diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index 396ec8be498084d592246745f39ba5bbf627fbe9..3a83561f179fefb4ddcf41549bf2e5e84a3794c1 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -185,6 +185,15 @@ ifneq (,$(filter gnrc_pktbuf_%, $(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += gnrc_pktbuf # make MODULE_GNRC_PKTBUF macro available for all implementations
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter newlib,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += uart_stdio
+else
+  ifneq (,$(filter shell,$(USEMODULE)))
+    USEMODULE += uart0
+  endif
+endif
+
+
 ifneq (,$(filter uart0,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += posix
 endif
@@ -239,10 +248,6 @@ ifneq (,$(filter cpp11-compat,$(USEMODULE)))
   FEATURES_REQUIRED += cpp
 endif
 
-ifneq (,$(filter newlib,$(USEMODULE)))
-  USEMODULE += uart_stdio
-endif
-
 ifneq (,$(filter gnrc_netdev_eth,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += gnrc_pktbuf
 endif