diff --git a/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include b/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include
index 7dc738d8fd..fba8ff326e 100644
--- a/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/common/iotlab/Makefile.include
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/serial.inc.mk
 # Using connect_assert_srst removes errors on flash from invalid state
 export OPENOCD_RESET_USE_CONNECT_ASSERT_SRST ?= 1
 
+DEBUG_ADAPTER ?= iotlab
+
+export OPENOCD_CONFIG ?= $(RIOTBOARD)/common/iotlab/dist/openocd.cfg
+
 # this board uses openocd
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/openocd.inc.mk
 
diff --git a/boards/iotlab-a8-m3/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/common/iotlab/dist/openocd.cfg
similarity index 100%
rename from boards/iotlab-a8-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
rename to boards/common/iotlab/dist/openocd.cfg
diff --git a/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index 13970b67ca..0000000000
--- a/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-source [find interface/ftdi/iotlab-usb.cfg]
-source [find target/stm32f1x.cfg]
-
-# use combined on interfaces or targets that can't set TRST/SRST separately
-reset_config trst_and_srst
-
-$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/iotlab.inc.mk b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/iotlab.inc.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f5d6e84cbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools/openocd-adapters/iotlab.inc.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# iotlab-usb debug adapter
+OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT ?= -c 'source [find interface/ftdi/iotlab-usb.cfg]'
+
+# Add serial matching command, only if DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID was specified
+ifneq (,$(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID))
+  OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT += -c 'ftdi_serial $(DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID)'
+endif
+export OPENOCD_ADAPTER_INIT