diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h b/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h
index 0fc6a078ae..5f00593f38 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ __attribute__((always_inline)) static inline void cpu_print_last_instruction(voi
  */
 void atmega_stdio_init(void);
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Exit ISR mode and yield with a return from interrupt. Use at the
+ * end of ISRs in place of thread_yield_higher. If thread_yield is needed, use
+ * thread_yield followed by thread_yield_isr instead of thread_yield alone.
+ */
+void thread_yield_isr(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/periph/timer.c b/cpu/atmega_common/periph/timer.c
index 9eb2b1a87f..3b860ee1be 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/periph/timer.c
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/periph/timer.c
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ static inline void _isr(tim_t tim, int chan)
 
     if (sched_context_switch_request) {
         thread_yield();
+        thread_yield_isr();
     }
 
     __exit_isr();
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/periph/uart.c b/cpu/atmega_common/periph/uart.c
index c1abacd068..3d13a3bf30 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/periph/uart.c
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/periph/uart.c
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ static inline void isr_handler(int num)
 
     if (sched_context_switch_request) {
         thread_yield();
+        thread_yield_isr();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/thread_arch.c b/cpu/atmega_common/thread_arch.c
index dd3d0200e6..d76995e4e1 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/thread_arch.c
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/thread_arch.c
@@ -29,31 +29,6 @@
 #include "board.h"
 
 
-/**
- * @brief AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INIT initialize the context swap trigger
- * Called when threading is first started.
- */
-#ifndef AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INIT
-#error AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INIT must be defined in board.h
-#endif
-
-/**
- * @brief AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INTERRUPT_VECT Name of the ISR to use for context swapping
- */
-#ifndef AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INTERRUPT_VECT
-#error AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INTERRUPT_VECT must be defined in board.h
-#endif
-
-/**
- * @brief AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_TRIGGER executed to start the context swap
- * When executed, this should result in the interrupt named in
- * AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INTERRUPT_VECT being called
- */
-#ifndef AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_TRIGGER
-#error ARV_CONTEXT_SWAP_TRIGGER must be defined in board.h
-#endif
-
-
 /*
  * local function declarations  (prefixed with __)
  */
@@ -228,7 +203,6 @@ void cpu_switch_context_exit(void) __attribute__((naked));
 void cpu_switch_context_exit(void)
 {
     sched_run();
-    AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INIT;
     __enter_thread_mode();
 }
 
@@ -247,19 +221,26 @@ void NORETURN __enter_thread_mode(void)
 }
 
 void thread_yield_higher(void) {
-    AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_TRIGGER;
+    if (irq_is_in() == 0) {
+        __context_save();
+        sched_run();
+        __context_restore();
+        __asm__ volatile("ret");
+    } else {
+        sched_context_switch_request = 1;
+    }
 }
 
-
-/* Use this interrupt to perform all context switches */
-ISR(AVR_CONTEXT_SWAP_INTERRUPT_VECT, ISR_NAKED) {
+void thread_yield_isr(void) {
     __context_save();
     sched_run();
     __context_restore();
+
+    __exit_isr();
+
     __asm__ volatile("reti");
 }
 
-
 __attribute__((always_inline)) static inline void __context_save(void)
 {
     __asm__ volatile(