diff --git a/arch/platform/cc2538dk/contiki-main.c b/arch/platform/cc2538dk/contiki-main.c
index 3058b6257..d258fb26a 100644
--- a/arch/platform/cc2538dk/contiki-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/cc2538dk/contiki-main.c
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@
 #include "reg.h"
 #include "ieee-addr.h"
 #include "lpm.h"
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -224,6 +227,10 @@ main(void)
   energest_init();
   ENERGEST_ON(ENERGEST_TYPE_CPU);
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
 
   watchdog_start();
diff --git a/arch/platform/cooja/contiki-cooja-main.c b/arch/platform/cooja/contiki-cooja-main.c
index 278031ef2..bdef04128 100644
--- a/arch/platform/cooja/contiki-cooja-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/cooja/contiki-cooja-main.c
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@
 #include "dev/vib-sensor.h"
 
 #include "sys/node-id.h"
-
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
 
 /* JNI-defined functions, depends on the environment variable CLASSNAME */
 #ifndef CLASSNAME
@@ -258,6 +260,10 @@ contiki_init()
   /* Start serial process */
   serial_line_init();
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   /* Start autostart processes (defined in Contiki application) */
   print_processes(autostart_processes);
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
diff --git a/arch/platform/jn516x/contiki-jn516x-main.c b/arch/platform/jn516x/contiki-jn516x-main.c
index 7c8acb67a..a50328bd4 100644
--- a/arch/platform/jn516x/contiki-jn516x-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/jn516x/contiki-jn516x-main.c
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ extern uint32_t heap_location;
 #include "experiment-setup.h"
 #endif
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 /* _EXTRA_LPM is the sleep mode, _LPM is the doze mode */
 #define ENERGEST_TYPE_EXTRA_LPM ENERGEST_TYPE_LPM
 
@@ -346,6 +350,10 @@ main(void)
      auto-start processes */
   (void)u32AHI_Init();
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   start_autostart_processes();
 
   leds_off(LEDS_ALL);
diff --git a/arch/platform/native/contiki-main.c b/arch/platform/native/contiki-main.c
index ca0638e94..148a13ef6 100644
--- a/arch/platform/native/contiki-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/native/contiki-main.c
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@
 #include "net/ipv6/uip-ds6.h"
 #endif /* NETSTACK_CONF_WITH_IPV6 */
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 #ifdef SELECT_CONF_MAX
 #define SELECT_MAX SELECT_CONF_MAX
 #else
@@ -274,6 +278,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
   serial_line_init();
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
 
   /* Make standard output unbuffered. */
diff --git a/arch/platform/nrf52dk/contiki-main.c b/arch/platform/nrf52dk/contiki-main.c
index 481f3655d..d676718f8 100644
--- a/arch/platform/nrf52dk/contiki-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/nrf52dk/contiki-main.c
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 #if defined(SOFTDEVICE_PRESENT) && PLATFORM_INDICATE_BLE_STATE
 PROCESS(ble_iface_observer, "BLE interface observer");
 
@@ -178,6 +182,11 @@ main(void)
 #endif /* SOFTDEVICE_PRESENT */
 
   process_start(&sensors_process, NULL);
+
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
 
   watchdog_start();
diff --git a/arch/platform/openmote-cc2538/contiki-main.c b/arch/platform/openmote-cc2538/contiki-main.c
index 4afb4212b..aa8996939 100644
--- a/arch/platform/openmote-cc2538/contiki-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/openmote-cc2538/contiki-main.c
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@
 #include "ieee-addr.h"
 #include "lpm.h"
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -220,6 +224,10 @@ main(void)
   energest_init();
   ENERGEST_ON(ENERGEST_TYPE_CPU);
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
 
   watchdog_start();
diff --git a/arch/platform/sky/contiki-sky-main.c b/arch/platform/sky/contiki-sky-main.c
index 38ca8dc68..212b932ba 100644
--- a/arch/platform/sky/contiki-sky-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/sky/contiki-sky-main.c
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@
 #include "cfs/cfs-coffee.h"
 #include "sys/autostart.h"
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 #if DCOSYNCH_CONF_ENABLED
 static struct timer mgt_timer;
 #endif
@@ -306,6 +310,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
   watchdog_start();
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 #if !PROCESS_CONF_NO_PROCESS_NAMES
   print_processes(autostart_processes);
 #endif /* !PROCESS_CONF_NO_PROCESS_NAMES */
diff --git a/arch/platform/srf06-cc26xx/contiki-main.c b/arch/platform/srf06-cc26xx/contiki-main.c
index f399d1b9f..7680b6d97 100644
--- a/arch/platform/srf06-cc26xx/contiki-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/srf06-cc26xx/contiki-main.c
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@
 
 #include "driverlib/driverlib_release.h"
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 unsigned short node_id = 0;
@@ -226,6 +230,10 @@ main(void)
 
   process_start(&sensors_process, NULL);
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
 
   watchdog_start();
diff --git a/arch/platform/zoul/contiki-main.c b/arch/platform/zoul/contiki-main.c
index 42e832352..a6a763d1a 100644
--- a/arch/platform/zoul/contiki-main.c
+++ b/arch/platform/zoul/contiki-main.c
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@
 #include "ieee-addr.h"
 #include "lpm.h"
 #include "sys/autostart.h"
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+#include "serial-shell.h"
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -286,6 +289,10 @@ main(void)
   energest_init();
   ENERGEST_ON(ENERGEST_TYPE_CPU);
 
+#if BUILD_WITH_SHELL
+  serial_shell_init();
+#endif /* BUILD_WITH_SHELL */
+
   autostart_start(autostart_processes);
 
   watchdog_start();
diff --git a/os/services/shell/Makefile.shell b/os/services/shell/Makefile.shell
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b9549018
--- /dev/null
+++ b/os/services/shell/Makefile.shell
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+CFLAGS += -DBUILD_WITH_SHELL=1