diff --git a/drivers/include/saul/periph.h b/drivers/include/saul/periph.h
index 00a148538f..ec6575cfa7 100644
--- a/drivers/include/saul/periph.h
+++ b/drivers/include/saul/periph.h
@@ -32,13 +32,20 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MODULE_SAUL_GPIO
+typedef enum {
+    SAUL_GPIO_INVERTED   = (1 << 0),  /**< pin is used as inverted */
+    SAUL_GPIO_INIT_CLEAR = 1 << 1, /**< set pin inactive after initialization */
+    SAUL_GPIO_INIT_SET   = 1 << 2, /**< set pin active after initialization */
+} saul_gpio_flags_t;
+
 /**
  * @brief   Direct mapped GPIO configuration values
  */
 typedef struct {
-    const char *name;       /**< name of the device connected to this pin */
-    gpio_t pin;             /**< GPIO pin to initialize and expose */
-    gpio_mode_t mode;       /**< pin mode to use */
+    const char *name;           /**< name of the device connected to this pin */
+    gpio_t pin;                 /**< GPIO pin to initialize and expose */
+    gpio_mode_t mode;           /**< pin mode to use */
+    saul_gpio_flags_t flags;    /**< Configuration flags */
 } saul_gpio_params_t;
 #endif /* MODULE_SAUL_GPIO */
 
diff --git a/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c b/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c
index e8306aa9ba..0b5431c811 100644
--- a/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c
+++ b/drivers/saul/gpio_saul.c
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@
 static int read(const void *dev, phydat_t *res)
 {
     const saul_gpio_params_t *p = (const saul_gpio_params_t *)dev;
-    res->val[0] = (gpio_read(p->pin)) ? 1: 0;
+    int inverted = (p->flags & SAUL_GPIO_INVERTED);
+
+    res->val[0] = (gpio_read(p->pin)) ? !inverted : inverted;
+
     memset(&(res->val[1]), 0, 2 * sizeof(int16_t));
     res->unit = UNIT_BOOL;
     res->scale = 0;
@@ -39,7 +42,10 @@ static int read(const void *dev, phydat_t *res)
 static int write(const void *dev, phydat_t *state)
 {
     const saul_gpio_params_t *p = (const saul_gpio_params_t *)dev;
-    gpio_write(p->pin, state->val[0]);
+    int inverted = (p->flags & SAUL_GPIO_INVERTED);
+    int value = (state->val[0] ? !inverted : inverted);
+
+    gpio_write(p->pin, value);
     return 1;
 }