diff --git a/boards/common/atmega/board.c b/boards/common/atmega/board.c
index ef349c737f62..01c58b31ddc3 100644
--- a/boards/common/atmega/board.c
+++ b/boards/common/atmega/board.c
@@ -23,10 +23,15 @@
 #include "irq.h"
 #include "periph/gpio.h"
 
+#ifndef CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_INIT
+#define CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_INIT    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV1
+#endif
+
 void led_init(void);
 
 void board_init(void)
 {
+    atmega_set_prescaler(CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_INIT);
     atmega_stdio_init();
     cpu_init();
     led_init();
diff --git a/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h b/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h
index 0fc6a078ae85..84d64f0f7f03 100644
--- a/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/atmega_common/include/cpu.h
@@ -92,6 +92,37 @@ __attribute__((always_inline)) static inline void cpu_print_last_instruction(voi
     printf("Stack Pointer: 0x%04x\n", ptr);
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief   ATmega system clock prescaler settings
+ *
+ * Some CPUs may not support the highest prescaler settings
+ */
+enum {
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV1 = 0,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV2 = 1,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV4 = 2,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV8 = 3,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV16 = 4,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV32 = 5,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV64 = 6,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV128 = 7,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV256 = 8,
+    CPU_ATMEGA_CLK_SCALE_DIV512 = 9,
+};
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Initializes system clock prescaler
+ */
+static inline void atmega_set_prescaler(uint8_t clk_scale)
+{
+    /* Enable clock change */
+    /* Must be assignment to set all other bits to zero, see datasheet */
+    CLKPR = (1 << CLKPCE);
+
+    /* Write clock within 4 cycles */
+    CLKPR = clk_scale;
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief   Initializes avrlibc stdio
  */