diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index cc64d28a9a..e281451309 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += nimble_phy_coded
 PSEUDOMODULES += nimble_phy_2mbit
 PSEUDOMODULES += nimble_rpble_ext
 PSEUDOMODULES += nimble_statconn_ext
+PSEUDOMODULES += nimble_autoadv_shell
 PSEUDOMODULES += newlib
 PSEUDOMODULES += newlib_gnu_source
 PSEUDOMODULES += newlib_nano
diff --git a/pkg/nimble/Makefile b/pkg/nimble/Makefile
index 832f06411c..d27cecc397 100644
--- a/pkg/nimble/Makefile
+++ b/pkg/nimble/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ else
   CFLAGS += -Wno-unused-but-set-variable
 endif
 
-IGNORE := nimble_autoconn_% nimble_phy_% nimble_%_ext
+IGNORE := nimble_autoconn_% nimble_phy_% nimble_%_ext nimble_autoadv%
 SUBMODS := $(filter-out $(IGNORE),$(filter nimble_%,$(USEMODULE)))
 
 .PHONY: all
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ nimble_drivers_nrf5x:
 nimble_addr:
 	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(TDIR)/addr/
 
-nimble_autoadv:
-	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(TDIR)/autoadv
-
 nimble_autoconn:
 	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(TDIR)/autoconn
 
diff --git a/pkg/nimble/Makefile.dep b/pkg/nimble/Makefile.dep
index cdeef5b6e8..b199681339 100644
--- a/pkg/nimble/Makefile.dep
+++ b/pkg/nimble/Makefile.dep
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter nimble_autoadv,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += bluetil_ad
+  USEMODULE += bluetil_addr
+  ifneq (,$(filter shell_commands,$(USEMODULE)))
+    DEFAULT_MODULE += nimble_autoadv_shell
+  endif
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter nimble_autoconn_ext,$(USEMODULE)))
diff --git a/pkg/nimble/Makefile.include b/pkg/nimble/Makefile.include
index 75da027ad9..c192b432e0 100644
--- a/pkg/nimble/Makefile.include
+++ b/pkg/nimble/Makefile.include
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter nimble_autoadv,$(USEMODULE)))
   INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTPKG)/nimble/autoadv/include
+  DIRS += $(RIOTPKG)/nimble/autoadv
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter nimble_autoconn,$(USEMODULE)))
diff --git a/pkg/nimble/autoadv/Makefile b/pkg/nimble/autoadv/Makefile
index 24d0f78ede..0e4218641b 100644
--- a/pkg/nimble/autoadv/Makefile
+++ b/pkg/nimble/autoadv/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 MODULE = nimble_autoadv
 
+SUBMODULES = 1
+
+SRC += nimble_autoadv.c
+
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/pkg/nimble/autoadv/nimble_autoadv.c b/pkg/nimble/autoadv/nimble_autoadv.c
index 083659c34e..f22e400029 100644
--- a/pkg/nimble/autoadv/nimble_autoadv.c
+++ b/pkg/nimble/autoadv/nimble_autoadv.c
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ void nimble_autoadv_start(ble_addr_t *addr)
 #endif
 }
 
-int static _ble_gap_stop(void)
+static int _ble_gap_stop(void)
 {
 #if MYNEWT_VAL_BLE_EXT_ADV
     if (ble_gap_ext_adv_active(CONFIG_NIMBLE_AUTOADV_INSTANCE)) {
diff --git a/pkg/nimble/autoadv/shell.c b/pkg/nimble/autoadv/shell.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8ef844263b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/nimble/autoadv/shell.c
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Inria
+ *
+ * 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
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup     pkg_nimble_autoadv
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Auto advertisement module shell commands
+ *
+ * @author      Francisco Molina <francois-xavier.molina@inria.fr>
+ *
+ * @}
+ */
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "shell.h"
+#include "shell_commands.h"
+#include "xfa.h"
+
+#include "nimble_riot.h"
+#include "host/ble_hs.h"
+#include "host/ble_gap.h"
+#include "net/bluetil/ad.h"
+#include "net/bluetil/addr.h"
+#include "nimble_autoadv.h"
+
+static int _ble_gap_adv_active(void)
+{
+#if MYNEWT_VAL_BLE_EXT_ADV
+    return ble_gap_ext_adv_active(nimble_autoadv_get_adv_instance());
+#else
+    return ble_gap_adv_active();
+#endif
+}
+
+static void _print_usage(void)
+{
+    puts("Usage:");
+    puts("\tautoadv start [addr]: start NimBLE auto advertisement");
+    puts("\tautoadv stop: stop NimBLE auto advertisement");
+    puts("\tautoadv status: print NimBLE auto advertisement status");
+}
+
+static int _autoadv_handler(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        _print_usage();
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (!strcmp(argv[1], "start")) {
+        ble_addr_t *addr_ptr = NULL;
+        ble_addr_t addr = { .type = nimble_riot_own_addr_type };
+        if (argc == 3) {
+            uint8_t addrn[BLE_ADDR_LEN];
+            if (bluetil_addr_from_str(addrn, argv[2]) != NULL) {
+                /* NimBLE expects address in little endian, so swap */
+                bluetil_addr_swapped_cp(addrn, addr.val);
+                addr_ptr = &addr;
+                puts("Found BLE address: sending directed advertisements");
+            }
+
+        }
+        nimble_autoadv_start(addr_ptr);
+        printf("[autoadv] shell: start advertising on inst=(%d)\n",
+               nimble_autoadv_get_adv_instance());
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (!strcmp(argv[1], "stop")) {
+        nimble_autoadv_stop();
+        printf("[autoadv] shell: stop advertising on inst=(%d)\n",
+               nimble_autoadv_get_adv_instance());
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (!strcmp(argv[1], "status")) {
+        if (_ble_gap_adv_active()) {
+            printf("[autoadv] shell: active, inst=(%d)\n",
+                   nimble_autoadv_get_adv_instance());
+        }
+        else {
+            puts("[autoadv] shell: inactive\n");
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    _print_usage();
+    return -1;
+}
+
+SHELL_COMMAND(autoadv, "NimBLE autoadv", _autoadv_handler);