diff --git a/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include b/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include
index 4ee539a3e9d7..a69c47c3b991 100644
--- a/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include
+++ b/cpu/esp8266/Makefile.include
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ PREFFLAGS  = --chip esp8266 elf2image
 PREFFLAGS += --flash_mode $(FLASH_MODE) --flash_size $(FLASH_SIZE)
 PREFFLAGS += --flash_freq $(FLASH_FREQ) --version 3
 PREFFLAGS += -o $(FLASHFILE).bin $(FLASHFILE);
-PREFFLAGS += echo "" > $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
-PREFFLAGS += echo "nvs, data, nvs, 0x9000, 0x6000" >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
-PREFFLAGS += echo "phy_init, data, phy, 0xf000, 0x1000" >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
-PREFFLAGS += echo -n "factory, app, factory, 0x10000, " >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
+PREFFLAGS += printf "\n" > $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
+PREFFLAGS += printf "nvs, data, nvs, 0x9000, 0x6000\n" >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
+PREFFLAGS += printf "phy_init, data, phy, 0xf000, 0x1000\n" >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
+PREFFLAGS += printf "factory, app, factory, 0x10000, " >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
 PREFFLAGS += ls -l $(FLASHFILE).bin | awk '{ print $$5 }' >> $(BINDIR)/partitions.csv;
 
 PREFFLAGS += python $(RIOTCPU)/$(CPU)/vendor/esp-idf/partition_table/gen_esp32part.py