diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features b/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
index ce1e526dbf..260ec2c31e 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ endif
 
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += no_idle_thread
 
-KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common/cortexm_common.config
+# This configuration enables modules that are only available when using Kconfig
+# module modelling
+ifeq (1, $(TEST_KCONFIG))
+  KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common/cortexm_common.config
+endif
diff --git a/cpu/sam0_common/Makefile.features b/cpu/sam0_common/Makefile.features
index 7c7df67cfb..28e0d5fc50 100644
--- a/cpu/sam0_common/Makefile.features
+++ b/cpu/sam0_common/Makefile.features
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_wdt periph_wdt_cb periph_wdt_warning_period
 FEATURES_CONFLICT += periph_rtc:periph_rtt
 FEATURES_CONFLICT_MSG += "The RTC and RTT map to the same hardware peripheral."
 
-KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common/cortexm_common.config
+include $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
 
--include $(RIOTCPU)/cortexm_common/Makefile.features
-
-# add sam0 configurations after including cortexm_common so sam0 takes precendence
-KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(RIOTCPU)/sam0_common/sam0_common.config
+# Add sam0 configurations after including cortexm_common so sam0 takes precendence
+# This configuration enables modules that are only available when using Kconfig
+# module modelling
+ifeq (1, $(TEST_KCONFIG))
+  KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG += $(RIOTCPU)/sam0_common/sam0_common.config
+endif
diff --git a/makefiles/kconfig.mk b/makefiles/kconfig.mk
index 0069c71271..f1037f9d65 100644
--- a/makefiles/kconfig.mk
+++ b/makefiles/kconfig.mk
@@ -50,13 +50,11 @@ KCONFIG_OUT_DEP = $(KCONFIG_OUT_CONFIG).d
 
 # Add configurations to merge, in ascendent priority (i.e. a file overrides the
 # previous ones).
-ifeq (1, $(TEST_KCONFIG))
-  # KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG holds a list of .config files that are merged for the
-  # initial configuration. This allows to split configurations in common files
-  # and share them among boards or cpus.
-  MERGE_SOURCES += $(KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG)
-endif
-
+#
+# KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG holds a list of .config files that are merged for the
+# initial configuration. This allows to split configurations in common files
+# and share them among boards or cpus.
+MERGE_SOURCES += $(KCONFIG_ADD_CONFIG)
 MERGE_SOURCES += $(wildcard $(KCONFIG_APP_CONFIG))
 MERGE_SOURCES += $(wildcard $(KCONFIG_USER_CONFIG))