diff --git a/sys/Makefile b/sys/Makefile
index 058697f249..1926dabe36 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile
+++ b/sys/Makefile
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter shell_commands,$(USEMODULE)))
   DIRS += shell/commands
 endif
+ifneq (,$(filter test_utils_interactive_sync,$(USEMODULE)))
+  DIRS += test_utils/interactive_sync
+endif
 ifneq (,$(filter net_help,$(USEMODULE)))
   DIRS += net/crosslayer/net_help
 endif
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.dep b/sys/Makefile.dep
index f9afc587e3..dcddeac2bc 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/Makefile.dep
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(filter prng_fortuna,$(USEMODULE)))
   CFLAGS += -DCRYPTO_AES
 endif
+
+include $(RIOTBASE)/sys/test_utils/Makefile.dep
diff --git a/sys/include/test_utils/interactive_sync.h b/sys/include/test_utils/interactive_sync.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b27a571f2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/include/test_utils/interactive_sync.h
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2019 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @defgroup    test_utils_interactive_sync Test interactive synchronization
+ * @ingroup     sys
+ * @brief       Utility function for synchronizing before a test
+ *
+ * @{
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Synchronization for normally non interactive tests
+ *
+ * @author      Gaëtan Harter <gaetan.harter@fu-berlin.de>
+ */
+
+#ifndef TEST_UTILS_INTERACTIVE_SYNC_H
+#define TEST_UTILS_INTERACTIVE_SYNC_H
+
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Wait for the tester to start test
+ *
+ * @details Wait for a 's' character to return
+ *
+ */
+void test_utils_interactive_sync(void);
+
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+#endif /* TEST_UTILS_INTERACTIVE_SYNC_H */
+/** @} */
diff --git a/sys/test_utils/Makefile.dep b/sys/test_utils/Makefile.dep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4bafa543b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/test_utils/Makefile.dep
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+ifneq (,$(filter test_utils_interactive_sync,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += stdin
+endif
diff --git a/sys/test_utils/interactive_sync/Makefile b/sys/test_utils/interactive_sync/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e22cec26b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/test_utils/interactive_sync/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+MODULE = test_utils_interactive_sync
+
+include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/test_utils/interactive_sync/interactive_sync.c b/sys/test_utils/interactive_sync/interactive_sync.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6dba6ed425
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/test_utils/interactive_sync/interactive_sync.c
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include "test_utils/interactive_sync.h"
+
+void test_utils_interactive_sync(void)
+{
+    char c = '\0'; /* Print help on first loop */
+    do {
+        if (c == 'r') {
+            /* This one should have a different case than the help message
+             * otherwise we match it when using 'expect' */
+            puts("READY");
+        }
+        else if (c != '\n' && c != '\r') {
+            puts("Help: Press s to start test, r to print it is ready");
+        }
+        c = getchar();
+    } while (c != 's');
+
+    puts("START");
+}