diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf215.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf215.c
index 277507941ffd6..8dcf88859266a 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf215.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf215.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "net/gnrc/gomach/gomach.h"
 #endif
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #include "at86rf215.h"
 #include "at86rf215_params.h"
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  * @{
  */
-#define AT86RF215_MAC_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define AT86RF215_MAC_STACKSIZE     (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #ifndef AT86RF215_MAC_PRIO
 #define AT86RF215_MAC_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf2xx.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf2xx.c
index a108a5683830e..73985392149ce 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf2xx.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_at86rf2xx.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "net/gnrc/gomach/gomach.h"
 #endif
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #include "at86rf2xx.h"
 #include "at86rf2xx_params.h"
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  * @{
  */
-#define AT86RF2XX_MAC_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define AT86RF2XX_MAC_STACKSIZE     (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #ifndef AT86RF2XX_MAC_PRIO
 #define AT86RF2XX_MAC_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2420.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2420.c
index 829e13e97ea14..49b94e008afef 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2420.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2420.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "board.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #include "cc2420.h"
 #include "cc2420_params.h"
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@
  * @brief   MAC layer stack parameters
  * @{
  */
-#define CC2420_MAC_STACKSIZE           (THREAD_STACKSIZE_MAIN)
+#define CC2420_MAC_STACKSIZE           (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #ifndef CC2420_MAC_PRIO
 #define CC2420_MAC_PRIO                (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2538_rf.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2538_rf.c
index 302cda7e242e9..eec5a5d539107 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2538_rf.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_cc2538_rf.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #include "cc2538_rf.h"
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  * @{
  */
-#define CC2538_MAC_STACKSIZE       (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define CC2538_MAC_STACKSIZE       (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #ifndef CC2538_MAC_PRIO
 #define CC2538_MAC_PRIO            (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw2xrf.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw2xrf.c
index cd3818e08603b..8ec90ef180b21 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw2xrf.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw2xrf.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "board.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #include "kw2xrf.h"
 #include "kw2xrf_params.h"
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  * @{
  */
-#define KW2XRF_MAC_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define KW2XRF_MAC_STACKSIZE     (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #ifndef KW2XRF_MAC_PRIO
 #define KW2XRF_MAC_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw41zrf.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw41zrf.c
index b9062a6c0bd83..b3966f352ceb1 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw41zrf.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_kw41zrf.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "board.h"
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #ifdef MODULE_GNRC_LWMAC
 #include "net/gnrc/lwmac/lwmac.h"
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
  * @{
  */
 #ifndef KW41ZRF_NETIF_STACKSIZE
-#define KW41ZRF_NETIF_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define KW41ZRF_NETIF_STACKSIZE     (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #endif
 #ifndef KW41ZRF_NETIF_PRIO
 #define KW41ZRF_NETIF_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_mrf24j40.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_mrf24j40.c
index f9f943b0d4fc1..00d9ea921a238 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_mrf24j40.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_mrf24j40.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "board.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
 #include "net/gnrc.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #include "mrf24j40.h"
 #include "mrf24j40_params.h"
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  * @{
  */
-#define MRF24J40_MAC_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define MRF24J40_MAC_STACKSIZE     (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #ifndef MRF24J40_MAC_PRIO
 #define MRF24J40_MAC_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_nrf802154.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_nrf802154.c
index 8d49a977b25fc..1657f825e6a3a 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_nrf802154.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_nrf802154.c
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@
 #include "board.h"
 #include "nrf802154.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 /**
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  * @{
  */
 #ifndef NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE
-#define NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE     (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#define NRF802154_MAC_STACKSIZE     (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
 #endif
 #ifndef NRF802154_MAC_PRIO
 #define NRF802154_MAC_PRIO          (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_socket_zep.c b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_socket_zep.c
index 3218643d8bfb6..b509bb0bdbcaf 100644
--- a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_socket_zep.c
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/auto_init_socket_zep.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "socket_zep.h"
 #include "socket_zep_params.h"
 #include "net/gnrc/netif/ieee802154.h"
+#include "include/init_devs.h"
 
 #define ENABLE_DEBUG 0
 #include "debug.h"
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
 /**
  * @brief   Define stack parameters for the MAC layer thread
  */
-#define SOCKET_ZEP_MAC_STACKSIZE    (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT + DEBUG_EXTRA_STACKSIZE)
+#define SOCKET_ZEP_MAC_STACKSIZE    (IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT + DEBUG_EXTRA_STACKSIZE)
 #ifndef SOCKET_ZEP_MAC_PRIO
 #define SOCKET_ZEP_MAC_PRIO         (GNRC_NETIF_PRIO)
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/include/init_devs.h b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/include/init_devs.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..41cd2eb3dc756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/net/gnrc/netif/init_devs/include/init_devs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020 Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
+ *
+ * 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_auto_init_gnrc_netif
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief       common netif device initialization definitions
+ *
+ * @author      Fabian Hüßler <fabian.huessler@ovgu.de>
+ */
+
+#ifndef INIT_DEVS_H
+#define INIT_DEVS_H
+
+#include "thread.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * @brief   extra stack size if ieee802154 security is enabled
+ *
+ * You may increase this value if you experience a stack overflow
+ * with IEEE 802.15.4 security enabled.
+ */
+#define IEEE802154_SECURITY_EXTRA_STACKSIZE (128)
+
+#ifndef IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT
+#ifdef MODULE_IEEE802154_SECURITY
+#define IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT    (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT + \
+                                        IEEE802154_SECURITY_EXTRA_STACKSIZE)
+#else
+/**
+ * @brief   stack size of an ieee802154 device
+ */
+#define IEEE802154_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT    (THREAD_STACKSIZE_DEFAULT)
+#endif
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* INIT_DEVS_H */
+/** @} */