diff --git a/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.dep b/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.dep
index 7de44689f60a6321fa4caa283ad5cd87a40cc13b..babcd96228acee17fb447c6b9fee69a677afcdee 100644
--- a/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.dep
+++ b/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.dep
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-ifneq (,$(filter gnrc_netdev_default netdev_default,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += nrfmin
-endif
+include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.dep
diff --git a/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.features b/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.features
index 0b44820578129e5ce353c4842ea76ad44ea4631b..93dbc67187e954e75683965a70387f837013979a 100644
--- a/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.features
+++ b/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.features
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 # Put defined MCU peripherals here (in alphabetical order)
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_gpio periph_gpio_irq
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_rtt
-FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_timer
 FEATURES_PROVIDED += periph_uart
 
-# Various other features (if any)
-
-# The board MPU family (used for grouping by the CI system)
-FEATURES_MCU_GROUP = cortex_m0_1
-
-include $(RIOTCPU)/nrf51/Makefile.features
+# include common nrf51 based boards features
+include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.features
diff --git a/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.include b/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.include
index 089340c484e10f670bd8b2a361afbac7efda51ea..26796a89501e4bac4b5590f27d15669aff72b977 100644
--- a/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/nrf51dongle/Makefile.include
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 # define the used CPU
-export CPU = nrf51
 export CPU_MODEL = nrf51x22xxab
 
 # define the default port depending on the host OS
 PORT_LINUX ?= /dev/ttyACM0
 PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART*)))
 
-# setup JLink for flashing
-export JLINK_DEVICE := nrf51822
-include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/jlink.inc.mk
+# use jlink to program this board
+PROGRAMMER ?= jlink
 
-# setup serial terminal
-include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/serial.inc.mk
+# set required jlink debug adapter for openocd if it's used
+ifeq (openocd,$(PROGRAMMER))
+  DEBUG_ADAPTER = jlink
+endif
+
+# include nrf51 boards common configuration
+include $(RIOTBOARD)/common/nrf51/Makefile.include
diff --git a/boards/nrf51dongle/include/board.h b/boards/nrf51dongle/include/board.h
index 5298a776b5c024ce3d4d3fe2d494ba39d100f507..b6392359f54d669b5e63ed5683345ab7d85076d2 100644
--- a/boards/nrf51dongle/include/board.h
+++ b/boards/nrf51dongle/include/board.h
@@ -19,21 +19,12 @@
 #ifndef BOARD_H
 #define BOARD_H
 
-#include "cpu.h"
-#include "periph_conf.h"
+#include "board_common.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
-/**
- * @name    Xtimer configuration
- * @{
- */
-#define XTIMER_WIDTH                (24)
-#define XTIMER_BACKOFF              (40)
-/** @} */
-
 /**
  * @name    LED pin definitions and handlers
  * @{
@@ -59,11 +50,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #define LED2_TOGGLE         (NRF_GPIO->OUT   ^= LED2_MASK)
 /** @} */
 
-/**
- * @brief   Initialize the board, also triggers the CPU initialization
- */
-void board_init(void);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/boards/nrf51dongle/include/periph_conf.h b/boards/nrf51dongle/include/periph_conf.h
index 3fda308cff902174ad9ca35da80a04ab971ae190..9831276b608bcb8ce7fce7658a28e1fcf79f3f8a 100644
--- a/boards/nrf51dongle/include/periph_conf.h
+++ b/boards/nrf51dongle/include/periph_conf.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #define PERIPH_CONF_H
 
 #include "periph_cpu.h"
+#include "periph_conf_common.h"
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
@@ -40,30 +41,6 @@ extern "C" {
                                              *         2: derived from HFCLK */
 /** @} */
 
-/**
- * @name Timer configuration
- * @{
- */
-static const timer_conf_t timer_config[] = {
-    /* dev, channels, width */
-    { NRF_TIMER0, 3, TIMER_BITMODE_BITMODE_24Bit, TIMER0_IRQn }
-};
-
-#define TIMER_0_ISR         isr_timer0
-
-#define TIMER_NUMOF         (sizeof(timer_config) / sizeof(timer_config[0]))
-/** @} */
-
-/**
- * @name    Real time counter configuration
- * @{
- */
-#define RTT_NUMOF           (1U)
-#define RTT_DEV             (1)             /* NRF_RTC1 */
-#define RTT_MAX_VALUE       (0x00ffffff)
-#define RTT_FREQUENCY       (1024)
-/** @} */
-
 /**
  * @name UART configuration
  * @{