diff --git a/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile b/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile
index 1adb5771f0..cc338c33f5 100644
--- a/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile
+++ b/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ CFLAGS += -DRIOTBOOT
 
 # Disable unused modules
 CFLAGS += -DNDEBUG -DLOG_LEVEL=LOG_NONE
+DISABLE_MODULE += core_init core_msg
 DISABLE_MODULE += auto_init
 
 # Include riotboot flash partition functionality
diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 4f12366947..9383204d8a 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # exclude submodule sources from *.c wildcard source selection
-SRC := $(filter-out mbox.c msg.c thread_flags.c,$(wildcard *.c))
+SRC := $(filter-out init.c mbox.c msg.c thread_flags.c,$(wildcard *.c))
 
 # enable submodules
 SUBMODULES := 1
diff --git a/core/kernel_init.c b/core/init.c
similarity index 100%
rename from core/kernel_init.c
rename to core/init.c
diff --git a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
index 9d8331407c..9ca1ac6c74 100644
--- a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-DEFAULT_MODULE += board cpu core core_msg sys
+DEFAULT_MODULE += board cpu core core_init core_msg sys
 
 DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init