diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/gnrc_netif.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/gnrc_netif.c
index 7e9527a5ed..0eb6113d48 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/gnrc_netif.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/gnrc_netif.c
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ int gnrc_netif_create(gnrc_netif_t *netif, char *stack, int stacksize,
 #endif
     rmutex_init(&netif->mutex);
     netif->ops = ops;
-    netif_register((netif_t*) netif);
     assert(netif->dev == NULL);
     netif->dev = netdev;
 
@@ -1665,14 +1664,9 @@ static void *_gnrc_netif_thread(void *args)
     res = dev->driver->init(dev);
     if (res < 0) {
         LOG_ERROR("gnrc_netif: netdev init failed: %d\n", res);
-        /* unregister this netif instance */
-        netif->ops = NULL;
-        netif->pid = KERNEL_PID_UNDEF;
-        netif->dev = NULL;
-        dev->event_callback = NULL;
-        dev->context = NULL;
         return NULL;
     }
+    netif_register(&netif->netif);
     _configure_netdev(dev);
     netif->ops->init(netif);
 #if DEVELHELP
diff --git a/sys/net/netif/netif.c b/sys/net/netif/netif.c
index 572cbee768..1344febdf4 100644
--- a/sys/net/netif/netif.c
+++ b/sys/net/netif/netif.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "errno.h"
+#include "irq.h"
 #include "net/netif.h"
 #include "utlist.h"
 
@@ -24,11 +25,14 @@ static list_node_t netif_list;
 
 int netif_register(netif_t *netif)
 {
-    if(netif == NULL) {
+    if (netif == NULL) {
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
+    unsigned state = irq_disable();
     list_add(&netif_list, &netif->node);
+    irq_restore(state);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -59,9 +63,9 @@ netif_t *netif_get_by_name(const char *name)
 
     char tmp[CONFIG_NETIF_NAMELENMAX];
 
-    while(node) {
+    while (node) {
        netif_get_name((netif_t *)node, tmp);
-       if(strncmp(name, tmp, CONFIG_NETIF_NAMELENMAX) == 0) {
+       if (strncmp(name, tmp, CONFIG_NETIF_NAMELENMAX) == 0) {
            return (netif_t *)node;
        }
        node = node->next;