diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 546b8485cb..1d77ebac5d 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ include $(RIOTMAKE)/tests/tests.inc.mk
 .PHONY: fuzz
 fuzz:
 	env FLASHFILE="$(FLASHFILE)" PORT="$(PORT)" TERMFLAGS="$(TERMFLAGS)" \
-		"$(RIOTBASE)"/dist/tools/fuzzing/afl.sh $(AFL_FLAGS)
+		"$(RIOTBASE)"/dist/tools/fuzzing/afl.sh $(FLAGS_FOR_AFL)
 
 # Default OBJDUMPFLAGS for platforms which do not specify it:
 OBJDUMPFLAGS ?= -S -D -h
diff --git a/fuzzing/README.md b/fuzzing/README.md
index 793a92c45a..c087e0ff3c 100644
--- a/fuzzing/README.md
+++ b/fuzzing/README.md
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@ Afterwards invoke afl using:
 
 ### Parallel Fuzzing
 
-Parallel fuzzing is supported through `AFL_FLAGS`, e.g.:
+Parallel fuzzing is supported through `FLAGS_FOR_AFL`, e.g.:
 
 	# Start first AFL instance
-	AFL_FLAGS="-M fuzzer01" make -C fuzzing/gnrc_tcp/ fuzz
+	FLAGS_FOR_AFL="-M fuzzer01" make -C fuzzing/gnrc_tcp/ fuzz
 
 	# Start second AFL instance in a different terminal
-	AFL_FLAGS="-S fuzzer02" make -C fuzzing/gnrc_tcp/ fuzz
+	FLAGS_FOR_AFL="-S fuzzer02" make -C fuzzing/gnrc_tcp/ fuzz
 
 [sanitizers github]: https://github.com/google/sanitizers
 [afl homepage]: http://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/afl/
diff --git a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
index 5c1b380cda..8396fce489 100644
--- a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ export UNZIP_HERE            # Use `cd $(SOME_FOLDER) && $(UNZIP_HERE) $(SOME_FI
 export LAZYSPONGE            # Command saving stdin to a file only on content update.
 export LAZYSPONGE_FLAGS      # Parameters supplied to LAZYSPONGE.
 
-export AFL_FLAGS             # Additional command-line flags passed to afl during fuzzing.
+export FLAGS_FOR_AFL             # Additional command-line flags passed to afl during fuzzing.
 
 # LOG_LEVEL                  # Logging level as integer (NONE: 0, ERROR: 1, WARNING: 2, INFO: 3, DEBUG: 4, default: 3)
 # KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG         # List of .config files to be merged used by Boards and CPUs. See kconfig.mk