diff --git a/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh b/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh
index babf0bb224..14de9fd164 100755
--- a/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/openocd/openocd.sh
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@
 : ${OPENOCD_CONFIG:=${RIOTBOARD}/${BOARD}/dist/openocd.cfg}
 # Default OpenOCD command
 : ${OPENOCD:=openocd}
+# Extra board initialization commands to pass to OpenOCD
+: ${OPENOCD_EXTRA_INIT:=}
+# Debugger interface initialization commands to pass to OpenOCD
+: ${OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT:=}
 # The setsid command is needed so that Ctrl+C in GDB doesn't kill OpenOCD
 : ${SETSID:=setsid}
 # GDB command, usually a separate command for each platform (e.g. arm-none-eabi-gdb)
@@ -152,7 +156,9 @@ do_flash() {
         fi
     fi
     # flash device
-    sh -c "${OPENOCD} -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
+    sh -c "${OPENOCD} \
+            ${OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} \
+            -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
             ${OPENOCD_EXTRA_INIT} \
             -c 'tcl_port 0' \
             -c 'telnet_port 0' \
@@ -186,7 +192,9 @@ do_debug() {
     # don't trap on Ctrl+C, because GDB keeps running
     trap '' INT
     # start OpenOCD as GDB server
-    ${SETSID} sh -c "${OPENOCD} -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
+    ${SETSID} sh -c "${OPENOCD} \
+            ${OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} \
+            -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
             ${OPENOCD_EXTRA_INIT} \
             -c 'tcl_port ${TCL_PORT}' \
             -c 'telnet_port ${TELNET_PORT}' \
@@ -211,7 +219,9 @@ do_debug() {
 do_debugserver() {
     test_config
     # start OpenOCD as GDB server
-    sh -c "${OPENOCD} -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
+    sh -c "${OPENOCD} \
+            ${OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} \
+            -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
             ${OPENOCD_EXTRA_INIT} \
             -c 'tcl_port ${TCL_PORT}' \
             -c 'telnet_port ${TELNET_PORT}' \
@@ -224,7 +234,9 @@ do_debugserver() {
 do_reset() {
     test_config
     # start OpenOCD and invoke board reset
-    sh -c "${OPENOCD} -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
+    sh -c "${OPENOCD} \
+            ${OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT} \
+            -f '${OPENOCD_CONFIG}' \
             ${OPENOCD_EXTRA_INIT} \
             -c 'tcl_port 0' \
             -c 'telnet_port 0' \
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/README.md b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9d2bdd08c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+This directory contains definitions of debugger hardware interfaces to be used
+by the OpenOCD integration.
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/dap.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/dap.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c93fc61a9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/dap.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# CMSIS DAP debug adapter
+OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT ?= -c 'source [find interface/cmsis-dap.cfg]'
+# Add serial matching command, only if DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID was specified
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID))
+  OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT += -c 'cmsis_dap_serial $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)'
+endif
+export OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/jlink.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/jlink.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c57e0119d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/jlink.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Segger J-Link debug adapter
+OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT ?= -c 'source [find interface/jlink.cfg]'
+# Add serial matching command, only if DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID was specified
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID))
+  OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT += -c 'jlink serial $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)'
+endif
+export OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/mulle.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/mulle.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3004e09b34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/mulle.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# OpenOCD settings for Mulle programmer board.
+# Try to determine which OpenOCD config file we should use based on the
+# programmer board serial number.
+
+# Fall back to PROGRAMMER_SERIAL for backwards compatibility
+export DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID ?= $(PROGRAMMER_SERIAL)
+
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID))
+  # Makefile-way of comparing numbers, using lexicographical sorting since we
+  # don't have any arithmetic comparisons.
+  # Programmers with serial 100 -- 148 are version 0.60
+  # Programmers with serial 301 -- 330 are version 0.70
+  ifeq "100" "$(word 1, $(sort 100 $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)))"
+    # >= 100
+    ifneq "149" "$(word 1, $(sort 149 $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)))"
+      # < 149
+      PROGRAMMER_VERSION = 0.60
+    else
+      # >= 149
+      PROGRAMMER_VERSION = 0.70
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+# Default to version 0.70 programmer
+PROGRAMMER_VERSION ?= 0.70
+
+OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT ?= -f '$(RIOTBASE)/boards/mulle/dist/openocd/mulle-programmer-$(PROGRAMMER_VERSION).cfg'
+
+# Add serial matching command, only if DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID was specified
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID))
+  OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT += -c 'ftdi_serial $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)'
+endif
+export OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9ef8d1ee0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/stlink.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# ST-Link debug adapter
+# Use STLINK_VERSION to select which stlink version is used
+OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT ?= \
+  -c 'source [find interface/stlink-v$(STLINK_VERSION).cfg]' \
+  -c 'transport select hla_swd'
+# Add serial matching command, only if DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID was specified
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID))
+  OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT += -c 'hla_serial $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)'
+endif
+export OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk
index f2b694115f..3208716d2b 100644
--- a/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd.inc.mk
@@ -8,3 +8,7 @@ export FFLAGS ?= flash
 export DEBUGGER_FLAGS ?= debug
 export DEBUGSERVER_FLAGS ?= debug-server
 export RESET_FLAGS ?= reset
+
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER))
+  include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd-adapters/$(DEBUG_ADAPTER).inc.mk
+endif