diff --git a/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh b/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh
index 47468be6509e00636bbea943294a3211c4d2e003..5a278a61501d0070343b64610e8ea1f731028fc5 100755
--- a/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ _JLINK_SERVER=JLinkGDBServer
 _JLINK_IF=SWD
 _JLINK_SPEED=2000
 # default terminal frontend
-_JLINK_TERMPROG=${RIOTBASE}/dist/tools/pyterm/pyterm
+_JLINK_TERMPROG=${RIOTTOOLS}/pyterm/pyterm
 _JLINK_TERMFLAGS="-ts 19021"
 
 #
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ do_flash() {
     if [ ! -z "${JLINK_POST_FLASH}" ]; then
         printf "${JLINK_POST_FLASH}\n" >> ${BINDIR}/burn.seg
     fi
-    cat ${RIOTBASE}/dist/tools/jlink/reset.seg >> ${BINDIR}/burn.seg
+    cat ${RIOTTOOLS}/jlink/reset.seg >> ${BINDIR}/burn.seg
     # flash device
     sh -c "${JLINK} ${JLINK_SERIAL} \
                     -device '${JLINK_DEVICE}' \
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ do_reset() {
                     -speed '${JLINK_SPEED}' \
                     -if '${JLINK_IF}' \
                     -jtagconf -1,-1 \
-                    -commandfile '${RIOTBASE}/dist/tools/jlink/reset.seg'"
+                    -commandfile '${RIOTTOOLS}/jlink/reset.seg'"
 }
 
 do_term() {
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ do_term() {
             -speed '${JLINK_SPEED}' \
             -if '${JLINK_IF}' \
             -jtagconf -1,-1 \
-            -commandfile '${RIOTBASE}/dist/tools/jlink/term.seg' & \
+            -commandfile '${RIOTTOOLS}/jlink/term.seg' & \
             echo  \$! > $JLINK_PIDFILE" &
 
     sh -c "${JLINK_TERMPROG} ${JLINK_TERMFLAGS}"
diff --git a/dist/tools/usb-serial/README.md b/dist/tools/usb-serial/README.md
index 15463573d7b12cb095a43d0ab3c5c881ef036624..ffa21ad76c04c6fa3dbf015d9e23c5d285b3bfa8 100644
--- a/dist/tools/usb-serial/README.md
+++ b/dist/tools/usb-serial/README.md
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ solution):
       ifeq ($(PORT),)
         # try to find tty name by serial number, only works on Linux currently.
         ifeq ($(OS),Linux)
-          PORT := $(firstword $(shell $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/usb-serial/find-tty.sh "^$(PROGRAMMER_SERIAL)$$"))
+          PORT := $(firstword $(shell $(RIOTTOOLS)/usb-serial/find-tty.sh "^$(PROGRAMMER_SERIAL)$$"))
         endif
       endif
     endif
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ solution):
     # Fallback PORT if no serial was specified or if the specified serial was not found
     ifeq ($(PORT),)
         ifeq ($(OS),Linux)
-          PORT := $(firstword $(shell $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/usb-serial/find-tty.sh))
+          PORT := $(firstword $(shell $(RIOTTOOLS)/usb-serial/find-tty.sh))
         else ifeq ($(OS),Darwin)
           PORT := $(shell ls -1 /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART* | head -n 1)
         endif
diff --git a/makefiles/boards/sam0.inc.mk b/makefiles/boards/sam0.inc.mk
index d8fb7dea1bcddfc49fca128765f2b8b9f88e217d..72e76f3a5223a96562a8691708b5c25b3edf2712 100644
--- a/makefiles/boards/sam0.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/boards/sam0.inc.mk
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 # settings.
 ifneq (,$(SERIAL))
   EDBG_ARGS += --serial $(SERIAL)
-  SERIAL_TTY = $(firstword $(shell $(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/usb-serial/find-tty.sh $(SERIAL)))
+  SERIAL_TTY = $(firstword $(shell $(RIOTTOOLS)/usb-serial/find-tty.sh $(SERIAL)))
   ifeq (,$(SERIAL_TTY))
     $(error Did not find a device with serial $(SERIAL))
   endif
diff --git a/pkg/relic/Makefile b/pkg/relic/Makefile
index cdb9e0bfda35eaecdf9499047bdd1ddbde891221..c9c3296e77fe1ddc184c7d91b5d3034a50df293a 100644
--- a/pkg/relic/Makefile
+++ b/pkg/relic/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ $(PKG_BUILDDIR)/Makefile: $(TOOLCHAIN_FILE)
 		  -DCHECK=off -DTESTS=0 -DBENCH=0 -DSHLIB=off -Wno-dev $(RELIC_CONFIG_FLAGS) .
 
 $(TOOLCHAIN_FILE): git-download
-	$(RIOTBASE)/dist/tools/cmake/generate-xcompile-toolchain.sh > $(TOOLCHAIN_FILE)
+	$(RIOTTOOLS)/cmake/generate-xcompile-toolchain.sh > $(TOOLCHAIN_FILE)
 
 clean::
 	@rm -rf $(BINDIR)/$(PKG_NAME).a
diff --git a/tests/cb_mux/tests/01-run.py b/tests/cb_mux/tests/01-run.py
index d501e26601605e988f398fbe9d6b3f7bacb5e5e6..969728f79a1ab54473b5e674dc525c14cb2acb45 100755
--- a/tests/cb_mux/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/cb_mux/tests/01-run.py
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@ def testfunc(child):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTBASE'], 'dist/tools/testrunner'))
+    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTTOOLS'], 'testrunner'))
     from testrunner import run
     sys.exit(run(testfunc))
diff --git a/tests/cb_mux_bench/tests/01-run.py b/tests/cb_mux_bench/tests/01-run.py
index 23896a9dfe4a0e1678d3bc492324d7a527a10f5a..1f8ac8bcd31e9002417221a67bc082b8ca0606d1 100755
--- a/tests/cb_mux_bench/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/cb_mux_bench/tests/01-run.py
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ def testfunc(child):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTBASE'], 'dist/tools/testrunner'))
+    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTTOOLS'], 'testrunner'))
     from testrunner import run
     sys.exit(run(testfunc))
diff --git a/tests/pkg_tinycbor/tests/01-run.py b/tests/pkg_tinycbor/tests/01-run.py
index 87ed1fce48700919d24db9b31a0512d5a50de00c..05dcbec1d2d368f8f989d42cec52245e48eddfe1 100755
--- a/tests/pkg_tinycbor/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/pkg_tinycbor/tests/01-run.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ def testfunc(child):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTBASE'],
-                                 'dist/tools/testrunner'))
+    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTTOOLS'], 'testrunner'))
     from testrunner import run
     sys.exit(run(testfunc))
diff --git a/tests/thread_race/tests/01-run.py b/tests/thread_race/tests/01-run.py
index de6faabb3c8296e73fa6a5e61a55ba433be7ea04..33bc6ecaa07c81a909844a2ef2f46873e9de64be 100755
--- a/tests/thread_race/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/thread_race/tests/01-run.py
@@ -21,6 +21,6 @@ def testfunc(child):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTBASE'], 'dist/tools/testrunner'))
+    sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['RIOTTOOLS'], 'testrunner'))
     from testrunner import run
     sys.exit(run(testfunc))