diff --git a/cpu/cc2538/Makefile.cc2538 b/cpu/cc2538/Makefile.cc2538
index 05ae7257d..81e097ad7 100644
--- a/cpu/cc2538/Makefile.cc2538
+++ b/cpu/cc2538/Makefile.cc2538
@@ -60,13 +60,15 @@ CONTIKI_SOURCEFILES += $(USB_CORE_SOURCEFILES) $(USB_ARCH_SOURCEFILES)
 FORCE:
 
 $(OBJECTDIR)/ieee-addr.o: ieee-addr.c FORCE | $(OBJECTDIR)
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+	$(TRACE_CC)
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 ### Compilation rules
 CUSTOM_RULE_LINK=1
 
 %.elf: $(TARGET_STARTFILES) %.co $(PROJECT_OBJECTFILES) $(PROJECT_LIBRARIES) contiki-$(TARGET).a $(LDSCRIPT)
-	$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) ${filter-out $(LDSCRIPT) %.a,$^} ${filter %.a,$^} -o $@
+	$(TRACE_LD)
+	$(Q)$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) ${filter-out $(LDSCRIPT) %.a,$^} ${filter %.a,$^} -o $@
 
 %.bin: %.elf
 	$(OBJCOPY) $(OBJCOPY_FLAGS) $< $@
@@ -80,8 +82,9 @@ CUSTOM_RULE_LINK=1
 LDGENFLAGS += $(addprefix -D,$(subst $(COMMA), ,$(DEFINES)))
 LDGENFLAGS += $(addprefix -I,$(SOURCEDIRS))
 LDGENFLAGS += -imacros "contiki-conf.h"
-LDGENFLAGS += -P -E
+LDGENFLAGS += -x c -P -E
 
 # NB: Assumes LDSCRIPT was not overridden and is in $(OBJECTDIR)
 $(LDSCRIPT): $(CONTIKI_CPU)/cc2538.lds FORCE | $(OBJECTDIR)
-	$(CPP) $(LDGENFLAGS) $< -o $@
+	$(TRACE_CC)
+	$(Q)$(CC) $(LDGENFLAGS) $< -o $@