diff --git a/drivers/cc110x/cc110x-netdev.c b/drivers/cc110x/cc110x-netdev.c
index e7af682307..bba8e3d4ba 100644
--- a/drivers/cc110x/cc110x-netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/cc110x/cc110x-netdev.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "cc110x-netdev.h"
 #include "cc110x-internal.h"
 #include "cc110x-interface.h"
+#include "cc110x-defines.h"
 #include "net/eui64.h"
 
 #include "periph/gpio.h"
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ static int _recv(netdev_t *dev, void *buf, size_t len, void *info)
     if (info != NULL) {
         netdev_cc110x_rx_info_t *cc110x_info = info;
 
-        cc110x_info->rssi = cc110x->pkt_buf.rssi;
+        cc110x_info->rssi = (int16_t)cc110x->pkt_buf.rssi/2 - CC110X_RSSI_OFFSET;
         cc110x_info->lqi = cc110x->pkt_buf.lqi;
     }
     return cc110x_pkt->length;
diff --git a/drivers/cc110x/include/cc110x-defines.h b/drivers/cc110x/include/cc110x-defines.h
index ee5577a050..069076b58d 100644
--- a/drivers/cc110x/include/cc110x-defines.h
+++ b/drivers/cc110x/include/cc110x-defines.h
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 #define VARIABLE_PKTLEN     (0x01)
 
+/**
+ * @brief   RSSI calculation offset.
+ *
+ * The cc1101 has 74 as a RSSI offset. The CC1100E has a
+ * slightly larger offset of 75 to 79 (not implemented here).
+ * With those devices we thus get a slightly optimistic result.
+ */
+#define CC110X_RSSI_OFFSET  (74)
+
 /**
  * @name    Bitmasks for reading out status register values
  * @{