diff --git a/drivers/include/xbee.h b/drivers/include/xbee.h
index 29ed80f605..7daf52f7e6 100644
--- a/drivers/include/xbee.h
+++ b/drivers/include/xbee.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "periph/uart.h"
 #include "periph/gpio.h"
 #include "net/ng_netbase.h"
+#include "net/ng_ieee802154.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
  extern "C" {
@@ -59,11 +60,6 @@
 #define XBEE_DEFAULT_PROTOCOL       (NG_NETTYPE_UNDEF)
 #endif
 
-/**
- * @brief   Default short address used after initialization
- */
-#define XBEE_DEFAULT_SHORT_ADDR     (0x0230)
-
 /**
  * @brief   Default PAN ID used after initialization
  */
@@ -109,7 +105,7 @@ typedef struct {
     ng_nettype_t proto;                 /**< protocol the interface speaks */
     uint8_t options;                    /**< options field */
     uint8_t addr_short[2];              /**< onw 802.15.4 short address */
-    uint8_t addr_long[8];               /**< own 802.15.4 long address */
+    eui64_t addr_long;                  /**< own 802.15.4 long address */
     /* general variables for the UART RX state machine */
     xbee_rx_state_t int_state;          /**< current state if the UART RX FSM */
     uint16_t int_size;                  /**< temporary space for parsing the
diff --git a/drivers/ng_at86rf2xx/ng_at86rf2xx.c b/drivers/ng_at86rf2xx/ng_at86rf2xx.c
index 59ad89511c..0db7e3a5ef 100644
--- a/drivers/ng_at86rf2xx/ng_at86rf2xx.c
+++ b/drivers/ng_at86rf2xx/ng_at86rf2xx.c
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@
  * @author      Thomas Eichinger <thomas.eichinger@fu-berlin.de>
  * @author      Hauke Petersen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
  * @author      Kaspar Schleiser <kaspar@schleiser.de>
+ * @author      Oliver Hahm <oliver.hahm@inria.fr>
  *
  * @}
  */
 
 #include "hwtimer.h"
 #include "periph/cpuid.h"
+#include "byteorder.h"
 #include "net/ng_ieee802154.h"
 #include "net/ng_netbase.h"
 #include "ng_at86rf2xx_registers.h"
@@ -87,8 +89,7 @@ void ng_at86rf2xx_reset(ng_at86rf2xx_t *dev)
 {
 #if CPUID_ID_LEN
     uint8_t cpuid[CPUID_ID_LEN];
-    uint16_t addr_short;
-    uint64_t addr_long;
+    eui64_t addr_long;
 #endif
 
     /* trigger hardware reset */
@@ -101,7 +102,8 @@ void ng_at86rf2xx_reset(ng_at86rf2xx_t *dev)
     /* set short and long address */
 #if CPUID_ID_LEN
     cpuid_get(cpuid);
-#if CPUID < 8
+
+#if CPUID_ID_LEN < 8
     /* in case CPUID_ID_LEN < 8, fill missing bytes with zeros */
     for (int i = CPUID_ID_LEN; i < 8; i++) {
         cpuid[i] = 0;
@@ -116,13 +118,8 @@ void ng_at86rf2xx_reset(ng_at86rf2xx_t *dev)
     cpuid[0] |= 0x02;
     /* copy and set long address */
     memcpy(&addr_long, cpuid, 8);
-    ng_at86rf2xx_set_addr_long(dev, addr_long);
-    /* now compress the long addr to form the short address */
-    for (int i = 2; i < 8; i++) {
-        cpuid[i & 0x01] ^= cpuid[i];
-    }
-    memcpy(&addr_short, cpuid, 2);
-    ng_at86rf2xx_set_addr_short(dev, addr_short);
+    ng_at86rf2xx_set_addr_long(dev, NTOHLL(addr_long.uint64.u64));
+    ng_at86rf2xx_set_addr_short(dev, NTOHS(addr_long.uint16[0].u16));
 #else
     ng_at86rf2xx_set_addr_long(dev, NG_AT86RF2XX_DEFAULT_ADDR_LONG);
     ng_at86rf2xx_set_addr_short(dev, NG_AT86RF2XX_DEFAULT_ADDR_SHORT);
diff --git a/drivers/xbee/xbee.c b/drivers/xbee/xbee.c
index 5c31f24e90..c7a756c6e3 100644
--- a/drivers/xbee/xbee.c
+++ b/drivers/xbee/xbee.c
@@ -23,13 +23,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "xbee.h"
-#include "mutex.h"
 #include "hwtimer.h"
 #include "msg.h"
-#include "periph/uart.h"
-#include "periph/gpio.h"
 #include "periph/cpuid.h"
-#include "net/ng_netbase.h"
 
 #define ENABLE_DEBUG    (0)
 #include "debug.h"
@@ -452,24 +448,10 @@ int xbee_init(xbee_t *dev, uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate,
     /* exit command mode */
     _at_cmd(dev, "ATCN\r");
 
-    /* set default short address, use CPU ID if available */
-#if CPUID_ID_LEN
-    /* get CPU ID */
-    uint8_t id[CPUID_ID_LEN];
-    cpuid_get(id);
-    /* set address */
-    memset(dev->addr_short, 0, 2);
-    for (int i = 0; i < CPUID_ID_LEN; i++) {
-        dev->addr_short[i & 0x01] ^= id[i];
-    }
-#else
-    dev->addr_short[0] = (uint8_t)(XBEE_DEFAULT_SHORT_ADDR >> 8);
-    dev->addr_short[1] = (uint8_t)(XBEE_DEFAULT_SHORT_ADDR);
-#endif
-    _set_addr(dev, dev->addr_short, 2);
     /* load long address (we can not set it, its read only for Xbee devices) */
-    _get_addr_long(dev, dev->addr_long, 8);
+    _get_addr_long(dev, dev->addr_long.uint8, 8);
     /* set default channel */
+    _set_addr(dev, &((dev->addr_long).uint8[6]), 2);
     tmp[1] = 0;
     tmp[0] = XBEE_DEFAULT_CHANNEL;
     _set_channel(dev, tmp, 2);
@@ -709,7 +691,7 @@ static void _isr_event(ng_netdev_t *netdev, uint32_t event_type)
         ng_netif_hdr_set_dst_addr(hdr, dev->addr_short, 2);
     }
     else {
-        ng_netif_hdr_set_dst_addr(hdr, dev->addr_long, 8);
+        ng_netif_hdr_set_dst_addr(hdr, dev->addr_long.uint8, 8);
     }
     pos = 3 + addr_len;
     /* allocate and copy payload */
diff --git a/sys/include/net/ng_ieee802154.h b/sys/include/net/ng_ieee802154.h
index 82fb712948..374c87a544 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/ng_ieee802154.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/ng_ieee802154.h
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 #ifndef NG_IEEE802154_H_
 #define NG_IEEE802154_H_
 
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include "byteorder.h"
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -58,6 +61,15 @@ extern "C" {
 #define NG_IEEE802154_FCF_SRC_ADDR_LONG     (0xc0)
 /** @} */
 
+/**
+ * @brief Data type to represent an EUI-64.
+ */
+typedef union {
+    le_uint64_t uint64;     /**< represented as 64 bit value */
+    uint8_t uint8[8];       /**< split into 8 8-bit words. */
+    le_uint16_t uint16[4];  /**< split into 4 16-bit words. */
+} eui64_t ;
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif