diff --git a/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c b/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c
index 11e19163957f35405433379019b61785d6883304..aa66344aefa238aae9e55c5bbcb6964b843a8a9c 100644
--- a/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c
+++ b/sys/auto_init/auto_init.c
@@ -286,6 +286,11 @@ void auto_init(void)
     auto_init_sx127x();
 #endif
 
+#ifdef MODULE_NRF802154
+    extern void auto_init_nrf802154(void);
+    auto_init_nrf802154();
+#endif
+
 #endif /* MODULE_AUTO_INIT_GNRC_NETIF */
 
 #ifdef MODULE_GNRC_UHCPC
diff --git a/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_nrf802154.c b/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_nrf802154.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2733c2206c78c65ea5291f7eb9d0243f0d371c0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/auto_init/netif/auto_init_nrf802154.c
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2019 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ *
+ */
+
+/*
+ * @ingroup sys_auto_init_gnrc_netif
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief   Auto initialization the nRF52840 radio in IEEE802.15.4 mode
+ *
+ * @author  Hauke Petersen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
+ */
+
+#ifdef MODULE_NRF802154
+
+
+#include "log.h"
+#include "board.h"
+#include "nrf802154.h"
+#include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
+ * @{
+ */
+#ifndef NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE
+#define NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#endif
+#ifndef NRF802154_MAC_PRIO
+#define NRF802154_MAC_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
+#endif
+/** @} */
+
+static char _stack[NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE];
+
+void auto_init_nrf802154(void)
+{
+    LOG_DEBUG("[auto_init_netif] initializing nrf802154\n");
+
+    gnrc_netif_ieee802154_create(_stack,
+                                 NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE,
+                                 NRF802154_MAC_PRIO, "nrf802154",
+                                 (netdev_t *)&nrf802154_dev);
+}
+#else
+typedef int dont_be_pedantic;
+#endif /* MODULE_NRF802154 */
+
+/** @} */