diff --git a/boards/blackpill-128kib/Makefile.include b/boards/blackpill-128kib/Makefile.include
index 55be113c8b..58815734f3 100644
--- a/boards/blackpill-128kib/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/blackpill-128kib/Makefile.include
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd-128kib.cfg
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd-128kib.cfg
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/blackpill/Makefile.include b/boards/blackpill/Makefile.include
index e502f5c2a1..83cf6c73e1 100644
--- a/boards/blackpill/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/blackpill/Makefile.include
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd.cfg
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd.cfg
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/bluepill-128kib/Makefile.include b/boards/bluepill-128kib/Makefile.include
index 55be113c8b..58815734f3 100644
--- a/boards/bluepill-128kib/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/bluepill-128kib/Makefile.include
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd-128kib.cfg
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd-128kib.cfg
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/bluepill/Makefile.include b/boards/bluepill/Makefile.include
index e502f5c2a1..83cf6c73e1 100644
--- a/boards/bluepill/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/bluepill/Makefile.include
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd.cfg
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/dist/openocd.cfg
 
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/blxxxpill/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/common/frdm/Makefile.include b/boards/common/frdm/Makefile.include
index 7769a8e6ed..d220f82f98 100644
--- a/boards/common/frdm/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/frdm/Makefile.include
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= dap
 # For KW41Z, an OpenOCD version built from source is required. The support for
 # kw41z was introduced in
 # https://github.com/ntfreak/openocd/2c8602ed9f084d6680cec7d0ca1d5dc71c865a5f
-export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/frdm/dist/openocd-$(CPU_FAMILY).cfg
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/frdm/dist/openocd-$(CPU_FAMILY).cfg
 
 # Check the flash configuration field before flashing
 export PRE_FLASH_CHECK_SCRIPT = $(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU)/dist/check-fcfield.sh
diff --git a/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include b/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include
index fba8ff326e..137b5946c0 100644
--- a/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export OPENOCD_RESET_USE_CONNECT_ASSERT_SRST ?= 1
 
 DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= iotlab
 
-export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/iotlab/dist/openocd.cfg
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/iotlab/dist/openocd.cfg
 
 # this board uses openocd
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd.inc.mk
diff --git a/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include b/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
index 397db2b567..6fd03b1055 100644
--- a/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(PROGRAMMER),openocd)
   # use common openocd configuration for nrf51
-  export OPENOCD_CONFIG = $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/dist/openocd.cfg
+  OPENOCD_CONFIG = $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/dist/openocd.cfg
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd.inc.mk
 else ifeq ($(PROGRAMMER),jlink)
   # setup JLink for flashing
diff --git a/boards/common/nrf52/Makefile.include b/boards/common/nrf52/Makefile.include
index e0dc6c6067..351c70ae6f 100644
--- a/boards/common/nrf52/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/nrf52/Makefile.include
@@ -58,6 +58,6 @@ else ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
     $(BINDIR)/softdevice.hex: | $(ELFFILE)
   endif
   DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= jlink
-  export OPENOCD_CONFIG := $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf52/dist/openocd.cfg
+  OPENOCD_CONFIG = $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf52/dist/openocd.cfg
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd.inc.mk
 endif
diff --git a/boards/hifive1/dist/flasher.sh b/boards/hifive1/dist/flasher.sh
index 1f73cea801..8852179f59 100755
--- a/boards/hifive1/dist/flasher.sh
+++ b/boards/hifive1/dist/flasher.sh
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@
 # @author       Hauke Peteresen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
 # @author       Joakim Nohlgård <joakim.nohlgard@eistec.se>
 
-# Default path to OpenOCD configuration file
-: ${OPENOCD_CONFIG:=${RIOTBOARD}/${BOARD}/dist/openocd.cfg}
 # Default OpenOCD command
 : ${OPENOCD:=openocd}
 # This is an optional offset to the base address that can be used to flash an
diff --git a/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh b/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh
index f908aed561..43841a986b 100755
--- a/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/buildsystem_sanity_check/check.sh
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('PORT_LINUX' 'PORT_DARWIN')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('PORT[ ?=:]' 'PORT$')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('LINKFLAGS' 'LINKER_SCRIPT')
 UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('USEMODULE_INCLUDES')
+UNEXPORTED_VARIABLES+=('OPENOCD_CONFIG')
 
 EXPORTED_VARIABLES_ONLY_IN_VARS=()
 EXPORTED_VARIABLES_ONLY_IN_VARS+=('CPU_ARCH')
diff --git a/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh b/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh
index 39130b6fbb..91b4106aef 100755
--- a/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh
@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@
 : ${TELNET_PORT:=4444}
 # Default TCL port, set to 0 to disable
 : ${TCL_PORT:=6333}
-# Default path to OpenOCD configuration file
-: ${OPENOCD_CONFIG:=${BOARDSDIR}/${BOARD}/dist/openocd.cfg}
 # Default OpenOCD command
 : ${OPENOCD:=openocd}
 # Extra board initialization commands to pass to OpenOCD
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk
index c86a691248..4dc8a870b9 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@ ifeq (,$(OPENOCD_CONFIG))
   # if no openocd default configuration is provided by the board,
   # use the STM32 common one
   ifeq (0,$(words $(wildcard $(BOARDSDIR)/$(BOARD)/dist/openocd.cfg)))
-    export OPENOCD_CONFIG := $(RIOTBASE)/boards/common/stm32/dist/$(CPU).cfg
+    OPENOCD_CONFIG = $(RIOTBASE)/boards/common/stm32/dist/$(CPU).cfg
   endif
 endif
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk
index b478ab2711..62cf574da0 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk
@@ -12,3 +12,9 @@ RESET_FLAGS ?= reset
 ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER))
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd-adapters/$(DEBUG_ADAPTER).inc.mk
 endif
+
+OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(BOARDSDIR)/$(BOARD)/dist/openocd.cfg
+
+# Export OPENOCD_CONFIG to required targets
+OPENOCD_TARGETS = debug% flash% reset
+$(call target-export-variables,$(OPENOCD_TARGETS),OPENOCD_CONFIG)