diff --git a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx.c b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx.c
index 8f28b4f712..ebeab759d8 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx.c
+++ b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx.c
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ void at86rf2xx_setup(at86rf2xx_t *dev, const at86rf2xx_params_t *params)
     dev->idle_state = AT86RF2XX_STATE_TRX_OFF;
     dev->state = AT86RF2XX_STATE_SLEEP;
     dev->pending_tx = 0;
-    /* initialise SPI */
-    spi_init_master(dev->params.spi, SPI_CONF_FIRST_RISING, params->spi_speed);
 }
 
 void at86rf2xx_reset(at86rf2xx_t *dev)
diff --git a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_internal.c b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_internal.c
index 2c5a436aa5..0265ef6f54 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_internal.c
+++ b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_internal.c
@@ -28,32 +28,35 @@
 #include "at86rf2xx_internal.h"
 #include "at86rf2xx_registers.h"
 
+#define SPIDEV          (dev->params.spi)
+#define CSPIN           (dev->params.cs_pin)
+
+static inline void getbus(const at86rf2xx_t *dev)
+{
+    spi_acquire(SPIDEV, CSPIN, SPI_MODE_0, dev->params.spi_clk);
+}
+
 void at86rf2xx_reg_write(const at86rf2xx_t *dev,
                          const uint8_t addr,
                          const uint8_t value)
 {
-    spi_acquire(dev->params.spi);
-    gpio_clear(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_transfer_reg(dev->params.spi,
-                     AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_REG | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_WRITE | addr,
-                     value, 0);
-    gpio_set(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_release(dev->params.spi);
+    uint8_t reg = (AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_REG | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_WRITE | addr);
+
+    getbus(dev);
+    spi_transfer_reg(SPIDEV, CSPIN, reg, value);
+    spi_release(SPIDEV);
 }
 
 uint8_t at86rf2xx_reg_read(const at86rf2xx_t *dev, const uint8_t addr)
 {
-    char value;
+    uint8_t reg = (AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_REG | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_READ | addr);
+    uint8_t value;
 
-    spi_acquire(dev->params.spi);
-    gpio_clear(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_transfer_reg(dev->params.spi,
-                     AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_REG | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_READ | addr,
-                     0, &value);
-    gpio_set(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_release(dev->params.spi);
+    getbus(dev);
+    value = spi_transfer_reg(SPIDEV, CSPIN, reg, 0);
+    spi_release(SPIDEV);
 
-    return (uint8_t)value;
+    return value;
 }
 
 void at86rf2xx_sram_read(const at86rf2xx_t *dev,
@@ -61,14 +64,13 @@ void at86rf2xx_sram_read(const at86rf2xx_t *dev,
                          uint8_t *data,
                          const size_t len)
 {
-    spi_acquire(dev->params.spi);
-    gpio_clear(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_transfer_reg(dev->params.spi,
-                     AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_SRAM | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_READ,
-                     (char)offset, NULL);
-    spi_transfer_bytes(dev->params.spi, NULL, (char *)data, len);
-    gpio_set(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_release(dev->params.spi);
+    uint8_t reg = (AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_SRAM | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_READ);
+
+    getbus(dev);
+    spi_transfer_byte(SPIDEV, CSPIN, true, reg);
+    spi_transfer_byte(SPIDEV, CSPIN, true, offset);
+    spi_transfer_bytes(SPIDEV, CSPIN, false, NULL, data, len);
+    spi_release(SPIDEV);
 }
 
 void at86rf2xx_sram_write(const at86rf2xx_t *dev,
@@ -76,36 +78,35 @@ void at86rf2xx_sram_write(const at86rf2xx_t *dev,
                           const uint8_t *data,
                           const size_t len)
 {
-    spi_acquire(dev->params.spi);
-    gpio_clear(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_transfer_reg(dev->params.spi,
-                     AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_SRAM | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_WRITE,
-                     (char)offset, NULL);
-    spi_transfer_bytes(dev->params.spi, (char *)data, NULL, len);
-    gpio_set(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_release(dev->params.spi);
+    uint8_t reg = (AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_SRAM | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_WRITE);
+
+    getbus(dev);
+    spi_transfer_byte(SPIDEV, CSPIN, true, reg);
+    spi_transfer_byte(SPIDEV, CSPIN, true, offset);
+    spi_transfer_bytes(SPIDEV, CSPIN, false, data, NULL, len);
+    spi_release(SPIDEV);
 }
 
 void at86rf2xx_fb_start(const at86rf2xx_t *dev)
 {
-    spi_acquire(dev->params.spi);
-    gpio_clear(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_transfer_byte(dev->params.spi,
-                      AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_FB | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_READ,
-                      NULL);
+    uint8_t reg = AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_FB | AT86RF2XX_ACCESS_READ;
+
+    getbus(dev);
+    spi_transfer_byte(SPIDEV, CSPIN, true, reg);
 }
 
 void at86rf2xx_fb_read(const at86rf2xx_t *dev,
                        uint8_t *data,
                        const size_t len)
 {
-    spi_transfer_bytes(dev->params.spi, NULL, (char *)data, len);
+    spi_transfer_bytes(SPIDEV, CSPIN, true, NULL, data, len);
 }
 
 void at86rf2xx_fb_stop(const at86rf2xx_t *dev)
 {
-    gpio_set(dev->params.cs_pin);
-    spi_release(dev->params.spi);
+    /* transfer one byte (which we ignore) to release the chip select */
+    spi_transfer_byte(SPIDEV, CSPIN, false, 1);
+    spi_release(SPIDEV);
 }
 
 uint8_t at86rf2xx_get_status(const at86rf2xx_t *dev)
diff --git a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c
index 56c6d9376c..4476ea4891 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ static int _init(netdev2_t *netdev)
     at86rf2xx_t *dev = (at86rf2xx_t *)netdev;
 
     /* initialise GPIOs */
-    gpio_init(dev->params.cs_pin, GPIO_OUT);
-    gpio_set(dev->params.cs_pin);
+    spi_init_cs(dev->params.spi, dev->params.cs_pin);
     gpio_init(dev->params.sleep_pin, GPIO_OUT);
     gpio_clear(dev->params.sleep_pin);
     gpio_init(dev->params.reset_pin, GPIO_OUT);
diff --git a/drivers/at86rf2xx/include/at86rf2xx_params.h b/drivers/at86rf2xx/include/at86rf2xx_params.h
index 8dd9a31568..fad6a8e3b5 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf2xx/include/at86rf2xx_params.h
+++ b/drivers/at86rf2xx/include/at86rf2xx_params.h
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ extern "C" {
  * @{
  */
 #ifndef AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI
-#define AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI         (SPI_0)
+#define AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI         (SPI_DEV(0))
 #endif
-#ifndef AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI_SPEED
-#define AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI_SPEED   (SPI_SPEED_5MHZ)
+#ifndef AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI_CLK
+#define AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI_CLK     (SPI_CLK_5MHZ)
 #endif
 #ifndef AT86RF2XX_PARAM_CS
 #define AT86RF2XX_PARAM_CS          (GPIO_PIN(0, 0))
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #define AT86RF2XX_PARAMS_DEFAULT    {.spi = AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI, \
-                                     .spi_speed = AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI_SPEED, \
+                                     .spi_clk = AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SPI_CLK, \
                                      .cs_pin = AT86RF2XX_PARAM_CS, \
                                      .int_pin = AT86RF2XX_PARAM_INT, \
                                      .sleep_pin = AT86RF2XX_PARAM_SLEEP, \
diff --git a/drivers/include/at86rf2xx.h b/drivers/include/at86rf2xx.h
index 74a9630836..a2e49b9e1d 100644
--- a/drivers/include/at86rf2xx.h
+++ b/drivers/include/at86rf2xx.h
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 typedef struct at86rf2xx_params {
     spi_t spi;              /**< SPI bus the device is connected to */
-    spi_speed_t spi_speed;  /**< SPI speed to use */
-    gpio_t cs_pin;          /**< GPIO pin connected to chip select */
+    spi_clk_t spi_clk;      /**< SPI clock speed to use */
+    spi_cs_t cs_pin;        /**< GPIO pin connected to chip select */
     gpio_t int_pin;         /**< GPIO pin connected to the interrupt pin */
     gpio_t sleep_pin;       /**< GPIO pin connected to the sleep pin */
     gpio_t reset_pin;       /**< GPIO pin connected to the reset pin */