diff --git a/tests/Makefile.tests_common b/tests/Makefile.tests_common
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1fb2823490
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Makefile.tests_common
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export BOARD ?= native
+export RIOTBASE ?= $(CURDIR)/../..
+export QUIET ?= 1
diff --git a/tests/test_bloom/Makefile b/tests/test_bloom/Makefile
index 16d9f21ac5..5d0855c6fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_bloom/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_bloom/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_bloom
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 ifneq (,$(filter msb-430,$(BOARD)))
 	include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.unsupported
diff --git a/tests/test_bloom_bytes/Makefile b/tests/test_bloom_bytes/Makefile
index 0c7eda5a7b..5b21dde8e4 100644
--- a/tests/test_bloom_bytes/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_bloom_bytes/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_bloom
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 ifneq (,$(filter msb-430,$(BOARD)))
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.unsupported
diff --git a/tests/test_float/Makefile b/tests/test_float/Makefile
index a9629dc0df..69d4ae71f4 100644
--- a/tests/test_float/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_float/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_float
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_hwtimer/Makefile b/tests/test_hwtimer/Makefile
index 1f0b4778a2..87bfc5a801 100644
--- a/tests/test_hwtimer/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_hwtimer/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_hwtimer
-
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_hwtimer_spin/Makefile b/tests/test_hwtimer_spin/Makefile
index 49199b8ad3..ec99e5478a 100644
--- a/tests/test_hwtimer_spin/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_hwtimer_spin/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
-# define application name
 export PROJECT = test_hwtimer_spin
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 # modules to include
 USEMODULE += auto_init
diff --git a/tests/test_irq/Makefile b/tests/test_irq/Makefile
index 6b21e27f44..362b1be879 100644
--- a/tests/test_irq/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_irq/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_irq
-#
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 ifeq (,$(filter native,$(BOARD)))
 	include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.unsupported
diff --git a/tests/test_nativenet/Makefile b/tests/test_nativenet/Makefile
index 2863737ec6..1601400e6f 100644
--- a/tests/test_nativenet/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_nativenet/Makefile
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
 debug: CFLAGS += -g
 debug: CFLAGS += -DENABLE_DEBUG
 
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_nativenet
-#
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD = native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 ifeq (,$(filter native,$(BOARD)))
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.unsupported
diff --git a/tests/test_pnet/Makefile b/tests/test_pnet/Makefile
index 1955f1fa40..7fbc08ee5b 100644
--- a/tests/test_pnet/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_pnet/Makefile
@@ -7,17 +7,8 @@
 #### ../../boards   for board definitions (if you have one or more)
 ####
 
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT =test_pnet
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-ifeq ($(strip $(BOARD)),)
-	export BOARD = native
-endif
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE =$(CURDIR)/../..
-export RIOTBOARD =$(RIOTBASE)/boards
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 ifeq ($(BOARD),stm32f4discovery)
 	include Makefile.$(BOARD)
diff --git a/tests/test_pthread/Makefile b/tests/test_pthread/Makefile
index d161e7b42f..3655989994 100644
--- a/tests/test_pthread/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_pthread/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
-# name of your project
 export PROJECT = test_pthread
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
 
 ## Modules to include.
 USEMODULE += posix
diff --git a/tests/test_semaphore/Makefile b/tests/test_semaphore/Makefile
index ab79a4a463..a6c7241a09 100644
--- a/tests/test_semaphore/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_semaphore/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_semaphore
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
 
 ## Modules to include.
 USEMODULE += semaphore
diff --git a/tests/test_sha256/Makefile b/tests/test_sha256/Makefile
index 3ddccf632d..ca270f605a 100644
--- a/tests/test_sha256/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_sha256/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_sha256
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
 
 ## Modules to include.
 USEMODULE += crypto_sha256
diff --git a/tests/test_shell/Makefile b/tests/test_shell/Makefile
index f01336eb6a..cd87434f93 100644
--- a/tests/test_shell/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_shell/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_shell
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 ## Modules to include.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_thread_basic/Makefile b/tests/test_thread_basic/Makefile
index 0b7ef6799d..108f8b1aa3 100644
--- a/tests/test_thread_basic/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_thread_basic/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_thread_basic
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_thread_exit/Makefile b/tests/test_thread_exit/Makefile
index c000b5842d..504d5a9cc4 100644
--- a/tests/test_thread_exit/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_thread_exit/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_thread_exit
-
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_thread_msg/Makefile b/tests/test_thread_msg/Makefile
index f96119e9c6..5f60dfbfd8 100644
--- a/tests/test_thread_msg/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_thread_msg/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_thread_msg
-
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE =$(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_thread_msg_block_w_queue/Makefile b/tests/test_thread_msg_block_w_queue/Makefile
index 2c6cecfcce..e74bbc4b64 100644
--- a/tests/test_thread_msg_block_w_queue/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_thread_msg_block_w_queue/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-# name of your project
 export PROJECT = test_thread_msg_block_w_queue
-
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE =$(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_thread_msg_block_wo_queue/Makefile b/tests/test_thread_msg_block_wo_queue/Makefile
index 0ff66bfdd3..8f6a7e4423 100644
--- a/tests/test_thread_msg_block_wo_queue/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_thread_msg_block_wo_queue/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-# name of your project
 export PROJECT = test_thread_msg_block_wo_queue
-
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE =$(CURDIR)/../..
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/test_vtimer_msg/Makefile b/tests/test_vtimer_msg/Makefile
index 439cdd428d..beb8e3800f 100644
--- a/tests/test_vtimer_msg/Makefile
+++ b/tests/test_vtimer_msg/Makefile
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
-# name of your application
 export PROJECT = test_vtimer_msg
+include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
-# for easy switching of boards
-export BOARD ?= native
-
-# this has to be the absolute path of the RIOT-base dir
-export RIOTBASE = $(CURDIR)/../..
 
 ## Modules to include.
 USEMODULE += auto_init