diff --git a/core/lib/panic.c b/core/lib/panic.c
index ed9dae261fe3..6e6fb5a8cf07 100644
--- a/core/lib/panic.c
+++ b/core/lib/panic.c
@@ -79,16 +79,18 @@ NORETURN void core_panic(core_panic_t crash_code, const char *message)
     /* disable watchdog and all possible sources of interrupts */
     irq_disable();
     panic_arch();
-#ifndef DEVELHELP
+#if !defined(DEVELHELP) && defined(MODULE_PERIPH_PM)
     /* DEVELHELP not set => reboot system */
     pm_reboot();
 #else
     /* DEVELHELP set => power off system */
     /*               or start bootloader */
-#ifdef MODULE_USB_BOARD_RESET
+#if defined(MODULE_USB_BOARD_RESET)
     usb_board_reset_in_bootloader();
-#else
+#elif defined(MODULE_PERIPH_PM)
     pm_off();
+#else
+    while (1) {}
 #endif
 #endif /* DEVELHELP */
 
diff --git a/cpu/avr8_common/Makefile.dep b/cpu/avr8_common/Makefile.dep
index a1a228d518c0..e6a7d7ff4629 100644
--- a/cpu/avr8_common/Makefile.dep
+++ b/cpu/avr8_common/Makefile.dep
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ USEMODULE += avr_libc_extra
 USEMODULE += avr8_common avr8_common_periph
 
 # All avr8 CPUs provide PM
-USEMODULE += pm_layered
+DEFAULT_MODULE += pm_layered
 
 # The AVR-libc provides no thread safe malloc implementation and has no hooks
 # to inject. Use malloc_thread_safe to link calls to malloc to safe wrappers