diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netreg/gnrc_netreg.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netreg/gnrc_netreg.c
index 2361d4c07535b4a0a455b08b089eaa28004940da..540a321ac35784ec787e336cd3241c50c6834b03 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netreg/gnrc_netreg.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netreg/gnrc_netreg.c
@@ -40,12 +40,11 @@ void gnrc_netreg_init(void)
 int gnrc_netreg_register(gnrc_nettype_t type, gnrc_netreg_entry_t *entry)
 {
 #if DEVELHELP
-
 # if defined(MODULE_GNRC_NETAPI_MBOX) || defined(MODULE_GNRC_NETAPI_CALLBACKS)
     bool has_msg_q = (entry->type != GNRC_NETREG_TYPE_DEFAULT) ||
-                     (sched_threads[entry->target.pid]->msg_array != NULL);
+                     thread_has_msg_queue(sched_threads[entry->target.pid]);
 # else
-    bool has_msg_q = (sched_threads[entry->target.pid]->msg_array != NULL);
+    bool has_msg_q = thread_has_msg_queue(sched_threads[entry->target.pid]);
 # endif
 
     /* only threads with a message queue are allowed to register at gnrc */