diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 94c75c4fa5..cea7c51fab 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -512,7 +512,8 @@ $(ELFFILE): $(BASELIBS)
 	$(Q)$(_LINK) -o $@
 
 $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a: pkg-build $(BUILDDEPS)
-	$(Q)DIRS="$(DIRS)" "$(MAKE)" -C $(APPDIR) -f $(RIOTMAKE)/application.inc.mk
+	$(Q)DIRS="$(DIRS)" APPLICATION_BLOBS="$(BLOBS)" \
+	  "$(MAKE)" -C $(APPDIR) -f $(RIOTMAKE)/application.inc.mk
 $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION_MODULE).a: FORCE
 
 # Other modules are built by application.inc.mk and packages building
diff --git a/makefiles/application.inc.mk b/makefiles/application.inc.mk
index 5bbcb7c4ac..e34ad39f2f 100644
--- a/makefiles/application.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/application.inc.mk
@@ -3,4 +3,17 @@ MODULE = $(APPLICATION_MODULE)
 DIRS += $(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU) $(RIOTBOARD)/$(BOARD)
 DIRS += $(RIOTBASE)/core $(RIOTBASE)/drivers $(RIOTBASE)/sys
 
+# For regular modules, adding files to BLOBS to their Makefile is sufficient to
+# create the corresponding headers.
+#
+# Application modules are different, as they use this makefile to build, thus
+# application level variables are not available unless exported.
+#
+# But exporting e.g., BLOBS, would pre-set the variable for all
+# submakefiles.
+#
+# As workaround, $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include passes BLOBS to this
+# Makefile as APPLICATION_BLOBS.
+BLOBS = $(APPLICATION_BLOBS)
+
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base