diff --git a/cpu/stm32/include/periph_cpu.h b/cpu/stm32/include/periph_cpu.h
index ef6572f1808b4..119813d23a17a 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32/include/periph_cpu.h
+++ b/cpu/stm32/include/periph_cpu.h
@@ -839,6 +839,20 @@ void periph_clk_dis(bus_t bus, uint32_t mask);
  */
 void gpio_init_af(gpio_t pin, gpio_af_t af);
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Same as @ref gpio_init, but will set the pin as early as possible
+ *          during initialization
+ *
+ * @param   pin     Pin to initialize
+ * @param   mode    Mode to initialize with
+ *
+ * @retval  0       Success
+ *
+ * This function is useful to initialize a pin almost flicker free,
+ * e.g. for UART
+ */
+int gpio_init_set(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode);
+
 /**
  * @brief   Configure the given pin to be used as ADC input
  *
diff --git a/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_all.c b/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_all.c
index ef9a6bb09ae2f..3edd787d4707f 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_all.c
+++ b/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_all.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ static inline int _pin_num(gpio_t pin)
     return (pin & 0x0f);
 }
 
-int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
+static int _gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode, int set_on_init)
 {
     GPIO_TypeDef *port = _port(pin);
     int pin_num = _pin_num(pin);
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
     periph_clk_en(AHB1, (RCC_AHB1ENR_GPIOAEN << _port_num(pin)));
 #endif
 
+    if (set_on_init) {
+        gpio_set(pin);
+    }
+
     /* set mode */
     port->MODER &= ~(0x3 << (2 * pin_num));
     port->MODER |=  ((mode & 0x3) << (2 * pin_num));
@@ -122,6 +126,16 @@ int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
+{
+    return _gpio_init(pin, mode, 0);
+}
+
+int gpio_init_set(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
+{
+    return _gpio_init(pin, mode, 1);
+}
+
 void gpio_init_af(gpio_t pin, gpio_af_t af)
 {
     GPIO_TypeDef *port = _port(pin);
diff --git a/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_f1.c b/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_f1.c
index 938c75ea01b0d..758043f0928eb 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_f1.c
+++ b/cpu/stm32/periph/gpio_f1.c
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@ static inline int _pin_num(gpio_t pin)
     return (pin & 0x0f);
 }
 
-
-int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
+static int _gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode, int set_on_init)
 {
     GPIO_TypeDef *port = _port(pin);
     int pin_num = _pin_num(pin);
@@ -88,6 +87,10 @@ int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
     /* enable the clock for the selected port */
     periph_clk_en(APB2, (RCC_APB2ENR_IOPAEN << _port_num(pin)));
 
+    if (set_on_init) {
+        gpio_set(pin);
+    }
+
     /* set pin mode */
     *(uint32_t *)(&port->CRL + (pin_num >> 3)) &= ~(0xf << ((pin_num & 0x7) * 4));
     *(uint32_t *)(&port->CRL + (pin_num >> 3)) |=  ((mode & MODE_MASK) << ((pin_num & 0x7) * 4));
@@ -101,6 +104,16 @@ int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
     return 0; /* all OK */
 }
 
+int gpio_init(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
+{
+    return _gpio_init(pin, mode, 0);
+}
+
+int gpio_init_set(gpio_t pin, gpio_mode_t mode)
+{
+    return _gpio_init(pin, mode, 1);
+}
+
 void gpio_init_af(gpio_t pin, gpio_af_t af)
 {
     int pin_num = _pin_num(pin);
diff --git a/cpu/stm32/periph/uart.c b/cpu/stm32/periph/uart.c
index 5cba9470ec9fe..348cea10c7998 100644
--- a/cpu/stm32/periph/uart.c
+++ b/cpu/stm32/periph/uart.c
@@ -116,10 +116,8 @@ static inline void uart_init_cts_pin(uart_t uart)
 
 static inline void uart_init_pins(uart_t uart, uart_rx_cb_t rx_cb)
 {
-     /* configure TX pin */
-    gpio_init(uart_config[uart].tx_pin, GPIO_OUT);
-    /* set TX pin high to avoid garbage during further initialization */
-    gpio_set(uart_config[uart].tx_pin);
+     /* configure TX pin and directly set it, so ideally no garbage is send */
+    gpio_init_set(uart_config[uart].tx_pin, GPIO_OUT);
 #ifdef CPU_FAM_STM32F1
     gpio_init_af(uart_config[uart].tx_pin, GPIO_AF_OUT_PP);
 #else