diff --git a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile
index 52581de201..9a11dbc87e 100644
--- a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile
+++ b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile
@@ -7,36 +7,6 @@ BOARD ?= samr21-xpro
 # This has to be the absolute path to the RIOT base directory:
 RIOTBASE ?= $(CURDIR)/../..
 
-# use ethos (ethernet over serial) for network communication and stdio over
-# UART, but not on native, as native has a tap interface towards the host.
-ifeq (,$(filter native,$(BOARD)))
-  # ethos baudrate can be configured from make command
-  ETHOS_BAUDRATE ?= 115200
-  CFLAGS += -DETHOS_BAUDRATE=$(ETHOS_BAUDRATE)
-else
-  TERMFLAGS += -z [::1]:17754
-endif
-GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF := 2
-
-# SLIP legacy compatibility
-# Uncomment the lines below if you want to use SLIP with this example and don't
-# forget to comment the lines above for ethos.
-#ifeq (,$(SLIP_UART))
-# set default (last available UART)
-#SLIP_UART="UART_DEV(UART_NUMOF-1)"
-#endif
-#ifeq (,$(SLIP_BAUDRATE))
-# set default
-#SLIP_BAUDRATE=115200
-#endif
-
-#GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF := 2
-#INCLUDES += -I$(CURDIR)
-#CFLAGS += -DSLIP_UART=$(SLIP_UART)
-#CFLAGS += -DSLIP_BAUDRATE=$(SLIP_BAUDRATE)
-# Include SLIP package for IP over Serial communication
-#USEMODULE += slipdev
-
 # Include packages that pull up and auto-init the link layer.
 # NOTE: 6LoWPAN will be included if IEEE802.15.4 devices are present
 USEMODULE += gnrc_netdev_default
@@ -50,6 +20,11 @@ USEMODULE += shell
 USEMODULE += shell_commands
 USEMODULE += ps
 
+# Optionally include RPL as a routing protocol. When includede gnrc_uhcpc will
+# configure the node as a RPL DODAG root when receiving a prefix.
+#USEMODULE += gnrc_rpl
+
+# Optionally use DHCPv6 instead of UHCP
 USE_DHCPV6 ?= 0
 
 ifeq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
@@ -60,9 +35,12 @@ else
   USEMODULE += gnrc_uhcpc
 endif
 
-# Optionally include RPL as a routing protocol. When includede gnrc_uhcpc will
-# configure the node as a RPL DODAG root when receiving a prefix.
-#USEMODULE += gnrc_rpl
+# Optionally use SLIP instead of ethos when not on native
+# (added to USEMODULE in Makefile.board.dep)
+USE_SLIP ?= 0
+
+# Use two network interfaces
+GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF := 2
 
 # Comment this out to disable code in RIOT that does safety checking
 # which is not needed in a production environment but helps in the
@@ -71,32 +49,29 @@ DEVELHELP ?= 1
 
 # Change this to 0 show compiler invocation lines by default:
 QUIET ?= 1
+
+# Ethos/native TAP interface and UHCP prefix can be configured from make command
 TAP ?= tap0
 IPV6_PREFIX ?= 2001:db8::/64
 
-ifeq (native,$(BOARD))
-ifneq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
-TERMDEPS += uhcpd-daemon
-
-.PHONY: uhcpd-daemon
-
-uhcpd-daemon: host-tools
-	$(RIOTTOOLS)/uhcpd/bin/uhcpd $(TAP) $(IPV6_PREFIX) &
-endif # USE_DHCPV6
+# MODULE DEPENDENT CONFIGURATION IMPORT
+# =====================================
+# use ethos (ethernet over serial) or SLIP (serial-line IP) for network
+# communication and stdio over UART, but not on native, as native has a tap
+# interface towards the host.
+ifeq (,$(filter native,$(BOARD)))
+  ifeq (1,$(USE_SLIP))
+    # SLIP baudrate and UART device can be configured from make command
+    SLIP_UART ?= "UART_DEV(UART_NUMOF-1)"
+    SLIP_BAUDRATE ?= 115200
+    include $(CURDIR)/Makefile.slip.conf
+  else
+    # ethos baudrate can be configured from make command
+    ETHOS_BAUDRATE ?= 115200
+    include $(CURDIR)/Makefile.ethos.conf
+  endif
 else
-# We override the `make term` command to use ethos
-ifeq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
-TERMPROG ?= sudo $(RIOTTOOLS)/ethos/ethos
-TERMFLAGS ?= $(TAP) $(PORT) $(ETHOS_BAUDRATE)
-else # USE_DHCPV6
-TERMPROG ?= sudo sh $(RIOTTOOLS)/ethos/start_network.sh
-TERMFLAGS ?= $(PORT) $(TAP) $(IPV6_PREFIX)
-endif
-
-STATIC_ROUTES ?= 1
-# We depend on the ethos host tools to run the border router, we build them
-# if necessary
-TERMDEPS += host-tools
+  include $(CURDIR)/Makefile.native.conf
 endif
 
 # As there is an 'Kconfig' we want to explicitly disable Kconfig by setting
@@ -105,19 +80,34 @@ SHOULD_RUN_KCONFIG ?=
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
 
-ifndef CONFIG_GNRC_DHCPV6_CLIENT_6LBR_STATIC_ROUTE
-ifeq (1,$(STATIC_ROUTES))
-  CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GNRC_DHCPV6_CLIENT_6LBR_STATIC_ROUTE=1
-  # CONFIG_GNRC_DHCPV6_CLIENT_6LBR_STATIC_ROUTE=1 requires one more address for
-  # `fe80::2`.
-  CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GNRC_NETIF_IPV6_ADDRS_NUMOF=3
-endif
+# Compile-time configuration for DHCPv6 client (needs to come after
+# Makefile.include as this might come from Kconfig)
+ifeq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
+  ifndef CONFIG_GNRC_DHCPV6_CLIENT_6LBR_STATIC_ROUTE
+    ifeq (1,$(STATIC_ROUTES))
+      CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GNRC_DHCPV6_CLIENT_6LBR_STATIC_ROUTE=1
+      # CONFIG_GNRC_DHCPV6_CLIENT_6LBR_STATIC_ROUTE=1 requires one more address
+      # for `fe80::2`.
+      CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GNRC_NETIF_IPV6_ADDRS_NUMOF=3
+    endif
+  endif
 endif
 
+
 .PHONY: host-tools
 
 host-tools:
 	$(Q)env -u CC -u CFLAGS make -C $(RIOTTOOLS)
 
+# define native specific targets to only run UHCP daemon when required
+ifneq (,$(filter native,$(BOARD)))
+ifneq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
+.PHONY: uhcpd-daemon
+
+uhcpd-daemon: host-tools
+	$(RIOTTOOLS)/uhcpd/bin/uhcpd $(TAP) $(IPV6_PREFIX) &
+endif
+endif
+
 # Set a custom channel if needed
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/default-radio-settings.inc.mk
diff --git a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.board.dep b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.board.dep
index 56cdaf5ed9..7c3e57e5ad 100644
--- a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.board.dep
+++ b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.board.dep
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # Put board specific dependencies here
 ifeq (,$(filter native,$(BOARD)))
-  USEMODULE += stdio_ethos
+  ifeq (1,$(USE_SLIP))
+    USEMODULE += slipdev
+  else
+    USEMODULE += stdio_ethos
+  endif
 else
   USEMODULE += socket_zep
 endif
diff --git a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.ethos.conf b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.ethos.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..138ee5077b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.ethos.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+CFLAGS += -DETHOS_BAUDRATE=$(ETHOS_BAUDRATE)
+
+STATIC_ROUTES ?= 1
+
+ifeq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
+  ETHOS_ONLY=--ethos-only
+endif
+
+# Configure terminal parameters
+TERMDEPS += host-tools
+TERMPROG ?= sudo sh $(RIOTTOOLS)/ethos/start_network.sh
+TERMFLAGS ?= $(ETHOS_ONLY) $(PORT) $(TAP) $(IPV6_PREFIX)
diff --git a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.native.conf b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.native.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3340a9f171
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.native.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# native has a TAP interface towards the host, just add parameters for
+# `socket_zep`
+TERMFLAGS += -z [::1]:17754
+
+ifneq (1,$(USE_DHCPV6))
+  # We don't need to start ethos so just start the UHCPD daemon in the
+  # background
+  TERMDEPS += uhcpd-daemon
+endif
diff --git a/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.slip.conf b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.slip.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2262e9579a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/gnrc_border_router/Makefile.slip.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+INCLUDES += -I$(CURDIR)
+
+CFLAGS += -DSLIP_UART=$(SLIP_UART)
+CFLAGS += -DSLIP_BAUDRATE=$(SLIP_BAUDRATE)
+
+STATIC_ROUTES ?= 1