diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index 7b73c2e2c8..1274aa3ca4 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -479,6 +479,14 @@ ifneq (,$(filter posix_select,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += xtimer
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter picolibc,$(USEMODULE)))
+  # allow custom picolibc syscalls implementations by adding
+  # picolibc_syscalls_XXX to USEMODULE
+  ifeq (,$(filter picolibc_syscalls_%,$(USEMODULE)))
+    USEMODULE += picolibc_syscalls_default
+  endif
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter posix_sockets,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += bitfield
   USEMODULE += random
diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.dep b/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.dep
index 472b903407..edc2835da9 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.dep
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.dep
@@ -4,11 +4,15 @@ USEMODULE += cortexm_common
 # include common periph code
 USEMODULE += cortexm_common_periph
 
-# all cortex MCU's use newlib as libc
-USEMODULE += newlib
-
-# use the nano-specs of Newlib when available
-USEMODULE += newlib_nano
+ifeq (1,$(PICOLIBC))
+  # Use Picolibc when explicitly selected
+  USEMODULE += picolibc
+else
+  # all cortex MCU's use newlib as libc
+  USEMODULE += newlib
+  # use the nano-specs of Newlib when available
+  USEMODULE += newlib_nano
+endif
 
 # Export the peripheral drivers to be linked into the final binary:
 USEMODULE += periph
diff --git a/makefiles/libc/picolibc.mk b/makefiles/libc/picolibc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04055b4973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/libc/picolibc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+ifneq (,$(filter picolibc,$(USEMODULE)))
+  # Test if picolibc.specs is available
+  ifeq ($(shell $(LINK) -specs=picolibc.specs -E - 2>/dev/null >/dev/null </dev/null ; echo $$?),0)
+    USE_PICOLIBC = 1
+    ifeq ($(shell echo "int main(){} void _exit(int n) {(void)n;while(1);}" | LC_ALL=C $(CC) -xc - -o /dev/null -lc -specs=picolibc.specs -Wall -Wextra -pedantic 2>&1 | grep -q "use of wchar_t values across objects may fail" ; echo $$?),0)
+        CFLAGS += -fshort-wchar
+        LINKFLAGS += -Wl,--no-wchar-size-warning
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
+ifeq (1,$(USE_PICOLIBC))
+  LINKFLAGS += -specs=picolibc.specs
+  CFLAGS += -specs=picolibc.specs
+endif
+
+LINKFLAGS += -lc
diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 31abbf9e59..510e6fecd8 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += newlib
 PSEUDOMODULES += newlib_gnu_source
 PSEUDOMODULES += newlib_nano
 PSEUDOMODULES += openthread
+PSEUDOMODULES += picolibc
 PSEUDOMODULES += pktqueue
 PSEUDOMODULES += posix_headers
 PSEUDOMODULES += printf_float
diff --git a/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk b/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk
index 4f4959be16..4c7749d2f9 100644
--- a/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ STDIO_MODULES = \
   stdio_uart \
   #
 
-ifneq (,$(filter newlib,$(USEMODULE)))
+ifneq (,$(filter newlib picolibc,$(USEMODULE)))
   ifeq (,$(filter $(STDIO_MODULES),$(USEMODULE)))
     USEMODULE += stdio_uart
   endif
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.include b/sys/Makefile.include
index a449b90e99..a5cb26e796 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.include
+++ b/sys/Makefile.include
@@ -68,10 +68,18 @@ ifneq (,$(filter newlib,$(USEMODULE)))
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/libc/newlib.mk
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter picolibc,$(USEMODULE)))
+  include $(RIOTMAKE)/libc/picolibc.mk
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter newlib_syscalls_default,$(USEMODULE)))
   include $(RIOTBASE)/sys/newlib_syscalls_default/Makefile.include
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter picolibc_syscalls_default,$(USEMODULE)))
+  include $(RIOTBASE)/sys/picolibc_syscalls_default/Makefile.include
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter arduino,$(USEMODULE)))
   include $(RIOTBASE)/sys/arduino/Makefile.include
 endif