diff --git a/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile b/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile
index 21f0d18719..9836e38e6d 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 MODULE = cpu
 
 # add a list of subdirectories, that should also be build
-DIRS = periph $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common
+DIRS = periph $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common $(RIOTCPU)/stm32_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile.include b/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile.include
index d5dd645fe6..4b20ee5f00 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/stm32f4/Makefile.include
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 export CPU_ARCH = cortex-m4f
+export CPU_FAM  = stm32f4
 
-# use common periph functions
-USEMODULE += periph_common
-
+include $(RIOTCPU)/stm32_common/Makefile.include
 include $(RIOTCPU)/Makefile.include.cortexm_common
diff --git a/cpu/stm32f4/include/periph_cpu.h b/cpu/stm32f4/include/periph_cpu.h
index ea7d710a67..d6b21e4a92 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32f4/include/periph_cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/stm32f4/include/periph_cpu.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2015 Freie Universität Berlin
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Freie Universität Berlin
  *
  * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
  * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #define PERIPH_CPU_H
 
 #include "cpu.h"
+#include "periph_cpu_common.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
@@ -43,15 +44,6 @@ typedef uint32_t gpio_t;
  */
 #define GPIO_PIN(x, y)      ((GPIOA_BASE + (x << 10)) | y)
 
-/**
- * @brief declare needed generic SPI functions
- * @{
- */
-#define PERIPH_SPI_NEEDS_TRANSFER_BYTES
-#define PERIPH_SPI_NEEDS_TRANSFER_REG
-#define PERIPH_SPI_NEEDS_TRANSFER_REGS
-/** @} */
-
 /**
  * @brief   Length of the CPU_ID in octets
  */