diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/routing/rpl/gnrc_rpl_auto_init.c b/sys/net/gnrc/routing/rpl/gnrc_rpl_auto_init.c
index d5e0ba3ee3..0f36971ea9 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/routing/rpl/gnrc_rpl_auto_init.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/routing/rpl/gnrc_rpl_auto_init.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #ifdef MODULE_AUTO_INIT_GNRC_RPL
 
+#include "log.h"
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/rpl.h"
 
@@ -29,7 +30,12 @@ void auto_init_gnrc_rpl(void)
 {
 #if (GNRC_NETIF_NUMOF == 1)
     gnrc_netif_t *netif = gnrc_netif_iter(NULL);
-    assert(netif != NULL);
+    if (netif == NULL) {
+        /* XXX this is just a work-around ideally this would happen with
+         * an `up` event of the interface */
+        LOG_INFO("Unable to auto-initialize RPL. No interfaces found.\n");
+        return;
+    }
     DEBUG("auto_init_gnrc_rpl: initializing RPL on interface %" PRIkernel_pid "\n",
           netif->pid);
     gnrc_rpl_init(netif->pid);
@@ -41,10 +47,14 @@ void auto_init_gnrc_rpl(void)
         gnrc_rpl_init(GNRC_RPL_DEFAULT_NETIF);
         return;
     }
+    /* XXX this is just a work-around ideally this would happen with
+     * an `up` event of the GNRC_RPL_DEFAULT_NETIF */
     DEBUG("auto_init_gnrc_rpl: could not initialize RPL on interface %" PRIkernel_pid" - "
           "interface does not exist\n", GNRC_RPL_DEFAULT_NETIF);
     return;
 #else
+    /* XXX this is just a work-around ideally this should be defined in some
+     * run-time interface configuration */
     DEBUG("auto_init_gnrc_rpl: please specify an interface by setting GNRC_RPL_DEFAULT_NETIF\n");
 #endif
 }