diff --git a/cpu/cortexm_common/vectors_cortexm.c b/cpu/cortexm_common/vectors_cortexm.c
index 56eaae22ab61..c93db3ef5d4a 100644
--- a/cpu/cortexm_common/vectors_cortexm.c
+++ b/cpu/cortexm_common/vectors_cortexm.c
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
 #include "panic.h"
 #include "vectors_cortexm.h"
 
+#ifdef MODULE_PINDBG
+#include "pindbg.h"
+#endif
+
 #ifndef SRAM_BASE
 #define SRAM_BASE 0
 #endif
@@ -113,6 +117,11 @@ void reset_handler_default(void)
 
     post_startup();
 
+#ifdef MODULE_PINDBG
+    /* initialize debug pins if configured */
+    pindbg_init();
+#endif
+
     /* initialize the board (which also initiates CPU initialization) */
     board_init();
 
diff --git a/cpu/stm32_common/include/pindbg_cpu.h b/cpu/stm32_common/include/pindbg_cpu.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a2f4f41c0bdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/stm32_common/include/pindbg_cpu.h
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup     cpu_stm32_common
+ *
+ * @{
+ * @file
+ * @brief       CPU specific handlers for direct control of debug pins
+ *
+ * @author      Hauke Petersen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
+ */
+
+#ifndef PINDBG_CPU_H
+#define PINDBG_CPU_H
+
+#include "cpu.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+#ifdef PINDBG0
+#define PINDBG0_PORT        ((GPIO_TypeDef *)(PINDBG0 & ~(0x0f)))
+#define PINDBG0_MASK        (1 << (PINDBG0 & 0xf))
+#define PINDBG0_SET         (PINDBG0_PORT->BSRR = PINDBG0_MASK)
+#define PINDBG0_CLR         (PINDBG0_PORT->BSRR = (PINDBG0_MASK << 16))
+#define PINDBG0_TGL         (PINDBG0_PORT->ODR ^= PINDBG0_MASK)
+#endif
+
+#ifdef PINDBG1
+#define PINDBG1_PORT        ((GPIO_TypeDef *)(PINDBG1 & ~(0x0f)))
+#define PINDBG1_MASK        (1 << (PINDBG1 & 0xf))
+#define PINDBG1_SET         (PINDBG1_PORT->BSRR = PINDBG1_MASK)
+#define PINDBG1_CLR         (PINDBG1_PORT->BSRR = (PINDBG1_MASK << 16))
+#define PINDBG1_TGL         (PINDBG1_PORT->ODR ^= PINDBG1_MASK)
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* PINDBG_CPU_H */
+/** @} */
diff --git a/sys/include/pindbg.h b/sys/include/pindbg.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f68def01da14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/include/pindbg.h
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @defgroup    sys_pindbg Direct pin control for debugging/profiling
+ * @ingroup     sys
+ *
+ * This module gives the possibility to directly control a number of GPIO pins
+ * without the least possible overhead for debugging and profiling purposes. For
+ * this, the module provides a number of macros for setting, clearing, and
+ * toggling some defined pins: `PINDBG[\d]_[SET|CLR|TGL]`, for example
+ * `PINDBG0_SET` or `PINDBG1_TGL`.
+ *
+ * To use this module, you have to do two things:
+ * 1. the module has to be selected in your project: `USEMODULE += pindbg`
+ * 2. you have to define the pins you want to use for debugging, e.g.:
+ *    `CFLAGS += -DPINDBG0=GPIO_PIN\(0,15\) -DPINDBG1=GPIO_PIN\(1,24\)`
+ *
+ * It is of course up to you to add these settings to your application Makefile
+ * for the duration of debugging/profiling or to set them through environment
+ * variables in your host systems shell.
+ *
+ * The initialization function is automatically called as early as possible
+ * during the system initialization so the debug pins can be used already during
+ * e.g. auto_init and so on.
+ *
+ * @{
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Module for direct pin control for debugging/profiling purposes
+ *
+ * @author      Hauke Petersen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
+ */
+
+#ifndef PINDBG_H
+#define PINDBG_H
+
+#include "pindbg_cpu.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Initialize all configured debug pins
+ */
+void pindbg_init(void);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* PINDBG_H */
+/** @} */
+
diff --git a/sys/pindbg/Makefile b/sys/pindbg/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..48422e909a47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/pindbg/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/sys/pindbg/pindbg.c b/sys/pindbg/pindbg.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..39d6c24a3a3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/pindbg/pindbg.c
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup     sys_pindbg
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Initialization of configured direct controlled debug pins
+ *
+ * @author      Hauke Petersen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
+ *
+ * @}
+ */
+
+#include "pindbg.h"
+#include "periph/gpio.h"
+
+void pindbg_init(void)
+{
+#ifdef PINDBG0
+    gpio_init(PINDBG0, GPIO_OUT);
+#endif
+#ifdef PINDBG1
+    gpio_init(PINDBG1, GPIO_OUT);
+#endif
+}