diff --git a/boards/native/drivers/native-ltc4150.c b/boards/native/drivers/native-ltc4150.c
index cd3639ffba..e269a6bab6 100644
--- a/boards/native/drivers/native-ltc4150.c
+++ b/boards/native/drivers/native-ltc4150.c
@@ -22,30 +22,37 @@
 #include <err.h>
 
 #include "ltc4150_arch.h"
-#include "debug.h"
 
 #include "cpu.h"
 #include "cpu-conf.h"
 #include "hwtimer.h"
+#include "irq.h"
+
+#define ENABLE_DEBUG (0)
+#include "debug.h"
 
-#define native_ltc4150_startup_delay 10
 #define LTC_TIMER_INTERVAL (10 * 1000UL) // 10 ms
 
-static int _int_enabled;
-static int hwtimer_id;
+static int _native_ltc_hwtimer_id = -1;
 
 /**
  * native ltc4150 hwtimer - interrupt handler proxy
  */
-static void _int_handler()
+static void _native_ltc_int_handler()
 {
-    DEBUG("ltc4150 _int_handler()\n");
-    ltc4150_interrupt();
-    if (_int_enabled == 1) {
-        hwtimer_id = hwtimer_set(LTC_TIMER_INTERVAL, _int_handler, NULL);
-        if (hwtimer_id == -1) {
+    DEBUG("_native_ltc_int_handler()\n");
+    if (_native_ltc_hwtimer_id != -1) {
+        ltc4150_interrupt();
+        _native_ltc_hwtimer_id = hwtimer_set(LTC_TIMER_INTERVAL, _native_ltc_int_handler, NULL);
+        if (_native_ltc_hwtimer_id == -1) {
             errx(1, "_int_handler: hwtimer_set");
         }
+        else {
+            DEBUG("_native_ltc_int_handler: _native_ltc_hwtimer_id is  %d\n", _native_ltc_hwtimer_id);
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        DEBUG("_native_ltc_int_handler was called although no hwtimer is set\n");
     }
 }
 
@@ -54,9 +61,13 @@ static void _int_handler()
  */
 void ltc4150_disable_int(void)
 {
+    unsigned state = disableIRQ();
     DEBUG("ltc4150_disable_int()\n");
-    _int_enabled = 0;
-    hwtimer_remove(hwtimer_id);
+    if (_native_ltc_hwtimer_id != -1) {
+        hwtimer_remove(_native_ltc_hwtimer_id);
+        _native_ltc_hwtimer_id = -1;
+    }
+    restoreIRQ(state);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -65,11 +76,13 @@ void ltc4150_disable_int(void)
 void ltc4150_enable_int(void)
 {
     DEBUG("ltc4150_enable_int()\n");
-    _int_enabled = 1;
-    hwtimer_id = hwtimer_set(LTC_TIMER_INTERVAL, _int_handler, NULL);
-    if (hwtimer_id == -1) {
+    _native_ltc_hwtimer_id = hwtimer_set(LTC_TIMER_INTERVAL, _native_ltc_int_handler, NULL);
+    if (_native_ltc_hwtimer_id == -1) {
         errx(1, "ltc4150_enable_int: hwtimer_set");
     }
+    else {
+        DEBUG("ltc4150_enable_int: _native_ltc_hwtimer_id is %d\n", _native_ltc_hwtimer_id);
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -78,8 +91,6 @@ void ltc4150_enable_int(void)
 void ltc4150_sync_blocking(void)
 {
     DEBUG("ltc4150_sync_blocking()\n");
-
-    for (int i = native_ltc4150_startup_delay; i > 0; i--);
 }
 
 /**