diff --git a/boards/airfy-beacon/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/airfy-beacon/dist/openocd.cfg
index 111ca5e773e3823920920b0fba79b42e0d54e740..6d346ee828da1e51caee3b51810511fe315d8d34 100644
--- a/boards/airfy-beacon/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/airfy-beacon/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ transport select hla_swd
 
 set WORKAREASIZE 0x4000
 source [find target/nrf51.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/ek-lm4f120xl/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/ek-lm4f120xl/dist/openocd.cfg
index b2ebfa8cf111f24dc37ae2205793afeed4261e1f..28e8f46c125dacb0ee0ec63e0bd738f446fcfd9a 100644
--- a/boards/ek-lm4f120xl/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/ek-lm4f120xl/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ transport select hla_jtag
 set WORKAREASIZE 0x8000
 set CHIPNAME lm4f120h5qr
 source [find target/stellaris.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/fox/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/fox/dist/openocd.cfg
index fe70f18cf3ec59a7a14592520f6ce0109ffb3de0..6b7b7a59d081039570d7e93752d32e069a44ed45 100644
--- a/boards/fox/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/fox/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ jtag_ntrst_delay 100
 reset_config trst_and_srst
 
 source [find target/stm32f1x.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/frdm-k64f/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/frdm-k64f/dist/openocd.cfg
index 10b7b1c0d8af6eb617b427be933d120cb832e7c2..85d81531aae7ecf71fffba44e1c6bfbe142487f5 100644
--- a/boards/frdm-k64f/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/frdm-k64f/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -48,3 +48,4 @@ adapter_khz 1000
 $_TARGETNAME configure -event gdb-attach {
   halt
 }
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/iotlab-a8-m3/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/iotlab-a8-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
index efd4f0c325681b06b2b6e9b3208d0086bdbbd566..d9b5985367ff19f0586147107f10e4f17823ecfa 100644
--- a/boards/iotlab-a8-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/iotlab-a8-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ ftdi_layout_signal nTRST -data 0x0800
 ftdi_layout_signal nSRST -data 0x0400
 
 source [find target/stm32f1x.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
index efd4f0c325681b06b2b6e9b3208d0086bdbbd566..d9b5985367ff19f0586147107f10e4f17823ecfa 100644
--- a/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/iotlab-m3/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ ftdi_layout_signal nTRST -data 0x0800
 ftdi_layout_signal nSRST -data 0x0400
 
 source [find target/stm32f1x.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/limifrog-v1/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/limifrog-v1/dist/openocd.cfg
index 2bf52e0664cf84a382dbd5bdf86d89405f63ed53..530d12f689829980ba2180107c802f4a23b5578b 100644
--- a/boards/limifrog-v1/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/limifrog-v1/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ transport select hla_swd
 
 set WORKAREASIZE 0x2800
 source [find target/stm32l1.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/msbiot/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/msbiot/dist/openocd.cfg
index 0350e7eba3f08106578f92b7743acce30a389e57..a2f4a9204699cbb12d030802cddd5f0fec383e11 100644
--- a/boards/msbiot/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/msbiot/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/stm32f4discovery.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-f072/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-f072/dist/openocd.cfg
index 4f0cfb3a023bba8d0d9df75647452a24c138a121..ba0fc41dfb0d7a42b5e53843a786e7a749567902 100644
--- a/boards/nucleo-f072/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-f072/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/st_nucleo_f0.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-f091/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-f091/dist/openocd.cfg
index 4f0cfb3a023bba8d0d9df75647452a24c138a121..ba0fc41dfb0d7a42b5e53843a786e7a749567902 100644
--- a/boards/nucleo-f091/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-f091/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/st_nucleo_f0.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-f103/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-f103/dist/openocd.cfg
index 82df176c413819dfc842472641c4f1aa6a2ee5a9..befcac3250eb92788dbff8d9f41cd179fcf11b1a 100755
--- a/boards/nucleo-f103/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-f103/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 #source [find board/st_nucleo_f1.cfg]
 source [find board/st_nucleo_f103rb.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-f303/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-f303/dist/openocd.cfg
index 24890075353103a43781323bed3d7dbc6740ac0d..915eebc912faf3857ed32846b3f8fa6214a36bed 100755
--- a/boards/nucleo-f303/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-f303/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/st_nucleo_f3.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-f334/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-f334/dist/openocd.cfg
index 24890075353103a43781323bed3d7dbc6740ac0d..915eebc912faf3857ed32846b3f8fa6214a36bed 100644
--- a/boards/nucleo-f334/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-f334/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/st_nucleo_f3.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-f401/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-f401/dist/openocd.cfg
index 9a3061f0bf823cd3d3ada251afee536c369bd14a..27ae019aeb12a7feaf3ceb7f3702a0f9160b6e3c 100644
--- a/boards/nucleo-f401/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-f401/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/st_nucleo_f4.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/nucleo-l1/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/nucleo-l1/dist/openocd.cfg
index 1553507ee5564ea99df935a89fb5cff987bfe395..939ea7d896574a102463a8ca5f30a2be6cabeb30 100644
--- a/boards/nucleo-l1/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/nucleo-l1/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/st_nucleo_l1.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/pba-d-01-kw2x/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/pba-d-01-kw2x/dist/openocd.cfg
index 806b323bb571dcd2085b5c154f320de877aebb2b..f2fb040b80c9b448709190e4fac65a4ac7aeee97 100644
--- a/boards/pba-d-01-kw2x/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/pba-d-01-kw2x/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -69,3 +69,4 @@ if {![using_hla]} {
 $_TARGETNAME configure -event reset-init {
     adapter_khz 24000
 }
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/saml21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/saml21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg
index 2070f15e3d2b99731d1b5bd84341c71b7e9793f9..3186498088a5c2bfc68ba15e1b897fec1bca0753 100644
--- a/boards/saml21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/saml21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/atmel_saml21_xplained_pro.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/samr21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/samr21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg
index 2c81bdfbfa6f93024aa130cd8a4720cfa73baf37..597b433bc9293478ffe0aebb96a64c9a066e4681 100644
--- a/boards/samr21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/samr21-xpro/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/atmel_samr21_xplained_pro.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/stm32f0discovery/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/stm32f0discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
index 7cc0fd8900b395c994c4f0c06340f6e317cf7bb2..9a408c9d139da26d9c436450d4388fe977a9eb38 100644
--- a/boards/stm32f0discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/stm32f0discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/stm32f0discovery.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/stm32f3discovery/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/stm32f3discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
index f032f7a0c32695968a34d08499d13c4723bbaccf..d164f1c152e5a4c8e424336ea248defd566a2a15 100644
--- a/boards/stm32f3discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/stm32f3discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/stm32f3discovery.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/stm32f4discovery/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/stm32f4discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
index 0350e7eba3f08106578f92b7743acce30a389e57..a2f4a9204699cbb12d030802cddd5f0fec383e11 100644
--- a/boards/stm32f4discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/stm32f4discovery/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 source [find board/stm32f4discovery.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/boards/yunjia-nrf51822/dist/openocd.cfg b/boards/yunjia-nrf51822/dist/openocd.cfg
index 111ca5e773e3823920920b0fba79b42e0d54e740..6d346ee828da1e51caee3b51810511fe315d8d34 100644
--- a/boards/yunjia-nrf51822/dist/openocd.cfg
+++ b/boards/yunjia-nrf51822/dist/openocd.cfg
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ transport select hla_swd
 
 set WORKAREASIZE 0x4000
 source [find target/nrf51.cfg]
+$_TARGETNAME configure -rtos auto
diff --git a/core/sched.c b/core/sched.c
index f32a10963e6c16cad2b72a308964d94ba7aff706..f1414b369ba65e8833996f05185331bb9210b129 100644
--- a/core/sched.c
+++ b/core/sched.c
@@ -57,6 +57,17 @@ volatile kernel_pid_t sched_active_pid = KERNEL_PID_UNDEF;
 clist_node_t sched_runqueues[SCHED_PRIO_LEVELS];
 static uint32_t runqueue_bitcache = 0;
 
+/* Needed by OpenOCD to read sched_threads */
+__attribute__((used)) __attribute__((section (".openocd")))
+uint8_t max_threads = sizeof(sched_threads) / sizeof(thread_t*);
+
+#ifdef DEVELHELP
+/* OpenOCD can't determine struct offsets and additionally this member is only
+ * available if compiled with DEVELHELP */
+__attribute__((used)) __attribute__((section (".openocd")))
+uint8_t _tcb_name_offset = offsetof(thread_t, name);
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MODULE_SCHEDSTATISTICS
 static void (*sched_cb) (uint32_t timestamp, uint32_t value) = NULL;
 schedstat sched_pidlist[KERNEL_PID_LAST + 1];
diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/ldscripts/cortexm_base.ld b/cpu/cortexm_common/ldscripts/cortexm_base.ld
index 8f5d08b854e9f979c4c9b7af10c98b70b699bf9a..68c19e7d3ecfd312fda0950f6ad744b03f161555 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/ldscripts/cortexm_base.ld
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/ldscripts/cortexm_base.ld
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ SECTIONS
         _srelocate = .;
         *(.ramfunc .ramfunc.*);
         *(.data .data.*);
+        KEEP (*(.openocd .openocd.*))
         . = ALIGN(4);
         _erelocate = .;
     } > ram