diff --git a/boards/esp32-olimex-evb/Makefile.include b/boards/esp32-olimex-evb/Makefile.include
index 020c145151..6367a3f004 100644
--- a/boards/esp32-olimex-evb/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/esp32-olimex-evb/Makefile.include
@@ -2,14 +2,10 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += olimex_esp32_gateway
 
 USEMODULE += boards_common_esp32
 
-# enables esp_eth as network device
+# enables esp_eth as default network device
+# cannot be done in Makefile.dep since Makefile.dep is included too late
 ifneq (,$(filter netdev_default gnrc_netdev_default,$(USEMODULE)))
-    # avoid multiple definitions when package depenedencies are resolved recursively
-    ifndef MODULE_ESP_ETH_ADDED
-        MODULE_ESP_ETH_ADDED = 1
-        USEMODULE += esp_eth
-        $(eval GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF=$(shell echo $$(($(GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF)+1))))
-    endif
+  USEMODULE += esp_eth
 endif
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/esp32/Makefile.include
diff --git a/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include b/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include
index b52b43a823..6c2332ad27 100644
--- a/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/esp32/Makefile.include
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ ifneq (,$(filter esp_gdbstub,$(USEMODULE)))
     USEMODULE += esp_gdb
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter netdev_default gnrc_netdev_default,$(USEMODULE)))
+  # use esp_now as default netdev if no other netdev module is enabled
+  ifeq (,$(filter esp_wifi esp_eth,$(USEMODULE)))
+    USEMODULE += esp_now
+  endif
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter esp_now,$(USEMODULE)))
     $(eval GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF=$(shell echo $$(($(GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF)+1))))
     USEMODULE += esp_wifi_any
@@ -51,6 +58,10 @@ ifneq (,$(filter esp_wifi,$(USEMODULE)))
     USEMODULE += esp_wifi_any
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter esp_eth,$(USEMODULE)))
+  $(eval GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF=$(shell echo $$(($(GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF)+1))))
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter spiffs,$(USEMODULE)))
   export RIOT_TEST_TIMEOUT = 300
 endif
@@ -109,7 +120,7 @@ INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBOARD)/common/$(CPU)/include
 INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU)
 
 # if any WiFi interface is used, the number of priority levels has to be 32
-ifneq (,$(filter esp_wifi_any,$(USEMODULE)))
+ifneq (,$(filter esp_wifi_any esp_eth,$(USEMODULE)))
   CFLAGS += -DSCHED_PRIO_LEVELS=32
 endif
 
diff --git a/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include b/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include
index 1c7ba7e14e..4ee539a3e9 100644
--- a/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include
@@ -19,10 +19,25 @@ endif
 # SPECIAL module dependencies
 # cannot be done in Makefile.dep since Makefile.dep is included too late
 
-ifneq (, $(filter esp_now esp_wifi, $(USEMODULE)))
+ifneq (,$(filter netdev_default gnrc_netdev_default,$(USEMODULE)))
+  # use esp_now as default netdev if no other netdev module is enabled
+  ifeq (,$(filter esp_wifi esp_eth,$(USEMODULE)))
+    USEMODULE += esp_now
+  endif
+endif
+
+ifneq (, $(filter esp_wifi, $(USEMODULE)))
     $(eval GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF=$(shell echo $$(($(GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF)+1))))
-    CFLAGS += -DSCHED_PRIO_LEVELS=32
     USEMODULE += esp_wifi_any
+endif
+
+ifneq (, $(filter esp_now, $(USEMODULE)))
+    $(eval GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF=$(shell echo $$(($(GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF)+1))))
+    USEMODULE += esp_wifi_any
+endif
+
+ifneq (, $(filter esp_wifi_any, $(USEMODULE)))
+    CFLAGS += -DSCHED_PRIO_LEVELS=32
     USEMODULE += netopt
     USEMODULE += xtimer
 endif
diff --git a/tests/netstats_l2/Makefile b/tests/netstats_l2/Makefile
index 8773329a19..1da76655bb 100644
--- a/tests/netstats_l2/Makefile
+++ b/tests/netstats_l2/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ BOARD_PROVIDES_NETIF := airfy-beacon fox iotlab-m3 mulle native nrf51dk nrf51don
 	nrf6310 pba-d-01-kw2x samd21-xpro saml21-xpro samr21-xpro spark-core \
 	yunjia-nrf51822 msba2 \
     esp32-mh-et-live-minikit esp32-olimex-evb \
-    esp32-wemos-lolin-d32-pro esp32-wroom-32 esp32-wrover-kit
+    esp32-wemos-lolin-d32-pro esp32-wroom-32 esp32-wrover-kit \
+    esp8266-esp-12x esp8266-olimex-mod esp8266-sparkfun-thing
 
 BOARD_WHITELIST += $(BOARD_PROVIDES_NETIF)