diff --git a/cpu/cc2538/periph/uart.c b/cpu/cc2538/periph/uart.c
index 7f257eec37..73cb76c37d 100644
--- a/cpu/cc2538/periph/uart.c
+++ b/cpu/cc2538/periph/uart.c
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@
 #include "periph/uart.h"
 #include "periph_conf.h"
 
-/* guard file in case no UART device was specified */
-#if UART_NUMOF
-
 #undef BIT
 #define BIT(n) ( 1 << (n) )
 
@@ -68,19 +65,10 @@ enum {
 
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-/**
- * @brief Each UART device has to store two callbacks.
- */
-typedef struct {
-    uart_rx_cb_t rx_cb;
-    uart_tx_cb_t tx_cb;
-    void *arg;
-} uart_conf_t;
-
 /**
  * @brief Allocate memory to store the callback functions.
  */
-static uart_conf_t uart_config[UART_NUMOF];
+static uart_isr_ctx_t uart_config[UART_NUMOF];
 
 cc2538_uart_t * const UART0 = (cc2538_uart_t *)0x4000c000;
 cc2538_uart_t * const UART1 = (cc2538_uart_t *)0x4000d000;
@@ -161,10 +149,12 @@ void UART_1_ISR(void)
 }
 #endif /* UART_1_EN */
 
-int uart_init(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate, uart_rx_cb_t rx_cb, uart_tx_cb_t tx_cb, void *arg)
+static int init_base(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate);
+
+int uart_init(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate, uart_rx_cb_t rx_cb, void *arg)
 {
     /* initialize basic functionality */
-    int res = uart_init_blocking(uart, baudrate);
+    int res = init_base(uart, baudrate);
 
     if (res != 0) {
         return res;
@@ -172,7 +162,6 @@ int uart_init(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate, uart_rx_cb_t rx_cb, uart_tx_cb_t t
 
     /* register callbacks */
     uart_config[uart].rx_cb = rx_cb;
-    uart_config[uart].tx_cb = tx_cb;
     uart_config[uart].arg = arg;
 
     /* configure interrupts and enable RX interrupt */
@@ -194,9 +183,9 @@ int uart_init(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate, uart_rx_cb_t rx_cb, uart_tx_cb_t t
     return 0;
 }
 
-int uart_init_blocking(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate)
+static int init_base(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate)
 {
-    cc2538_uart_t *u;
+    cc2538_uart_t *u = NULL;
 
     switch (uart) {
 #if UART_0_EN
@@ -326,17 +315,7 @@ int uart_init_blocking(uart_t uart, uint32_t baudrate)
 #endif /* UART_0_EN || UART_1_EN */
 }
 
-void uart_tx_begin(uart_t uart)
-{
-
-}
-
-void uart_tx_end(uart_t uart)
-{
-
-}
-
-int uart_write(uart_t uart, char data)
+void uart_write(uart_t uart, const uint8_t *data, size_t len)
 {
     cc2538_uart_t *u;
 
@@ -351,73 +330,15 @@ int uart_write(uart_t uart, char data)
             u = UART_1_DEV;
             break;
 #endif
-
         default:
-            return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (u->FRbits.TXFF) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    u->DR = data;
-
-    return 1;
-}
-
-int uart_read_blocking(uart_t uart, char *data)
-{
-    cc2538_uart_t *u;
-
-    switch (uart) {
-#if UART_0_EN
-        case UART_0:
-            u = UART_0_DEV;
-            break;
-#endif
-#if UART_1_EN
-        case UART_1:
-            u = UART_1_DEV;
-            break;
-#endif
-
-        default:
-            return -1;
-    }
-
-    while (u->FRbits.RXFE);
-
-    *data = u->DR;
-
-    return 1;
-}
-
-int uart_write_blocking(uart_t uart, char data)
-{
-    cc2538_uart_t *u;
-
-    switch (uart) {
-#if UART_0_EN
-        case UART_0:
-            u = UART_0_DEV;
-            break;
-#endif
-#if UART_1_EN
-        case UART_1:
-            u = UART_1_DEV;
-            break;
-#endif
-
-        default:
-            return -1;
+            return;
     }
 
     /* Block if the TX FIFO is full */
-    while (u->FRbits.TXFF);
-
-    u->DR = data;
-
-    return 1;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+        while (u->FRbits.TXFF);
+        u->DR = data[i];
+    }
 }
 
 void uart_poweron(uart_t uart)
@@ -429,5 +350,3 @@ void uart_poweroff(uart_t uart)
 {
 
 }
-
-#endif /* UART_NUMOF */