diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index a8183c5f2f..77c6528a67 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -1071,6 +1071,9 @@ FEATURES_OPTIONAL += periph_pm
 # always select provided architecture features
 FEATURES_REQUIRED += $(filter arch_%,$(FEATURES_PROVIDED))
 
+# always select CPU core features
+FEATURES_REQUIRED += $(filter cpu_core_%,$(FEATURES_PROVIDED))
+
 ifneq (,$(filter ecc_%,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += ecc
 endif
diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/Kconfig b/cpu/cortexm_common/Kconfig
index ca88eef868..3fa3ff88cf 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/Kconfig
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/Kconfig
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ config CPU_ARCH
 
 config CPU_CORE_CORTEX_M
     bool
-    select HAS_ARCH_CORTEXM
+    select HAS_CPU_CORE_CORTEXM
     select HAS_PERIPH_PM
     select HAS_CPP
     select HAS_CPU_CHECK_ADDRESS
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@ config CPU_CORE_CORTEX_M7
     select HAS_CORTEXM_FPU
 
 ## Definition of specific features
-config HAS_ARCH_CORTEXM
+config HAS_CPU_CORE_CORTEXM
     bool
     help
-        Indicates that the current architecture is ARM Cortex-M.
+        Indicates that the current CPU has an ARM Cortex-M core.
 
 config HAS_ARCH_ARM
     bool
diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features b/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
index 1b312edae8..974d78d606 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += arch_32bit
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += arch_arm
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += arch_cortexm
+FEATURES_PROVIDED += cpu_core_cortexm
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_pm
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += cortexm_svc
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += cpp
diff --git a/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk b/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk
index 38aaf58d94..4f4959be16 100644
--- a/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/stdio.inc.mk
@@ -53,5 +53,5 @@ endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter stdio_semihosting,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += xtimer
-  FEATURES_REQUIRED += arch_cortexm
+  FEATURES_REQUIRED += cpu_core_cortexm
 endif
diff --git a/pkg/cmsis-nn/Makefile.dep b/pkg/cmsis-nn/Makefile.dep
index 469b993d2f..6eaa9a1f20 100644
--- a/pkg/cmsis-nn/Makefile.dep
+++ b/pkg/cmsis-nn/Makefile.dep
@@ -1 +1 @@
-FEATURES_REQUIRED += arch_cortexm
+FEATURES_REQUIRED += cpu_core_cortexm
diff --git a/tests/pkg_cmsis-nn/Makefile b/tests/pkg_cmsis-nn/Makefile
index 8dd1ae9bf8..0cb3bcad8a 100644
--- a/tests/pkg_cmsis-nn/Makefile
+++ b/tests/pkg_cmsis-nn/Makefile
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ BLOBS += input
 
 # Boards that were tested and are known to work
 # This package only works with Cortex M3, M4 and M7 CPUs but there's no easy
-# way provided by the build system to filter them at that level (arch_cortexm is
-# the only feature available) for the moment.
+# way provided by the build system to filter them at that level
+# (cpu_core_cortexm is the only feature available) for the moment.
 BOARD_WHITELIST := \
   b-l475e-iot01a \
   iotlab-m3 \