diff --git a/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include b/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
index 3d131cded..6bf90d669 100644
--- a/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/calliope-mini/Makefile.include
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.usbmodem*)))
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/serial.inc.mk
 
 # we support flashing through plain fscopy or using JLink
-FLASHTOOL ?= fscopy
-ifeq (fscopy,$(FLASHTOOL))
+PROGRAMMER ?= fscopy
+ifeq (fscopy,$(PROGRAMMER))
   export OFLAGS = -O ihex
   export HEXFILE = $(ELFFILE:.elf=.hex)
   export FFLAGS =
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ ifeq (fscopy,$(FLASHTOOL))
   export FLASHER = $(RIOTBOARD)/$(BOARD)/dist/flash.sh
   export DEBUGGER =
   export DEBUGSERVER =
-else ifeq (jlink,$(FLASHTOOL))
+else ifeq (jlink,$(PROGRAMMER))
   export JLINK_DEVICE := nrf51822
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/jlink.inc.mk
 else
diff --git a/boards/microbit/Makefile.include b/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
index 4c566a29d..86174391e 100644
--- a/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
+++ b/boards/microbit/Makefile.include
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ PORT_DARWIN ?= $(firstword $(sort $(wildcard /dev/tty.SLAB_USBtoUART*)))
 include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/serial.inc.mk
 
 # we support flashing through plain fscopy or using JLink
-FLASHTOOL ?= fscopy
-ifeq (fscopy,$(FLASHTOOL))
+PROGRAMMER ?= fscopy
+ifeq (fscopy,$(PROGRAMMER))
   export OFLAGS = -O ihex
   export HEXFILE = $(ELFFILE:.elf=.hex)
   export FFLAGS =
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ ifeq (fscopy,$(FLASHTOOL))
   export FLASHER = $(RIOTBOARD)/$(BOARD)/dist/flash.sh
   export DEBUGGER =
   export DEBUGSERVER =
-else ifeq (jlink,$(FLASHTOOL))
+else ifeq (jlink,$(PROGRAMMER))
   export JLINK_DEVICE := nrf51822
   include $(RIOTMAKE)/tools/jlink.inc.mk
 else