** @} */
 
+/**
+ * @brief RIOT-internal USB peripheral clearance indicator
+ *
+ * This define must only be set in compilation units that are RIOT internal,
+ * and only when they implement peripherals that can be considered default RIOT
+ * peripherals.
+ *
+ * When this is defined in all uses of `usb.h`, the board can use the
+ * 0x1209/0x7D00 VID/PID pair unless explicit configuration using @ref
+ * CONFIG_USB_VID and @ref CONFIG_USB_PID say otherwise.
+ *
+ * There is no sharp characterization of what consititutes an internal
+ * peripheral; a good check is this: If an application can, just by switching
+ * between boards, can have a feature provided by either RIOT's USB stack or a
+ * different mechanism, the USB version is a default RIOT peripheral.
+ *
+ * Examples are stdio access (is provided by most boards using a UART and an
+ * external USB UART adapter), Ethernet (is provided by other boards using
+ * ethos) and firmware upload and reset (is provided by other boards using an
+ * on-board programmer).
+ *
+ * See http://pid.codes/1209/7D00/ for the allocation of that code.
+ * @{
+ */
+#ifdef DOXYGEN
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+#endif
+/** @} */
+
 /**
  * @brief USB version definitions
  */
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm.c b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm.c
index f48509ce77..df79b99b0c 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "tsrb.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm_stdio.c b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm_stdio.c
index 35903ed033..f6b192e2a3 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm_stdio.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/acm/cdc_acm_stdio.c
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "isrpipe.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm.c b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm.c
index 4065035f3b..752b850c76 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm.c
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include "event.h"
 #include "fmt.h"
 #include "kernel_defines.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm_netdev.c b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm_netdev.c
index cc2391e5b2..766e97a45e 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm_netdev.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/cdc/ecm/cdc_ecm_netdev.c
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "kernel_defines.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus.c b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus.c
index f2fd74f90a..46e2d1c4d3 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include "bitarithm.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include "thread.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control.c b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control.c
index b1cd84d87b..ed280b6dcc 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control.c
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
  * @author  Koen Zandberg <koen@bergzand.net>
  * @}
  */
+
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include "periph/usbdev.h"
 #include "usb/descriptor.h"
 #include "usb/usbus.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control_slicer.c b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control_slicer.c
index 31018c6283..ac30f0a863 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control_slicer.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_control_slicer.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <string.h>
 #include "periph/usbdev.h"
 #include "usb/usbus.h"
diff --git a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_fmt.c b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_fmt.c
index 5299169934..edeacbaf88 100644
--- a/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_fmt.c
+++ b/sys/usb/usbus/usbus_fmt.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  * @}
  */
 
+#define USB_H_USER_IS_RIOT_INTERNAL
+
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "usb/descriptor.h"