diff --git a/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.dep b/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.dep
index b68127eea4..b03de54da5 100644
--- a/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.dep
+++ b/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.dep
@@ -2,5 +2,9 @@ ifneq (,$(filter saul_default,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += saul_gpio
 endif
 
+ifeq (1,$(PARTICLE_MONOFIRMWARE))
+  USEMODULE += usb_board_reset
+endif
+
 # include common nrf52 dependencies
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf52/Makefile.dep
diff --git a/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include b/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include
index 6e7387215c..683ab4a972 100644
--- a/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/particle-mesh/Makefile.include
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ ifeq (1,$(PARTICLE_MONOFIRMWARE))
   FFLAGS = -d 0x2B04:0xD00E -a 0 -s 0x30000:leave -D $(FLASHFILE)
   PROGRAMMER = dfu-util
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/dfu.inc.mk
+  # If CDC-ACM is *not* enabled, any pre-flash resets will just not work -- but
+  # then again nothing can be done in that case anyway, and the preflash
+  # routines fall through without erring.
+  include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/usb_board_reset.mk
 else
   # This board uses a DAP-Link programmer
   # Flashing support is provided through pyocd (default) and openocd.
diff --git a/boards/common/particle-mesh/reset.c b/boards/common/particle-mesh/reset.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e964623b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/boards/common/particle-mesh/reset.c
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C)  2020 Christian Amsüss
+ *
+ * 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.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @brief       Management of bootloader resets
+ *
+ * This implements a reset procedure read from the code of the particle device
+ * OS at https://github.com/particle-iot/device-os/ (version
+ * c21d5b8f39c8a013e19f904800808673f369c6e3), primarily from
+ * hal/inc/syshealth_hal.h and its linker script.
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @author      Christian Amsüss <chrysn@fsfe.org>
+ *
+ * @}
+ */
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include "cpu.h"
+
+/* from the eSystemHealth definition of hal/inc/syshealth_hal.h */
+#define ENTER_DFU_APP_REQUEST (0xEDFA)
+
+/* Start of the backup registers as per
+ * build/arm/linker/nrf52840/platform_ram.ld and hal/src/nRF52840/core_hal.c */
+#define BACKUP_REGISTERS ((volatile int32_t*)0x2003f380)
+
+void usb_board_reset_in_bootloader(void)
+{
+    /* This *is* a write into an arbitrary memory location -- as RIOT does not
+     * use any of the Particle system interrupt handlers any more, it's not
+     * abiding by its RAM layout either. The write immediately preceding the
+     * reboot should not have any effect on being-restarted system, but leaves
+     * the flag in memory for the starting-up system to introspect.
+     * */
+    BACKUP_REGISTERS[0] = ENTER_DFU_APP_REQUEST;
+    /* Going with a hard reset rather than a pm_off, as that might be altered
+     * to do *anything* -- which is not safe any more now that we've forsaken
+     * the RAM content */
+    NVIC_SystemReset();
+}