diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 350d15fd08..e3dd7383d3 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -395,6 +395,13 @@ include $(BOARDDIR)/Makefile.include
 INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU)/include
 include $(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU)/Makefile.include
 
+# Include emulator code if available and if emulate target is used
+ifneq (,$(filter emulate,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+  # Use renode as default emulator
+  RIOT_EMULATOR ?= renode
+  -include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/$(RIOT_EMULATOR).inc.mk
+endif
+
 # Assume GCC/GNU as supported toolchain if CPU's Makefile.include doesn't
 # provide this macro
 TOOLCHAINS_SUPPORTED ?= gnu
diff --git a/boards/cc2538dk/Makefile.include b/boards/cc2538dk/Makefile.include
index aa93b15f7c..966f546ddf 100644
--- a/boards/cc2538dk/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/cc2538dk/Makefile.include
@@ -6,7 +6,4 @@ PROGRAMMER_SERIAL ?= 06EB
 PORT_LINUX ?= $(word 2,$(shell $(RIOTTOOLS)/usb-serial/find-tty.sh '^$(PROGRAMMER_SERIAL)'))
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbserial*)))
 
-# setup emulator
-include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/renode.inc.mk
-
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/cc2538/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/microbit/Makefile.include b/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
index ec6606b587..388569066b 100644
--- a/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
@@ -12,11 +12,7 @@ else ifeq (pyocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
 endif
 
 # QEMU 4.0 added microbit system emulation.
-EMULATOR = qemu-system-arm
-EMULATOR_FLAGS = -M microbit -device loader,file=$(ELFFILE) \
-                 -serial stdio \
-                 -monitor telnet::45454,server,nowait \
-                 -nographic
+RIOT_EMULATOR ?= qemu
 
 # include nrf51 boards common configuration
 include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/qemu.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/qemu.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9644dfcee5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/qemu.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+EMULATOR ?= qemu-system-arm
+EMULATOR_MACHINE ?= $(BOARD)
+EMULATOR_MONITOR_PORT ?= 45454
+EMULATOR_MONITOR_FLAGS ?= telnet::$(EMULATOR_MONITOR_PORT),server,nowait
+
+EMULATOR_FLAGS = -machine $(EMULATOR_MACHINE) -device loader,file=$(ELFFILE) \
+                 -serial stdio \
+                 -monitor $(EMULATOR_MONITOR_FLAGS) \
+                 -nographic