diff --git a/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile b/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile
index 7fc216f1ab..957260e9b1 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 MODULE = cpu
 
 # add a list of subdirectories, that should also be build
-DIRS += periph $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common
+DIRS += periph $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common $(RIOTCPU)/stm32_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile.include b/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile.include
index 94b14ace94..2eeadee455 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/stm32l1/Makefile.include
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 export CPU_ARCH = cortex-m3
+export CPU_FAM  = stm32l1
 
-# use common periph functions
-USEMODULE += periph_common
-
+include $(RIOTCPU)/stm32_common/Makefile.include
 include $(RIOTCPU)/Makefile.include.cortexm_common
diff --git a/cpu/stm32l1/include/periph_cpu.h b/cpu/stm32l1/include/periph_cpu.h
index 9675e09ba7..2e7a9402e7 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32l1/include/periph_cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/stm32l1/include/periph_cpu.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2015 Freie Universität Berlin
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Freie Universität Berlin
  * Copyright (C) 2015 Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  *
  * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@
  * @author          Katja Kirstein <katja.kirstein@haw-hamburg.de>
  */
 
-#ifndef PERIPH_CPU_H_
-#define PERIPH_CPU_H_
+#ifndef PERIPH_CPU_H
+#define PERIPH_CPU_H
 
 #include "cpu.h"
+#include "periph_cpu_common.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
@@ -104,18 +105,9 @@ typedef struct {
     uint8_t irqn;           /**< IRQ vector entry number */
 } timer_conf_t;
 
-/**
- * @brief declare needed generic SPI functions
- * @{
- */
-#define PERIPH_SPI_NEEDS_TRANSFER_BYTES
-#define PERIPH_SPI_NEEDS_TRANSFER_REG
-#define PERIPH_SPI_NEEDS_TRANSFER_REGS
-/** @} */
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
 
-#endif /* PERIPH_CPU_H_ */
+#endif /* PERIPH_CPU_H */
 /** @} */