diff --git a/cpu/nrf51/include/periph_cpu.h b/cpu/nrf51/include/periph_cpu.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 21d2e60205dc8859e546fbb7aa12fc42db7c4373..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/cpu/nrf51/include/periph_cpu.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,69 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (C) 2015 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         cpu_nrf51822
- * @{
- *
- * @file
- * @brief           CPU specific definitions for handling peripherals
- *
- * @author          Hauke Petersen <hauke.peterse@fu-berlin.de>
- */
-
-#ifndef CPU_PERIPH_H_
-#define CPU_PERIPH_H_
-
-#include "periph/dev_enums.h"
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
-
-/**
- * @brief   Mandatory macro for defining GPIO pins
- *
- * The port definition is used (and zeroed) to suppress compiler warnings
- */
-#define GPIO_PIN(x,y)       ((x & 0) | y)
-
-/**
- * @brief   Length of the CPU_ID in octets
- */
-#define CPUID_LEN           (8U)
-
-/**
- * @brief   Override GPIO pull register select values
- * @{
- */
-#define HAVE_GPIO_PP_T
-typedef enum {
-    GPIO_NOPULL = 0,        /**< do not use internal pull resistors */
-    GPIO_PULLUP = 2,        /**< enable internal pull-up resistor */
-    GPIO_PULLDOWN = 1       /**< enable internal pull-down resistor */
-} gpio_pp_t;
-/** @} */
-
-/**
- * @brief   Override GPIO active flank values
- * @{
- */
-#define HAVE_GPIO_FLANK_T
-typedef enum {
-    GPIO_FALLING = 2,       /**< emit interrupt on falling flank */
-    GPIO_RISING  = 1,       /**< emit interrupt on rising flank */
-    GPIO_BOTH    = 3        /**< emit interrupt on both flanks */
-} gpio_flank_t;
-/** @} */
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-}
-#endif
-
-#endif /* CPU_PERIPH_H_ */
-/** @} */
diff --git a/cpu/nrf5x_common/Makefile b/cpu/nrf5x_common/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e09377cd1e39133b4c074e32202ae74443211203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/nrf5x_common/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+DIRS = periph
+
+include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/nrf5x_common/Makefile.include b/cpu/nrf5x_common/Makefile.include
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2992156ed46c77383b4b0c74d7e696538bb7751c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/nrf5x_common/Makefile.include
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# export the CPU family so we can differentiate between them in the code
+FAM = $(shell echo $(CPU_FAM) | tr 'a-z-' 'A-Z_')
+export CFLAGS += -DCPU_FAM_$(FAM)
+
+# export the common include directory
+export INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTCPU)/nrf5x_common/include
diff --git a/cpu/nrf5x_common/doc.txt b/cpu/nrf5x_common/doc.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..41687f42312eabb3a7cc6fba86e27191f21941df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/nrf5x_common/doc.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+/**
+ * @defgroup    cpu_nrf5x_common
+ * @ingroup     cpu
+ * @brief       Common implementations for the nRF5x family of CPUs
+ */
diff --git a/cpu/nrf52/include/periph_cpu.h b/cpu/nrf5x_common/include/periph_cpu.h
similarity index 94%
rename from cpu/nrf52/include/periph_cpu.h
rename to cpu/nrf5x_common/include/periph_cpu.h
index 31e3728565026aa8425c61a39a5642d076734c2e..17eeb16be6bed3f9afe13e15d34aaa34f37b0e0f 100644
--- a/cpu/nrf52/include/periph_cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/nrf5x_common/include/periph_cpu.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2016 Freie Universität Berlin
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 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
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 /**
- * @ingroup         cpu_nrf52
+ * @ingroup         cpu_nrf5x_common
  * @{
  *
  * @file
diff --git a/cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/Makefile b/cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6d1887b640099d130c5a6400e3f878f0c65aa6f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/nrf5x_common/periph/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+MODULE = periph
+
+include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base