diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index 63c3e63df..a3a8adad7 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ CONTIKI_SOURCEFILES += $(CONTIKIFILES)
 CONTIKIDIRS += ${addprefix $(CONTIKI)/core/,dev lib net net/llsec net/mac net/rime \
                  net/rpl sys cfs ctk lib/ctk loader . }
 
-oname = ${patsubst %.c,%.o,${patsubst %.S,%.o,$(1)}}
+oname = ${patsubst %.cpp,%.o,${patsubst %.c,%.o,${patsubst %.S,%.o,$(1)}}}
 
 CONTIKI_OBJECTFILES = ${addprefix $(OBJECTDIR)/,${call oname, $(CONTIKI_SOURCEFILES)}}
 
@@ -124,16 +124,18 @@ endif
 ### Verbosity control. Use  make V=1  to get verbose builds.
 
 ifeq ($(V),1)
-  TRACE_CC =
-  TRACE_LD =
-  TRACE_AR =
-  TRACE_AS =
+  TRACE_CC  =
+  TRACE_CXX =
+  TRACE_LD  =
+  TRACE_AR  =
+  TRACE_AS  =
   Q=
 else
-  TRACE_CC = @echo "  CC       " $<
-  TRACE_LD = @echo "  LD       " $@
-  TRACE_AR = @echo "  AR       " $@
-  TRACE_AS = @echo "  AS       " $<
+  TRACE_CC  = @echo "  CC       " $<
+  TRACE_CXX = @echo "  CXX      " $<
+  TRACE_LD  = @echo "  LD       " $@
+  TRACE_AR  = @echo "  AR       " $@
+  TRACE_AS  = @echo "  AS       " $<
   Q=@
 endif
 
@@ -152,8 +154,9 @@ CONTIKI_CPU_DIRS_CONCAT    = ${addprefix $(CONTIKI_CPU)/, \
 SOURCEDIRS = . $(PROJECTDIRS) $(CONTIKI_TARGET_DIRS_CONCAT) \
              $(CONTIKI_CPU_DIRS_CONCAT) $(CONTIKIDIRS) $(APPDS) ${dir $(target_makefile)}
 
-vpath %.c $(SOURCEDIRS)
-vpath %.S $(SOURCEDIRS)
+vpath %.c   $(SOURCEDIRS)
+vpath %.cpp $(SOURCEDIRS)
+vpath %.S   $(SOURCEDIRS)
 
 CFLAGS += ${addprefix -I,$(SOURCEDIRS) $(CONTIKI)}
 
@@ -171,7 +174,7 @@ endif
 
 ifneq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),clean)
 -include ${addprefix $(OBJECTDIR)/,$(CONTIKI_SOURCEFILES:.c=.d) \
-                                   $(PROJECT_SOURCEFILES:.c=.d)}
+                                   $(PROJECT_OBJECTFILES:.o=.d)}
 endif
 
 ### See http://make.paulandlesley.org/autodep.html#advanced
@@ -210,6 +213,13 @@ $(OBJECTDIR)/%.o: %.c | $(OBJECTDIR)
 	@$(FINALIZE_DEPENDENCY)
 endif
 
+ifndef CUSTOM_RULE_CPP_TO_OBJECTDIR_O
+$(OBJECTDIR)/%.o: %.cpp | $(OBJECTDIR)
+	$(TRACE_CXX)
+	$(Q)$(CXX) $(CFLAGS) -MMD -c $< -o $@
+	@$(FINALIZE_DEPENDENCY)
+endif
+
 ifndef CUSTOM_RULE_S_TO_OBJECTDIR_O
 $(OBJECTDIR)/%.o: %.S | $(OBJECTDIR)
 	$(TRACE_AS)
@@ -222,6 +232,12 @@ ifndef CUSTOM_RULE_C_TO_O
 	$(Q)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 endif
 
+ifndef CUSTOM_RULE_CPP_TO_O
+%.o: %.cpp
+	$(TRACE_CXX)
+	$(Q)$(CXX) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+endif
+
 
 ifndef CUSTOM_RULE_C_TO_CO
 %.co: %.c
@@ -265,6 +281,8 @@ endif
 # the match-anything rule below instead.
 %: %.c
 
+%: %.cpp
+
 # Match-anything pattern rule to allow the project makefiles to
 # abstract from the actual binary name. It needs to contain some
 # command in order to be a rule, not just a prerequisite.
diff --git a/cpu/avr/Makefile.avr b/cpu/avr/Makefile.avr
index 2656054a3..ee88407d6 100644
--- a/cpu/avr/Makefile.avr
+++ b/cpu/avr/Makefile.avr
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ CONTIKI_SOURCEFILES        += $(CONTIKI_TARGET_SOURCEFILES)
 
 ### Compiler definitions
 CC       = avr-gcc
+CXX      = avr-g++
 LD       = avr-gcc
 AS       = avr-as
 AR       = avr-ar
@@ -130,6 +131,12 @@ $(OBJECTDIR)/%.o: %.c | $(OBJECTDIR)
 %.o: %.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
+$(OBJECTDIR)/%.o: %.cpp | $(OBJECTDIR)
+	$(CXX) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
+%.o: %.cpp
+	$(CXX) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
 %.ko: %.o
 	$(STRIP) -K _init -K _fini --strip-unneeded -g -x $< -o $@