diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 3e73ed8f82..d8008fbcdd 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ endif
 
 # mandatory includes!
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/pseudomodules.inc.mk
-include $(RIOTMAKE)/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+include $(RIOTMAKE)/defaultmodules_regular.inc.mk
 
 # Include Kconfig functionalities
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/kconfig.mk
diff --git a/makefiles/default_modules.deps.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules_deps.inc.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from makefiles/default_modules.deps.mk
rename to makefiles/defaultmodules_deps.inc.mk
diff --git a/makefiles/defaultmodules_no_recursive_deps.inc.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules_no_recursive_deps.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0c464f2f72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/defaultmodules_no_recursive_deps.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# This file declare DEFAULT_MODULEs that MAY only have as dependecies modules
+# with no dependencies themselfs. If they modules declared here have dependencies
+# they must be delcared in defaultmodules_deps.inc.mk.
+# These DEFAULT_MODULEs MAY be disabled during dependency resolution
+
+DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init periph_init
+
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_leds
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led0
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led1
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led2
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led3
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led4
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led5
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led6
+DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led7
diff --git a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules_regular.inc.mk
similarity index 60%
rename from makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
rename to makefiles/defaultmodules_regular.inc.mk
index 1231427d31..5dc2fa6e9c 100644
--- a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/defaultmodules_regular.inc.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# This file declare DEFAULT_MODULEs that MAY have dependencies themselfs
+# and where there dependencies MAY have dependencies as well.
+# These DEFAULT_MODULEs MUST only be disabled at application level or
+# in BOARD/CPU Makefile.default
+
 DEFAULT_MODULE += board board_common_init \
                   cpu \
                   core core_init core_lib core_msg core_panic core_thread \
diff --git a/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk b/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
index b0264c07b4..7c33021e56 100644
--- a/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
@@ -35,25 +35,15 @@ NEW_STATE := $(USEMODULE) $(USEPKG) $(FEATURES_USED)
 ifneq ($(OLD_STATE),$(NEW_STATE))
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/dependency_resolution.inc.mk
 else
-  # Include late allowing them to have been disabled during dependency resolution
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init periph_init
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_leds
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led0
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led1
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led2
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led3
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led4
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led5
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led6
-  DEFAULT_MODULE += periph_init_led7
+  include $(RIOTMAKE)/defaultmodules_no_recursive_deps.inc.mk
 
+  # Add auto_init and periph_init so that if not used all periph_init% and
+  # auto_init_% modules can be silently disabled
   USEMODULE += $(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE),auto_init periph_init)
-
   # If module auto_init is not used, silently disable all of its submodules
   ifeq (,$(filter auto_init,$(USEMODULE)))
     DISABLE_MODULE += auto_init_%
   endif
-
   # If module periph_init is not used, silently disable all of its submodules
   ifeq (,$(filter periph_init,$(USEMODULE)))
     DISABLE_MODULE += periph_init_%
@@ -64,7 +54,7 @@ else
   USEMODULE += $(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE),$(DEFAULT_MODULE))
 
   # Include eventual dependencies for default modules
-  include $(RIOTMAKE)/default_modules.deps.mk
+  include $(RIOTMAKE)/defaultmodules_deps.inc.mk
 
   # Sort and de-duplicate used modules and default modules for readability
   USEMODULE := $(sort $(USEMODULE))
diff --git a/makefiles/info-global.inc.mk b/makefiles/info-global.inc.mk
index 68be99dab4..177a446c9c 100644
--- a/makefiles/info-global.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/info-global.inc.mk
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ define board_unsatisfied_features
     BOARDS_WITH_MISSING_FEATURES += $$(BOARD)
   else
     # add default modules
-    include $(RIOTMAKE)/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+    include $(RIOTMAKE)/defaultmodules_regular.inc.mk
     USEMODULE += $$(filter-out $$(DISABLE_MODULE),$$(DEFAULT_MODULE))
 
     include $(RIOTMAKE)/dependency_resolution.inc.mk