diff --git a/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c b/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c
index e325115858..e8306aa9ba 100644
--- a/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c
+++ b/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@
 #include "saul.h"
 #include "phydat.h"
 #include "periph/gpio.h"
+#include "saul/periph.h"
 
 
 static int read(const void *dev, phydat_t *res)
 {
-    gpio_t pin = *((const gpio_t *)dev);
-    res->val[0] = (gpio_read(pin)) ? 1 : 0;
+    const saul_gpio_params_t *p = (const saul_gpio_params_t *)dev;
+    res->val[0] = (gpio_read(p->pin)) ? 1: 0;
     memset(&(res->val[1]), 0, 2 * sizeof(int16_t));
     res->unit = UNIT_BOOL;
     res->scale = 0;
@@ -37,8 +38,8 @@ static int read(const void *dev, phydat_t *res)
 
 static int write(const void *dev, phydat_t *state)
 {
-    gpio_t pin = *((const gpio_t *)dev);
-    gpio_write(pin, state->val[0]);
+    const saul_gpio_params_t *p = (const saul_gpio_params_t *)dev;
+    gpio_write(p->pin, state->val[0]);
     return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/auto_init/saul/auto_init_gpio.c b/sys/auto_init/saul/auto_init_gpio.c
index 0632502a29..4de96eeced 100644
--- a/sys/auto_init/saul/auto_init_gpio.c
+++ b/sys/auto_init/saul/auto_init_gpio.c
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@
  */
 #define SAUL_GPIO_NUMOF    (sizeof(saul_gpio_params)/sizeof(saul_gpio_params[0]))
 
-/**
- * @brief   Allocate memory for the device descriptors
- */
-static gpio_t saul_gpios[SAUL_GPIO_NUMOF];
-
 /**
  * @brief   Memory for the registry entries
  */
@@ -60,8 +55,7 @@ void auto_init_gpio(void)
 
         LOG_DEBUG("[auto_init_saul] initializing GPIO #%u\n", i);
 
-        saul_gpios[i] = p->pin;
-        saul_reg_entries[i].dev = &(saul_gpios[i]);
+        saul_reg_entries[i].dev = p;
         saul_reg_entries[i].name = p->name;
         if ((p->mode == GPIO_IN) || (p->mode == GPIO_IN_PD) ||
             (p->mode == GPIO_IN_PU)) {