diff --git a/Makefile.base b/Makefile.base
index e91150aedc04032463405843070b11c52e30d600..b28b42e032b2fde1adfd3ec12dafe2ed9f9d3328 100644
--- a/Makefile.base
+++ b/Makefile.base
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ ifeq (, $(__RIOTBUILD_FLAG))
     $(error You cannot build a module on its own. Use "make" in your application's directory instead.)
 endif
 
+MODULE ?= $(shell basename $(CURDIR))
+
 ASMSRC = $(wildcard *.s)
 ASSMSRC = $(wildcard *.S)
 ASMOBJ = $(ASMSRC:%.s=$(BINDIR)$(MODULE)/%.o)
diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index d420149bd23b6c56f4240c6f853d9aa8cb542747..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =core
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/arm_common/Makefile b/cpu/arm_common/Makefile
index 91fd438c80efac90aa59b93ee6facb4f63846361..9644e229343b230bf6caa8c3c1a8b726797cd13c 100644
--- a/cpu/arm_common/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/arm_common/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-MODULE =arm_common
-
 CFLAGS += $(CFLAGS_BASIC)
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/cortex-m3_common/Makefile b/cpu/cortex-m3_common/Makefile
index 5295dccc6a81a405bfbf29ca1f9dc20049de5a64..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/cortex-m3_common/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/cortex-m3_common/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1 @@
-
-# define the module that is build
-MODULE = cortex-m3_common
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/lpc2387/gpioint/Makefile b/cpu/lpc2387/gpioint/Makefile
index 960dd49c72c66d24dd5973584ad1f89a986bcf2f..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc2387/gpioint/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/lpc2387/gpioint/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =gpioint
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/lpc2387/i2c/Makefile b/cpu/lpc2387/i2c/Makefile
index 5a2dc6bbd52b56504202b25cf8482896cf4f90cb..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc2387/i2c/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/lpc2387/i2c/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =i2c
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/lpc2387/mci/Makefile b/cpu/lpc2387/mci/Makefile
index 43164be73383fd45c02c7eb37fbf6ee61b52f484..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc2387/mci/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/lpc2387/mci/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =mci
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/lpc2387/rtc/Makefile b/cpu/lpc2387/rtc/Makefile
index 042b6118085ea60c1df20be3fd1f607139fd58c8..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc2387/rtc/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/lpc2387/rtc/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =rtc
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/lpc_common/Makefile b/cpu/lpc_common/Makefile
index 7c6b4213004559d1e63b424cbe2da4240e1f3533..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/lpc_common/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/lpc_common/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =lpc_common
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/cpu/native/rtc/Makefile b/cpu/native/rtc/Makefile
index e22d4d999a9a92c020581e382f2973e7d6a675fb..4847e7a5f1e19288ca49c724f3654664d311c823 100644
--- a/cpu/native/rtc/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/native/rtc/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-MODULE =rtc
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
 
 $(BINDIR)$(MODULE)/%.o: %.c
diff --git a/cpu/sam3x8e/periph/Makefile b/cpu/sam3x8e/periph/Makefile
index 7acf6de7dae4eb1df19fd583f0d78c3836a37eb3..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/cpu/sam3x8e/periph/Makefile
+++ b/cpu/sam3x8e/periph/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1 @@
-
-MODULE = periph
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/Makefile b/drivers/Makefile
index 67898731562a247d90d045da02e6de1020483c0f..de5ade431f77bacdfbfc22bedca9c3319c9793b5 100644
--- a/drivers/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-MODULE = drivers
-
 DIRS=
 ifneq (,$(filter powermon,$(USEMODULE)))
     DIRS += powermon
diff --git a/drivers/at86rf231/Makefile b/drivers/at86rf231/Makefile
index f0ae7afb3207371f4ae28fac1446046e95b35d10..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf231/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/at86rf231/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =at86rf231
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/cc110x/Makefile b/drivers/cc110x/Makefile
index da43c6b942f400eea445c7fd2aea8bb321a109ff..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/cc110x/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/cc110x/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =cc110x
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/cc110x_ng/Makefile b/drivers/cc110x_ng/Makefile
index 2dc3f914a13e3c422f41e285af78c05c93786b4f..4d7564aaccc22067078361c11134f182c71c4577 100644
--- a/drivers/cc110x_ng/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/cc110x_ng/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-MODULE =cc110x_ng
-
 DIRS =
 ifneq (,$(filter msb-430h,$(BOARD)))
 	DIRS += spi
diff --git a/drivers/cc2420/Makefile b/drivers/cc2420/Makefile
index 39a17b2101677198bb1f3761b91ea1ed44090b8e..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/cc2420/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/cc2420/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =cc2420
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/lm75a/Makefile b/drivers/lm75a/Makefile
index b1095f7fc04b6c937b9ba43029311f85ecf67a0e..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/lm75a/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/lm75a/Makefile
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-MODULE =lm75a
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/ltc4150/Makefile b/drivers/ltc4150/Makefile
index 42881d61956354831bae076c4c70db7f30d70732..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/ltc4150/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/ltc4150/Makefile
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-MODULE =ltc4150
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/sht11/Makefile b/drivers/sht11/Makefile
index 0ccc6b38b25883f36443a24ea1cb71a7bd412342..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/sht11/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/sht11/Makefile
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-MODULE =sht11
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/srf02/Makefile b/drivers/srf02/Makefile
index 6e23e8fe1adf1a239aad3baa953f6d5a0092676a..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/srf02/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/srf02/Makefile
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-MODULE =srf02
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/drivers/srf08/Makefile b/drivers/srf08/Makefile
index ec63204246985584e06883e98c892c207fc9a08d..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/drivers/srf08/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/srf08/Makefile
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-MODULE =srf08
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/auto_init/Makefile b/sys/auto_init/Makefile
index f5b62c8ad7ab2f7e6451048aba6d031d00b8f615..d0a6370718b6cf2d2b8f4e0bc80852cd052e58b2 100644
--- a/sys/auto_init/Makefile
+++ b/sys/auto_init/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-MODULE = auto_init
-
 ifneq (,$(filter net_if,$(USEMODULE)))
 	INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/sys/net/include/
 endif
diff --git a/sys/bloom/Makefile b/sys/bloom/Makefile
index 67d89889255a990ad5f9e1535ee579590c96d0fe..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/bloom/Makefile
+++ b/sys/bloom/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = bloom
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/config/Makefile b/sys/config/Makefile
index 6e6ccce0dde3c3c4414e00de6be974787a3d46cb..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/config/Makefile
+++ b/sys/config/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =config
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/crypto/Makefile b/sys/crypto/Makefile
index de999331f7205f7153da802e19b47556c55d3d06..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/crypto/Makefile
+++ b/sys/crypto/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = crypto
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/hashes/Makefile b/sys/hashes/Makefile
index d105e96ecbed2af9e07f685dcdadfaf9b6aa17e3..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/hashes/Makefile
+++ b/sys/hashes/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = hashes
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/lib/Makefile b/sys/lib/Makefile
index e4a10a72c7a4284aaaa451bc9394c133751d3159..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/lib/Makefile
+++ b/sys/lib/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =lib
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/ccn_lite/Makefile b/sys/net/ccn_lite/Makefile
index ca7dd4371a246d020a4fc9aee8e4cdb9e9778b7c..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/ccn_lite/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/ccn_lite/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE := ccn_lite
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/crosslayer/net_help/Makefile b/sys/net/crosslayer/net_help/Makefile
index c6e31807e89afcfcae778b012c3aae2940ce857a..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/crosslayer/net_help/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/crosslayer/net_help/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/Makefile b/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/Makefile
index c6e31807e89afcfcae778b012c3aae2940ce857a..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/link_layer/ieee802154/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/link_layer/net_if/Makefile b/sys/net/link_layer/net_if/Makefile
index 81bfe881437e5f68d9b07aa8132fd5d2c4855c93..ce724073cb2978e1269b6ad88d7bb96eee638400 100644
--- a/sys/net/link_layer/net_if/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/link_layer/net_if/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
 INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/drivers/include \
 			-I$(RIOTBASE)/drivers/cc110x_ng/include \
 			-I$(RIOTBASE)/sys/net/include
diff --git a/sys/net/network_layer/sixlowpan/Makefile b/sys/net/network_layer/sixlowpan/Makefile
index e5ae64d4c3a64da54eb4b2a5a9effa831793d5e8..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/network_layer/sixlowpan/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/network_layer/sixlowpan/Makefile
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/routing/Makefile b/sys/net/routing/Makefile
index c6e31807e89afcfcae778b012c3aae2940ce857a..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/routing/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/routing/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/routing/rpl/Makefile b/sys/net/routing/rpl/Makefile
index c6e31807e89afcfcae778b012c3aae2940ce857a..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/routing/rpl/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/routing/rpl/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/net/transport_layer/destiny/Makefile b/sys/net/transport_layer/destiny/Makefile
index c6e31807e89afcfcae778b012c3aae2940ce857a..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/net/transport_layer/destiny/Makefile
+++ b/sys/net/transport_layer/destiny/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE:=$(shell basename $(CURDIR))
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/ping/Makefile b/sys/ping/Makefile
index 35193836e3d4a48ec953e9300e4cdb91e3a92ee3..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/ping/Makefile
+++ b/sys/ping/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =ping
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/posix/Makefile b/sys/posix/Makefile
index 844718cae36a9aa45d70e3353717466089b1fb27..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/posix/Makefile
+++ b/sys/posix/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = posix
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/posix/pnet/Makefile b/sys/posix/pnet/Makefile
index 44ad39401f378723917f7cf85ed82895f566fed8..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/posix/pnet/Makefile
+++ b/sys/posix/pnet/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =pnet
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/posix/pthread/Makefile b/sys/posix/pthread/Makefile
index f849d335bc37f03f3661ac721a204c3a578d5d23..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/posix/pthread/Makefile
+++ b/sys/posix/pthread/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = pthread
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/ps/Makefile b/sys/ps/Makefile
index ea15576f57c8465cb485cd059f07ba8676a8b938..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/ps/Makefile
+++ b/sys/ps/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =ps
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/quad_math/Makefile b/sys/quad_math/Makefile
index 0482a1e31347b50dc78603b2b78177c810897c11..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/quad_math/Makefile
+++ b/sys/quad_math/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = quad_math
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/random/Makefile b/sys/random/Makefile
index 8fb676cf6bc10e8d42be4caac1ab8b858ef9d004..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/random/Makefile
+++ b/sys/random/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = random
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/shell/Makefile b/sys/shell/Makefile
index 4e5b44fe4a83b3232d94aa42fda40ff319aaf4a8..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/shell/Makefile
+++ b/sys/shell/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = shell
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/timex/Makefile b/sys/timex/Makefile
index fa37c25bf96411e6a97057e15387f33340decf76..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/timex/Makefile
+++ b/sys/timex/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = timex
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/transceiver/Makefile b/sys/transceiver/Makefile
index 6b3ed1b85f172f347f7b5922b0a4efe3bd277e3e..e2a870105cb64515a2567b539dc7cc010466aa12 100644
--- a/sys/transceiver/Makefile
+++ b/sys/transceiver/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-MODULE =transceiver
-
 ifneq (,$(filter cc2420,$(USEMODULE)))
 	INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/sys/net/include
 endif
diff --git a/sys/uart0/Makefile b/sys/uart0/Makefile
index 64c07fc24f7608aa2cb174182f6943f0b87f6364..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/uart0/Makefile
+++ b/sys/uart0/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = uart0
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/vtimer/Makefile b/sys/vtimer/Makefile
index cae67acc0dd78b1e6c4b2279465a213c9cd0a307..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/sys/vtimer/Makefile
+++ b/sys/vtimer/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE =vtimer
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-core/Makefile b/tests/unittests/tests-core/Makefile
index 2bb651c200c9f3062d56cb40133cd80ea309fe72..48422e909a47d7cd428d10fa73825060ccc8d8c2 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/tests-core/Makefile
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-core/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-MODULE = tests-core
-
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base