diff --git a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c
index 3786e3b1cded..05a0a598239a 100644
--- a/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c
+++ b/drivers/at86rf2xx/at86rf2xx_netdev.c
@@ -627,6 +627,51 @@ static int _set(netdev_t *netdev, netopt_t opt, const void *val, size_t len)
     return res;
 }
 
+static void _isr_send_complete(at86rf2xx_t *dev, uint8_t trac_status)
+{
+    netdev_t *netdev = &dev->netdev.netdev;
+/* Only radios with the XAH_CTRL_2 register support frame retry reporting */
+#if AT86RF2XX_HAVE_RETRIES
+    dev->tx_retries = (at86rf2xx_reg_read(dev, AT86RF2XX_REG__XAH_CTRL_2)
+                       & AT86RF2XX_XAH_CTRL_2__ARET_FRAME_RETRIES_MASK) >>
+                      AT86RF2XX_XAH_CTRL_2__ARET_FRAME_RETRIES_OFFSET;
+#endif
+
+    DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] EVT - TX_END\n");
+
+    if (netdev->event_callback && (dev->flags & AT86RF2XX_OPT_TELL_TX_END)) {
+        switch (trac_status) {
+#ifdef MODULE_OPENTHREAD
+            case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS:
+                netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE);
+                DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX SUCCESS\n");
+                break;
+            case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS_DATA_PENDING:
+                netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE_DATA_PENDING);
+                DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX SUCCESS DATA PENDING\n");
+                break;
+#else
+                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS:
+                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS_DATA_PENDING:
+                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE);
+                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX SUCCESS\n");
+                        break;
+#endif
+                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_NO_ACK:
+                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_NOACK);
+                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX NO_ACK\n");
+                        break;
+                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_CHANNEL_ACCESS_FAILURE:
+                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_MEDIUM_BUSY);
+                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX_CHANNEL_ACCESS_FAILURE\n");
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] Unhandled TRAC_STATUS: %d\n",
+                              trac_status >> 5);
+                }
+            }
+}
+
 static void _isr(netdev_t *netdev)
 {
     at86rf2xx_t *dev = (at86rf2xx_t *) netdev;
@@ -667,54 +712,28 @@ static void _isr(netdev_t *netdev)
             }
             netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_RX_COMPLETE);
         }
-        else if ((state == AT86RF2XX_STATE_TX_ARET_ON)
-                 || (state == AT86RF2XX_STATE_BUSY_TX_ARET)) {
+        else if (state == AT86RF2XX_STATE_TX_ARET_ON) {
             /* check for more pending TX calls and return to idle state if
              * there are none */
             assert(dev->pending_tx != 0);
-            if ((--dev->pending_tx) == 0) {
-                at86rf2xx_set_state(dev, dev->idle_state);
-                DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] return to idle state 0x%x\n", dev->idle_state);
-            }
-/* Only radios with the XAH_CTRL_2 register support frame retry reporting */
-#if AT86RF2XX_HAVE_RETRIES
-            dev->tx_retries = (at86rf2xx_reg_read(dev, AT86RF2XX_REG__XAH_CTRL_2)
-                               & AT86RF2XX_XAH_CTRL_2__ARET_FRAME_RETRIES_MASK) >>
-                              AT86RF2XX_XAH_CTRL_2__ARET_FRAME_RETRIES_OFFSET;
-#endif
-
-            DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] EVT - TX_END\n");
-
-            if (netdev->event_callback && (dev->flags & AT86RF2XX_OPT_TELL_TX_END)) {
-                switch (trac_status) {
-#ifdef MODULE_OPENTHREAD
-                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS:
-                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE);
-                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX SUCCESS\n");
-                        break;
-                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS_DATA_PENDING:
-                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE_DATA_PENDING);
-                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX SUCCESS DATA PENDING\n");
-                        break;
-#else
-                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS:
-                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_SUCCESS_DATA_PENDING:
-                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_COMPLETE);
-                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX SUCCESS\n");
-                        break;
-#endif
-                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_NO_ACK:
-                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_NOACK);
-                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX NO_ACK\n");
-                        break;
-                    case AT86RF2XX_TRX_STATE__TRAC_CHANNEL_ACCESS_FAILURE:
-                        netdev->event_callback(netdev, NETDEV_EVENT_TX_MEDIUM_BUSY);
-                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] TX_CHANNEL_ACCESS_FAILURE\n");
-                        break;
-                    default:
-                        DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] Unhandled TRAC_STATUS: %d\n",
-                              trac_status >> 5);
-                }
+            /* Radio is idle, any TX transaction is done */
+            dev->pending_tx = 0;
+            at86rf2xx_set_state(dev, dev->idle_state);
+            DEBUG("[at86rf2xx] return to idle state 0x%x\n", dev->idle_state);
+            _isr_send_complete(dev, trac_status);
+        }
+        /* Only the case when an interrupt was received and the radio is busy
+         * with a next PDU transmission when _isr is called.
+         * dev->pending == 1 means a receive and immediately a send happened.
+         * The receive is discarded as the send already overwrote the internal
+         * buffer.
+         * dev->pending == 2 means two transmits occurred and this is the isr for
+         * the first.
+         */
+        else if (state == AT86RF2XX_STATE_BUSY_TX_ARET) {
+            if (dev->pending_tx > 1) {
+                dev->pending_tx--;
+                _isr_send_complete(dev, trac_status);
             }
         }
     }