diff --git a/makefiles/modules.inc.mk b/makefiles/modules.inc.mk
index 7aa1e78ec628..a5ee6a2ba4c2 100644
--- a/makefiles/modules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/modules.inc.mk
@@ -8,4 +8,17 @@ CFLAGS += $(EXTDEFINES)
 # filter "pseudomodules" from "real modules", but not "no_pseudomodules"
 REALMODULES += $(filter-out $(PSEUDOMODULES), $(_ALLMODULES))
 REALMODULES += $(filter $(NO_PSEUDOMODULES), $(_ALLMODULES))
-BASELIBS += $(REALMODULES:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a)
+
+
+# Modules that can be linked by including all objects
+OBJECTS_REALMODULES = $(filter-out $(LIBS), $(REALMODULES))
+# Modules that must be linked using the default 'archive' linking behaviour
+ARCHIVE_REALMODULES = $(filter $(LIBS), $(REALMODULES))
+
+OBJECTS_LIBS += $(OBJECTS_REALMODULES:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a)
+ARCHIVE_LIBS += $(ARCHIVE_REALMODULES:%=$(BINDIR)/%.a)
+
+# Warning: the object/archive compilation handling is not currently handled
+# for all architectures.
+
+BASELIBS += $(OBJECTS_LIBS) $(ARCHIVE_LIBS)
diff --git a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
index bff4d74f52a1..0ce254ff7304 100644
--- a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ export CXXINCLUDES           # The extra include paths for c++, set by the vario
 
 export USEMODULE             # Sys Module dependencies of the application. Set in the application's Makefile.
 export USEPKG                # Pkg dependencies (third party modules) of the application. Set in the application's Makefile.
+# LIBS
+# List of modules that must be linked using the default 'archive' linking
+# behavior where only required/referenced objects/functions are included.
+#
+# Modules whose archive should not/cannot be linked with `--whole-archive`
+# must be added to LIBS in the module Makefile.include.
 export DISABLE_MODULE        # Used in the application's Makefile to suppress DEFAULT_MODULEs.
 export APPDEPS               # Files / Makefile targets that need to be created before the application can be build. Set in the application's Makefile.
 # BUILDDEPS                  # Files / Makefile targets that need to be created before starting to build.