diff --git a/boards/msb-430-common/Makefile.include b/boards/msb-430-common/Makefile.include
index 9a1c3860b5..4f5bb857d3 100644
--- a/boards/msb-430-common/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/msb-430-common/Makefile.include
@@ -14,13 +14,26 @@ export SIZE = $(PREFIX)size
 export OBJCOPY = $(PREFIX)objcopy
 export LINKFLAGS = -mmcu=$(MCU) -lgcc $(RIOTBASE)/bin/startup.o
 TERMPROG = $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/pyterm/pyterm.py
-export FLASHER = mspdebug
+export HEXFILE = bin/$(PROJECT).hex
+
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(FLASHER)),)
+	export FLASHER = mspdebug
+endif
+
+# set programmer port in FFLAGS manually if needed like this:
+# FFLAGS="-d /dev/ttyUSB0" PROGRAMMER="uif" make flash
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(PROGRAMMER)),)
+	export PROGRAMMER = olimex
+endif
+export FFLAGS += -j $(PROGRAMMER)
+
 ifeq ($(strip $(PORT)),)
 	export PORT = /dev/ttyUSB0
 endif
-export HEXFILE = bin/$(PROJECT).hex
-#export FFLAGS = -d $(PORT) -j uif "prog $(HEXFILE)"
-export FFLAGS = -j olimex "prog $(HEXFILE)"
+
+export FFLAGS += "prog $(HEXFILE)"
 
 export USEMODULE += msp430_common 
 export INCLUDES += -I $(RIOTCPU)/msp430-common/include/ -I$(RIOTBOARD)/msb-430-common/include
diff --git a/boards/msb-430-common/board_init.c b/boards/msb-430-common/board_init.c
index 35ed8d946e..b85478765f 100644
--- a/boards/msb-430-common/board_init.c
+++ b/boards/msb-430-common/board_init.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ static void msb_ports_init(void)
 {
     /* Port 1: Free port, for energy saving all outputs are set to zero. */
     P1SEL = 0x00;	/* Port1 I/O Function */
-    P1OUT = 0x00;	/* Port1 Ausgangsregister: 00000000 = 0x00 */
+    P1OUT = 0x00;	/* Port1 Output register: 00000000 = 0x00 */
     P1DIR = 0xFF;	/* Port1 Direction: 11111111 = 0xFF */
 
     P2SEL = 0x20;	/* Port2 I/O Function */
diff --git a/core/include/lpm.h b/core/include/lpm.h
index 7cb8a6325d..0910c5e5ff 100644
--- a/core/include/lpm.h
+++ b/core/include/lpm.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ void lpm_init(void);
 /**
  * @brief   Switches the MCU to a new power mode
  * @param[in]   target      Target power mode
+ * @return                  The previous power mode
  */
 enum lpm_mode lpm_set(enum lpm_mode target);
 
diff --git a/cpu/msp430-common/cpu.c b/cpu/msp430-common/cpu.c
index d853369315..504f637faf 100644
--- a/cpu/msp430-common/cpu.c
+++ b/cpu/msp430-common/cpu.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ See the file LICENSE in the top level directory for more details.
 #include "kernel.h"
 #include "kernel_internal.h"
 #include "sched.h"
+#include "thread.h"
 
 volatile int __inISR = 0;
 
@@ -39,12 +40,24 @@ void cpu_switch_context_exit(void)
     __restore_context();
 }
 
+/**
+ * mspgcc handles main specially - it does not return but falls
+ * through to section .fini9.
+ * To "fix" this, we put a return in section .fini9 to make main
+ * behave like a regular function. This enables a common
+ * thread_stack_init behavior. */
+__attribute__((section (".fini9"))) void __main_epilogue(void) { __asm__("ret"); }
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Processor specific routine - here for MSP
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 char *thread_stack_init(void (*task_func)(void), void *stack_start, int stack_size)
 {
     unsigned short *stk;
+
+    /* XXX: work around for misalignment, remove once solved properly in thread.c */
+    stack_size--;
+
     stk = (unsigned short *)(stack_start + stack_size);
 
     *stk = (unsigned short) sched_task_exit;
diff --git a/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu-conf.h b/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu-conf.h
index 11b9e15832..198223a768 100644
--- a/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu-conf.h
+++ b/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu-conf.h
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ See the file LICENSE in the top level directory for more details.
 #define KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT	(256)
 #endif
 
-#define KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_IDLE 96
-#define MSP430_ISR_STACK_SIZE 256
+#define KERNEL_CONF_STACKSIZE_IDLE      (96)
+#define MSP430_ISR_STACK_SIZE           (256)
 
 #define RX_BUF_SIZE (3)
 #define TRANSCEIVER_BUFFER_SIZE (3)
diff --git a/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu.h b/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu.h
index 22175d303f..a8835f71b2 100644
--- a/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/msp430-common/include/cpu.h
@@ -125,11 +125,6 @@ inline void dINT(void)
     dint();
 }
 
-#define lpm_set(...)
-
-void thread_yield(void);
-
-
 int inISR(void);
 
 void msp430_cpu_init(void);
diff --git a/cpu/msp430-common/lpm_cpu.c b/cpu/msp430-common/lpm_cpu.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26858ce9f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/msp430-common/lpm_cpu.c
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "lpm.h"
+
+/* TODO: implement */
+enum lpm_mode lpm_set(enum lpm_mode target)
+{
+    enum lpm_mode last_mode;
+
+    /* dummy value as lpm is not currently implemented */
+    last_mode = LPM_ON;
+
+    return last_mode;
+}
+
+
+/* TODO: implement */
+enum lpm_mode lpm_get()
+{
+    enum lpm_mode current_mode;
+
+    /* dummy value as lpm is not currently implemented */
+    current_mode = LPM_ON;
+
+    return current_mode;
+}