diff --git a/cpu/cc2538/radio/cc2538_rf.c b/cpu/cc2538/radio/cc2538_rf.c
index abaa31fea5..e72dd782af 100644
--- a/cpu/cc2538/radio/cc2538_rf.c
+++ b/cpu/cc2538/radio/cc2538_rf.c
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ void cc2538_setup(cc2538_rf_t *dev)
     (void) dev;
 #if IS_USED(MODULE_NETDEV_IEEE802154_SUBMAC)
     extern ieee802154_dev_t cc2538_rf_dev;
+    netdev_register((netdev_t* )dev, NETDEV_CC2538, 0);
     netdev_ieee802154_submac_init(&dev->netdev, &cc2538_rf_dev);
 #endif
     cc2538_init();
diff --git a/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154.c b/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154.c
index f5c03b4f5a..cbfeb9f69a 100644
--- a/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154.c
+++ b/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154.c
@@ -233,8 +233,6 @@ static int _init(netdev_t *dev)
 {
     (void)dev;
 
-    netdev_register(&nrf802154_dev->netdev, NETDEV_NRF802154, 0);
-
     int result = timer_init(NRF802154_TIMER, TIMER_FREQ, _timer_cb, NULL);
     assert(result >= 0);
     (void)result;
diff --git a/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154_radio.c b/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154_radio.c
index 20cd9f0ccb..183b76511e 100644
--- a/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154_radio.c
+++ b/cpu/nrf52/radio/nrf802154/nrf802154_radio.c
@@ -718,6 +718,8 @@ void nrf802154_setup(nrf802154_t *dev)
 {
     (void) dev;
 #if IS_USED(MODULE_NETDEV_IEEE802154_SUBMAC)
+    netdev_t *netdev = (netdev_t*) dev;
+    netdev_register(netdev, NETDEV_NRF802154, 0);
     netdev_ieee802154_submac_init(&dev->netdev, &nrf802154_hal_dev);
 #endif
     nrf802154_init();
diff --git a/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c b/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c
index 06a41ce03f..84168adfe9 100644
--- a/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c
+++ b/drivers/netdev_ieee802154_submac/netdev_ieee802154_submac.c
@@ -274,33 +274,9 @@ static int _init(netdev_t *netdev)
 {
     netdev_ieee802154_submac_t *netdev_submac =
         (netdev_ieee802154_submac_t *)netdev;
-    /* Call the init function of the device (this will be handled by
-     * `auto_init`) */
-
     ieee802154_submac_t *submac = &netdev_submac->submac;
-
-    ieee802154_submac_init(submac);
-
     netdev_ieee802154_t *netdev_ieee802154 = (netdev_ieee802154_t *)netdev;
-
-    /* This function already sets the PAN ID to the default one */
-    netdev_ieee802154_reset(netdev_ieee802154);
-
-    uint16_t chan = CONFIG_IEEE802154_DEFAULT_CHANNEL;
-    int16_t tx_power = CONFIG_IEEE802154_DEFAULT_TXPOWER;
-    netopt_enable_t enable = NETOPT_ENABLE;
-
-    /* Initialise netdev_ieee802154_t struct */
-    netdev_ieee802154_set(netdev_ieee802154, NETOPT_CHANNEL,
-                          &chan, sizeof(chan));
-    netdev_ieee802154_set(netdev_ieee802154, NETOPT_ADDRESS,
-                          &submac->short_addr, sizeof(submac->short_addr));
-    netdev_ieee802154_set(netdev_ieee802154, NETOPT_ADDRESS_LONG,
-                          &submac->ext_addr, sizeof(submac->ext_addr));
-    netdev_ieee802154_set(netdev_ieee802154, NETOPT_ACK_REQ,
-                          &enable, sizeof(enable));
-
-    netdev_submac->dev.txpower = tx_power;
+    ieee802154_submac_init(submac, (network_uint16_t*) netdev_ieee802154->short_addr, (eui64_t*) netdev_ieee802154->long_addr);
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -323,6 +299,25 @@ int netdev_ieee802154_submac_init(netdev_ieee802154_submac_t *netdev_submac,
     netdev_submac->ack_timer.callback = _ack_timeout;
     netdev_submac->ack_timer.arg = netdev_submac;
 
+    netdev_ieee802154_t *netdev_ieee802154 = (netdev_ieee802154_t *)netdev;
+
+    /* This function already sets the PAN ID to the default one */
+    netdev_ieee802154_reset(netdev_ieee802154);
+
+    uint16_t chan = CONFIG_IEEE802154_DEFAULT_CHANNEL;
+    int16_t tx_power = CONFIG_IEEE802154_DEFAULT_TXPOWER;
+    netopt_enable_t enable = NETOPT_ENABLE;
+
+    netdev_ieee802154_setup(netdev_ieee802154);
+
+    /* Initialise netdev_ieee802154_t struct */
+    netdev_ieee802154_set(netdev_ieee802154, NETOPT_CHANNEL,
+                          &chan, sizeof(chan));
+    netdev_ieee802154_set(netdev_ieee802154, NETOPT_ACK_REQ,
+                          &enable, sizeof(enable));
+
+    netdev_submac->dev.txpower = tx_power;
+
     return 0;
 }