diff --git a/cpu/native/include/cpu.h b/cpu/native/include/cpu.h
index 2a51e9deef..2f5ba22af9 100644
--- a/cpu/native/include/cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/native/include/cpu.h
@@ -19,12 +19,22 @@
 #ifndef _CPU_H
 #define _CPU_H
 
-#ifdef __MACH__
+#include <sys/param.h>
+
+/* enable signal handler register access on different platforms
+ * check here for more:
+ * http://sourceforge.net/p/predef/wiki/OperatingSystems/
+ */
+#ifdef BSD // BSD = (FreeBSD, Darwin, ...)
 #define _XOPEN_SOURCE
+#elif defined(__linux__)
+#define __USE_GNU
 #endif
 #include <ucontext.h>
-#ifdef __MACH__
+#ifdef BSD
 #undef _XOPEN_SOURCE
+#elif defined(__linux__)
+#undef __USE_GNU
 #endif
 
 #include "kernel_intern.h"
diff --git a/cpu/native/irq_cpu.c b/cpu/native/irq_cpu.c
index fed715f935..dc3222853b 100644
--- a/cpu/native/irq_cpu.c
+++ b/cpu/native/irq_cpu.c
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-// __USE_GNU for gregs[REG_EIP] access
+// __USE_GNU for gregs[REG_EIP] access under Linux
 #define __USE_GNU
-#include <ucontext.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #undef __USE_GNU