diff --git a/Makefile.dep b/Makefile.dep
index b584e6553b52..12fdaa68cbf1 100644
--- a/Makefile.dep
+++ b/Makefile.dep
@@ -398,6 +398,10 @@ ifneq (,$(filter stdio_rtt,$(USEMODULE)))
 endif
 
 ifneq (,$(filter shell,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += stdin
+endif
+
+ifneq (,$(filter stdin,$(USEMODULE)))
   ifneq (,$(filter stdio_uart,$(USEMODULE)))
     USEMODULE += stdio_uart_rx
   endif
diff --git a/dist/tools/nrf52_resetpin_cfg/Makefile b/dist/tools/nrf52_resetpin_cfg/Makefile
index 23c5e784169c..66fda0aec038 100644
--- a/dist/tools/nrf52_resetpin_cfg/Makefile
+++ b/dist/tools/nrf52_resetpin_cfg/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ APPLICATION = nrf52_resetpin_cfg
 BOARD ?= nrf52dk
 RIOTBASE ?= $(CURDIR)/../../..
 
+# This application uses getchar and thus expects input from stdio
+USEMODULE += stdin
+
 # the RESET_PIN environment variable allows for manually specifying the reset
 # pin that is programmed. Below this Makefile already contains the specific pins
 # for some known platforms
diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 1bbc7c0e431d..70d47865a2c5 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += sock
 PSEUDOMODULES += sock_ip
 PSEUDOMODULES += sock_tcp
 PSEUDOMODULES += sock_udp
+PSEUDOMODULES += stdin
 PSEUDOMODULES += stdio_uart_rx
 
 # print ascii representation in function od_hex_dump()
diff --git a/sys/include/stdio_uart.h b/sys/include/stdio_uart.h
index bfe975c67e50..5b995d6383f1 100644
--- a/sys/include/stdio_uart.h
+++ b/sys/include/stdio_uart.h
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@
  *
  * @brief       Standard input/output backend using UART
  *
+ * @warning Standard input is disabled by default on UART. To enable it, load
+ *          the `stdin` module in your application:
+ * ```
+ * USEMODULE += stdin
+ * ```
+ *
  * @{
  * @file
  *
diff --git a/tests/lua_loader/Makefile b/tests/lua_loader/Makefile
index 3c8c0e93d52c..ef7a3aa5d576 100644
--- a/tests/lua_loader/Makefile
+++ b/tests/lua_loader/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 USEPKG += lua
 
+# This application uses getchar and thus expects input from stdio
+USEMODULE += stdin
+
 BOARD_WHITELIST += native samr21-xpro
 
 ifneq ($(BOARD),native)
diff --git a/tests/posix_time/Makefile b/tests/posix_time/Makefile
index 555036d53c7f..d1a1ee9bb8d7 100644
--- a/tests/posix_time/Makefile
+++ b/tests/posix_time/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 USEMODULE += posix_time
 
+# This application uses getchar and thus expects input from stdio
+USEMODULE += stdin
+
 TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST += all
 
 include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.include
diff --git a/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile b/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile
index a51966755eaf..1af1bdee925c 100644
--- a/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile
+++ b/tests/xtimer_usleep/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ USEMODULE += xtimer
 # This test randomly fails on `native` so disable it from CI
 TEST_ON_CI_WHITELIST += samr21-xpro
 
+# This application uses getchar and thus expects input from stdio
+USEMODULE += stdin
+
 # Port and pin configuration for probing with oscilloscope
 # Port number should be found in port enum e.g in cpu/include/periph_cpu.h
 #FEATURES_REQUIRED += periph_gpio