diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index 25cdb71afb..5cbbf1db90 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -811,3 +811,7 @@ USEPKG := $(sort $(USEPKG))
 ifneq ($(OLD_USEMODULE) $(OLD_USEPKG),$(USEMODULE) $(USEPKG))
   include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.dep
 endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter ecc_%,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += ecc
+endif
diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 3b8d30ece9..c57bff7d0d 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += can_raw
 PSEUDOMODULES += ccn-lite-utils
 PSEUDOMODULES += conn_can_isotp_multi
 PSEUDOMODULES += core_%
+PSEUDOMODULES += ecc_%
 PSEUDOMODULES += emb6_router
 PSEUDOMODULES += event_%
 PSEUDOMODULES += gnrc_ipv6_default
diff --git a/sys/Makefile b/sys/Makefile
index df851ae9a7..77e8832dc6 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile
+++ b/sys/Makefile
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter tcp,$(USEMODULE)))
   DIRS += net/transport_layer/tcp
 endif
-ifneq (,$(filter hamming256,$(USEMODULE)))
-  DIRS += ecc/hamming256
-endif
 ifneq (,$(filter uhcpc,$(USEMODULE)))
   DIRS += net/application_layer/uhcp
 endif
diff --git a/sys/ecc/hamming256/Makefile b/sys/ecc/Makefile
similarity index 66%
rename from sys/ecc/hamming256/Makefile
rename to sys/ecc/Makefile
index 48422e909a..cd1af2456e 100644
--- a/sys/ecc/hamming256/Makefile
+++ b/sys/ecc/Makefile
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
+SUBMODULES := 1
+
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/ecc/hamming256/hamming256.c b/sys/ecc/hamming256.c
similarity index 100%
rename from sys/ecc/hamming256/hamming256.c
rename to sys/ecc/hamming256.c
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-ecc/Makefile.include b/tests/unittests/tests-ecc/Makefile.include
index f676c7643d..84b90addc6 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/tests-ecc/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-ecc/Makefile.include
@@ -1 +1 @@
-USEMODULE += hamming256
+USEMODULE += ecc_hamming256