diff --git a/makefiles/arch/mips.inc.mk b/makefiles/arch/mips.inc.mk
index 61e7ef1c2d..fc92ab78a3 100644
--- a/makefiles/arch/mips.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/arch/mips.inc.mk
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ priv_symbols += FLUSH_TO_ZERO
 priv_symbols += FLASH_START APP_START FLASH_APP_START
 priv_symbols += ISR_VEC_SPACE ISR_VECTOR_COUNT
 
-comma := ,
-
 # A bit of makefile magic:
 # foreach symbol in overridable ld-symbols :
 #   If symbol has a value, produce a linker argument for that symbol.
diff --git a/makefiles/info.inc.mk b/makefiles/info.inc.mk
index 846ff015c4..27e387ac20 100644
--- a/makefiles/info.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/info.inc.mk
@@ -114,6 +114,72 @@ info-build:
 	@echo ''
 	@echo -e 'MAKEFILE_LIST:$(patsubst %, \n\t%, $(abspath $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))'
 
+define json_string_or_null
+$(or $(1:%="%"), null)
+endef
+
+# Convert a space separated list to a JSON array
+define _to_json_string_list
+[$(filter-out "","$(subst $(space),"$(comma)$(space)",$(1))")]
+endef
+
+# Strips out any existing quotes so that the generated JSON is valid, not necessary sensible
+define to_json_string_list
+$(call _to_json_string_list,$(strip $(subst ",,$(subst \",,$(1)))))
+endef
+
+# Crude json encoded build info.
+# The output generated here is a best-effort JSON encoding, it is not perfect,
+# converting the space separated lists in Make to a JSON array is flawed, it
+# doesn't consider quoted parts as a single list item.  This mainly shows up in
+# cflags such as:  -DNIMBLE_HOST_PRIO="(NIMBLE_CONTROLLER_PRIO + 1)", this is
+# splitted into 3 array elements. To ensure that the generated JSON is valid,
+# double quotes are currently stripped before generating the array.
+info-build-json:
+	@echo '{ '
+	@echo '"APPLICATION": "$(APPLICATION)",'
+	@echo '"APPDIR": "$(APPDIR)",'
+	@echo '"BOARD": "$(BOARD)",'
+	@echo '"CPU": "$(CPU)",'
+	@echo '"MCU": "$(MCU)",'
+	@echo '"RIOTBASE": "$(RIOTBASE)",'
+	@echo '"BOARDDIR": "$(BOARDDIR)",'
+	@echo '"RIOTCPU": "$(RIOTCPU)",'
+	@echo '"RIOTPKG": "$(RIOTPKG)",'
+	@echo '"EXTERNAL_BOARD_DIRS": $(call json_string_or_null $(EXTERNAL_BOARD_DIRS)),'
+	@echo '"BINDIR": "$(BINDIR)",'
+	@echo '"ELFFILE": "$(ELFFILE)",'
+	@echo '"HEXFILE": "$(HEXFILE)",'
+	@echo '"BINFILE": "$(BINFILE)",'
+	@echo '"FLASHFILE": "$(FLASHFILE)",'
+	@echo '"DEFAULT_MODULE": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(filter-out $(DISABLE_MODULE), $(DEFAULT_MODULE)))),'
+	@echo '"DISABLE_MODULE": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(DISABLE_MODULE))),'
+	@echo '"USEMODULE": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(filter-out $(DEFAULT_MODULE), $(USEMODULE)))),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_USED": $(call to_json_string_list,$(FEATURES_USED)),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_REQUIRED": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(FEATURES_REQUIRED))),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_REQUIRED_ANY": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(FEATURES_REQUIRED_ANY))),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_OPTIONAL_ONLY": $(call to_json_string_list,$(FEATURES_OPTIONAL_ONLY)),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_OPTIONAL_MISSING": $(call to_json_string_list,$(FEATURES_OPTIONAL_MISSING)),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_PROVIDED": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(FEATURES_PROVIDED))),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_MISSING": $(call to_json_string_list,$(FEATURES_MISSING)),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_BLACKLIST": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(FEATURES_BLACKLIST))),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_USED_BLACKLISTED": $(call to_json_string_list,$(sort $(FEATURES_USED_BLACKLISTED))),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_CONFLICT": $(call to_json_string_list,$(FEATURES_CONFLICT)),'
+	@echo '"FEATURES_CONFLICTING": $(call to_json_string_list,$(FEATURES_CONFLICTING)),'
+	@echo '"PREFIX": $(call json_string_or_null,$(PREFIX)),'
+	@echo '"CC": "$(CC)",'
+	@echo '"CXX": "$(CXX)",'
+	@echo '"LINK": "$(LINK)",'
+	@echo '"OBJCOPY": "$(OBJCOPY)",'
+	@echo '"INCLUDES": $(call to_json_string_list,$(strip $(INCLUDES))),'
+	@echo '"OFLAGS":  $(call to_json_string_list,$(OFLAGS)),'
+	@echo '"CFLAGS": $(call to_json_string_list,$(CFLAGS)),'
+	@echo '"CXXUWFLAGS": $(call to_json_string_list,$(CXXUWFLAGS)),'
+	@echo '"CXXEXFLAGS": $(call to_json_string_list,$(CXXEXFLAGS)),'
+	@echo '"LINKFLAGS": $(call to_json_string_list,$(LINKFLAGS))'
+	@echo '}'
+
+
 info-files: QUIET := 0
 info-files:
 	@( \
diff --git a/makefiles/utils/variables.mk b/makefiles/utils/variables.mk
index ead0099063..15fa2e53dd 100644
--- a/makefiles/utils/variables.mk
+++ b/makefiles/utils/variables.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # Utilities to set variables and environment for targets
+# The variables defined here cover edge cases in make string handling.
 # These functions should help replacing immediate evaluation and global 'export'
 
+comma := ,
+blank :=
+space := $(blank) $(blank)
 
 # Evaluate a deferred variable only once on its first usage
 # Uses after that will be as if it was an immediate evaluation
diff --git a/tests/unittests/Makefile b/tests/unittests/Makefile
index e8a82e3638..8fbe901739 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/unittests/Makefile
@@ -39,11 +39,9 @@ info-unittests:
 
 $(UNIT_TESTS): all
 
-charCOMMA := ,
-
 ifeq (, $(UNIT_TESTS))
   CFLAGS += -DNO_TEST_SUITES
   $(warning There was no test suite specified!)
 else
-  CFLAGS += -DTEST_SUITES='$(subst $() $(),$(charCOMMA),$(UNIT_TESTS:tests-%=%))'
+  CFLAGS += -DTEST_SUITES='$(subst $() $(),$(comma),$(UNIT_TESTS:tests-%=%))'
 endif