diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/include/thread_arch.h b/cpu/cortexm_common/include/thread_arch.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e75ec0af57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/include/thread_arch.h
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Koen Zandberg <koen@bergzand.net>
+ *               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     cpu_cortexm_common
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Implementation of the kernels thread interface
+ *
+ * @author      Koen Zandberg <koen@bergzand.net>
+ *
+ * @}
+ */
+#ifndef THREAD_ARCH_H
+#define THREAD_ARCH_H
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+#define THREAD_API_INLINED
+
+#ifndef DOXYGEN /* Doxygen is in core/include/thread.h */
+
+static inline __attribute__((always_inline)) void thread_yield_higher(void)
+{
+    /* trigger the PENDSV interrupt to run scheduler and schedule new thread if
+     * applicable */
+    SCB->ICSR = SCB_ICSR_PENDSVSET_Msk;
+    /* flush the pipeline. Otherwise we risk that subsequent instructions are
+     * executed before the IRQ has actually triggered */
+    __ISB();
+}
+
+#endif /* DOXYGEN */
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* THREAD_ARCH_H */
+/** @} */
diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/thread_arch.c b/cpu/cortexm_common/thread_arch.c
index e6b25e6e67..cb8c9004aa 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/thread_arch.c
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/thread_arch.c
@@ -296,16 +296,6 @@ void NORETURN cpu_switch_context_exit(void)
     UNREACHABLE();
 }
 
-void thread_yield_higher(void)
-{
-    /* trigger the PENDSV interrupt to run scheduler and schedule new thread if
-     * applicable */
-    SCB->ICSR = SCB_ICSR_PENDSVSET_Msk;
-    /* flush the pipeline. Otherwise we risk that subsequent instructions are
-     * executed before the IRQ has actually triggered */
-    __ISB();
-}
-
 #if CPU_CORE_CORTEXM_FULL_THUMB
 void __attribute__((naked)) __attribute__((used)) isr_pendsv(void) {
     __asm__ volatile (