diff --git a/boards/common/atmega/board.c b/boards/common/atmega/board.c
index 9e0fe6ebd0..2809630a55 100644
--- a/boards/common/atmega/board.c
+++ b/boards/common/atmega/board.c
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@ void board_init(void)
 
     atmega_set_prescaler(CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_INIT);
 
-#ifdef MODULE_AVR_LIBC_EXTRA
-    atmega_stdio_init();
-#endif
-
     cpu_init();
     led_init();
     irq_enable();
diff --git a/boards/waspmote-pro/board.c b/boards/waspmote-pro/board.c
index abedc5d67e..fa918eb747 100644
--- a/boards/waspmote-pro/board.c
+++ b/boards/waspmote-pro/board.c
@@ -58,10 +58,6 @@ void board_init(void)
 #endif
 #endif
 
-#ifdef MODULE_AVR_LIBC_EXTRA
-    atmega_stdio_init();
-#endif
-
     cpu_init();
     led_init();
     irq_enable();
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/cpu.c b/cpu/atmega_common/cpu.c
index f02469beb4..01f1c4cfc0 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/cpu.c
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/cpu.c
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ void cpu_init(void)
     wdt_reset();   /* should not be nececessary as done in bootloader */
     wdt_disable(); /* but when used without bootloader this is needed */
 
+    /* Initialize stdio before periph_init() to allow use of DEBUG() there */
+#ifdef MODULE_AVR_LIBC_EXTRA
+    atmega_stdio_init();
+#endif
     /* Initialize peripherals for which modules are included in the makefile.*/
     /* spi_init */
     /* rtc_init */