diff --git a/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile b/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile
index cc338c33f5..34c96a2861 100644
--- a/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile
+++ b/bootloaders/riotboot/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ CFLAGS += -DRIOTBOOT
 
 # Disable unused modules
 CFLAGS += -DNDEBUG -DLOG_LEVEL=LOG_NONE
-DISABLE_MODULE += core_init core_msg
+DISABLE_MODULE += core_init core_msg core_panic
 DISABLE_MODULE += auto_init
 
 # Include riotboot flash partition functionality
diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 9383204d8a..152a2851c4 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # exclude submodule sources from *.c wildcard source selection
-SRC := $(filter-out init.c mbox.c msg.c thread_flags.c,$(wildcard *.c))
+SRC := $(filter-out init.c mbox.c msg.c panic.c thread_flags.c,$(wildcard *.c))
 
 # enable submodules
 SUBMODULES := 1
diff --git a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
index 9ca1ac6c74..3f770093a8 100644
--- a/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/defaultmodules.inc.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-DEFAULT_MODULE += board cpu core core_init core_msg sys
+DEFAULT_MODULE += board cpu core core_init core_msg core_panic sys
 
 DEFAULT_MODULE += auto_init