diff --git a/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab b/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
index 4a4791aab1a326632c2dd831d6d0e2800a36b9ac..4ddf9b71207f141b667cf626d1de9fd78a2cb15b 100644
--- a/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
+++ b/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 IOTLAB_NODES    ?= 5
 IOTLAB_DURATION ?= 30
 IOTLAB_SITE     ?= grenoble
-IOTLAB_TYPE     ?= "m3:at86rf231"
+IOTLAB_TYPE     ?= m3:at86rf231
 IOTLAB_AUTH     ?= $(HOME)/.iotlabrc
 IOTLAB_USER     ?= $(shell cut -f1 -d: $(IOTLAB_AUTH))
 IOTLAB_EXP_ID   ?= $(shell experiment-cli get -l --state Running | grep -m 1 '"id"' | grep -Eo '[[:digit:]]+')
@@ -22,10 +22,17 @@ iotlab-exp: $(IOTLAB_AUTH) all
     ifneq (RIOT_EXP,$(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME))
 	    $(eval IOTLAB_EXP_NAME := RIOT_EXP_$(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME))
     endif
+
+    ifndef IOTLAB_PHY_NODES
+	    $(eval NODES_LIST := "$(IOTLAB_NODES),archi=$(IOTLAB_TYPE)+site=$(IOTLAB_SITE),$(BINARY),$(IOTLAB_PROFILE)")
+    else
+	    $(eval NODES_LIST := "$(IOTLAB_SITE),$(firstword $(subst :, ,$(IOTLAB_TYPE))),$(IOTLAB_PHY_NODES),$(BINARY),$(IOTLAB_PROFILE)")
+    endif
+
     ifeq (,$(AD))
-	    @echo "experiment-cli submit -d $(IOTLAB_DURATION) -l $(IOTLAB_NODES),archi=$(IOTLAB_TYPE)+site=$(IOTLAB_SITE),$(BINARY),$(IOTLAB_PROFILE) -n $(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME)"
+	    @echo "experiment-cli submit -d $(IOTLAB_DURATION) -l $(NODES_LIST) -n $(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME)"
     endif
-	$(eval NEW_ID := $(shell experiment-cli submit -d $(IOTLAB_DURATION) -l $(IOTLAB_NODES),archi=$(IOTLAB_TYPE)+site=$(IOTLAB_SITE),$(BINARY),$(IOTLAB_PROFILE) -n $(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME) | grep -Eo '[[:digit:]]+'))
+	$(eval NEW_ID := $(shell experiment-cli submit -d $(IOTLAB_DURATION) -l $(NODES_LIST) -n $(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME) | grep -Eo '[[:digit:]]+'))
 	$(AD)experiment-cli wait -i $(NEW_ID)
 
 iotlab-flash: $(IOTLAB_AUTH) all
diff --git a/dist/testbed-support/README.iotlab.md b/dist/testbed-support/README.iotlab.md
index 3e902b2c1aebfd14fbac2eb2de40e91c5484b25f..7f2b94f02338bcdf46c015a74e813ca7b4e191fc 100644
--- a/dist/testbed-support/README.iotlab.md
+++ b/dist/testbed-support/README.iotlab.md
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ brackets):
  * IOTLAB_AUTH ($HOME/.iotlabrc)
  * IOTLAB_USER (taken from $IOTLAB_AUTH)
  * IOTLAB_EXP_ID (taken from first experiment in running state)
+ * IOTLAB_EXP_NAME (RIOT_EXP)
+ * IOTLAB_PHY_NODES
 
 ### Targets
 
@@ -48,9 +50,13 @@ if `IOTLAB_EXP_ID` is not set.
 
 This schedules a new experiment on the FIT IoT-LAB and waits until it enters
 "Running" state. It will request `IOTLAB_NODES` nodes of type `IOTLAB_TYPE`
-for `IOTLAB_DURATION` minutes at site `IOTLAB_SITE`. It will also flash the
+for `IOTLAB_DURATION` minutes at site `IOTLAB_SITE`. With `IOTLAB_PHY_NODES`
+it is possible to choose specific nodes for this experiment by using the resourceid
+string format defined in `experiment-cli submit --help` (example: 1-3+7+10-13).
+Note that the usage of `IOTLAB_PHY_NODES` ignores `IOTLAB_NODES`. It will also flash the
 binary of the current application to all registered nodes. The name of the
-experiment is set to "riot_makefile_experiment"
+experiment is set to "RIOT_EXP" or "RIOT_EXP_$(IOTLAB_EXP_NAME)"
+if `IOTLAB_EXP_NAME` is defined.
 
 #### iotlab-flash