diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 3c2862297d..02f5d81f07 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -286,6 +286,10 @@ export PREFIX ?= $(if $(TARGET_ARCH),$(TARGET_ARCH)-)
 # be done in makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk which is included after.
 ifneq (,$(IOTLAB_NODE))
   PROGRAMMER ?= iotlab
+  # iotlab uses ELFFILE by default for flashing boards, except for WSN430.
+  ifeq (,$(filter wsn430-%,$(BOARD)))
+    FLASHFILE ?= $(ELFFILE)
+  endif
 endif
 
 # Add standard include directories
@@ -445,6 +449,11 @@ include $(RIOTMAKE)/modules.inc.mk
 # https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/html_node/Force-Targets.html
 .PHONY: FORCE
 
+ifneq (,$(IOTLAB_NODE))
+  # iot-lab serial and flasher
+  include $(RIOTBASE)/dist/testbed-support/makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk
+endif
+
 ELFFILE ?= $(BINDIR)/$(APPLICATION).elf
 HEXFILE ?= $(ELFFILE:.elf=.hex)
 BINFILE ?= $(ELFFILE:.elf=.bin)
@@ -813,10 +822,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter iotlab-m3 wsn430-v1_3b wsn430-v1_4,$(BOARD)))
     include $(RIOTBASE)/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
   endif
 endif
-ifneq (,$(IOTLAB_NODE))
-  # iot-lab serial and flasher
-  include $(RIOTBASE)/dist/testbed-support/makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk
-endif
 
 # Include desvirt Makefile
 include $(RIOTTOOLS)/desvirt/Makefile.desvirt
diff --git a/boards/common/wsn430/Makefile.include b/boards/common/wsn430/Makefile.include
index 8fa4aa992c..b87e3af0ee 100644
--- a/boards/common/wsn430/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/wsn430/Makefile.include
@@ -12,6 +12,3 @@ include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/serial.inc.mk
 FLASHER = mspdebug
 FLASHFILE ?= $(HEXFILE)
 FFLAGS = -d $(PORT) -j uif "prog $(FLASHFILE)"
-
-# Use the HEXFILE when using iot-lab.single.inc.mk
-IOTLAB_FLASHFILE = $(FLASHFILE)
diff --git a/dist/testbed-support/makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk b/dist/testbed-support/makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk
index 8e45aa3acc..51176e2b6f 100644
--- a/dist/testbed-support/makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk
+++ b/dist/testbed-support/makefile.iotlab.single.inc.mk
@@ -54,9 +54,6 @@ IOTLAB_USER ?= $(shell cut -f1 -d: $(IOTLAB_AUTH))
 # Optional Experiment id. Required when having multiple experiments
 IOTLAB_EXP_ID ?=
 
-# File to use for flashing
-IOTLAB_FLASHFILE ?= $(ELFFILE)
-
 # Specify experiment-id option if provided
 _IOTLAB_EXP_ID := $(if $(IOTLAB_EXP_ID),--id $(IOTLAB_EXP_ID))
 
@@ -163,7 +160,7 @@ ifneq (iotlab-a8-m3,$(BOARD))
   FLASHER     = iotlab-node
   RESET       = iotlab-node
   _NODE_FMT   = --jmespath='keys(@)[0]' --format='int'
-  FFLAGS      = $(_NODE_FMT) $(_IOTLAB_EXP_ID) $(_IOTLAB_NODELIST) --update $(IOTLAB_FLASHFILE) | $(_STDIN_EQ_0)
+  FFLAGS      = $(_NODE_FMT) $(_IOTLAB_EXP_ID) $(_IOTLAB_NODELIST) --update $(FLASHFILE) | $(_STDIN_EQ_0)
   RESET_FLAGS = $(_NODE_FMT) $(_IOTLAB_EXP_ID) $(_IOTLAB_NODELIST) --reset | $(_STDIN_EQ_0)
 
   ifeq (,$(_IOTLAB_ON_FRONTEND))
@@ -180,7 +177,7 @@ else
   FLASHER     = iotlab-ssh
   RESET       = iotlab-ssh
   _NODE_FMT   = --jmespath='keys(values(@)[0])[0]' --fmt='int'
-  FFLAGS      = $(_NODE_FMT) $(_IOTLAB_EXP_ID) flash-m3 $(_IOTLAB_NODELIST) $(IOTLAB_FLASHFILE) | $(_STDIN_EQ_0)
+  FFLAGS      = $(_NODE_FMT) $(_IOTLAB_EXP_ID) flash-m3 $(_IOTLAB_NODELIST) $(FLASHFILE) | $(_STDIN_EQ_0)
   RESET_FLAGS = $(_NODE_FMT) $(_IOTLAB_EXP_ID) reset-m3 $(_IOTLAB_NODELIST) | $(_STDIN_EQ_0)
 
   TERMPROG  = ssh