diff --git a/conf/firmwares/subsystems/shared/baro_board.makefile b/conf/firmwares/subsystems/shared/baro_board.makefile
index ac93af396a..e9ffc56381 100644
--- a/conf/firmwares/subsystems/shared/baro_board.makefile
+++ b/conf/firmwares/subsystems/shared/baro_board.makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 # Drivers for baros already on an autopilot board
 
 
+# check that onboard baro was not explicitly disabled with
+# <configure name="USE_BARO_BOARD" value="FALSE"/>
+
+USE_BARO_BOARD ?= TRUE
+ifeq ($(USE_BARO_BOARD), TRUE)
+
 # booz baro
 ifeq ($(BOARD), booz)
   ap.srcs += $(SRC_BOARD)/baro_board.c
@@ -112,8 +118,14 @@ else ifeq ($(BOARD), umarim)
     ap.srcs += boards/umarim/baro_board.c
   endif
 
-endif # End baro
+endif # check board
 
 ifneq ($(BARO_LED),none)
 ap.CFLAGS += -DBARO_LED=$(BARO_LED)
 endif
+
+else # USE_BARO_BOARD is not TRUE, was explicitly disabled
+
+ap.CFLAGS += -DUSE_BARO_BOARD=FALSE
+
+endif # check USE_BARO_BOARD
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_0.99.h b/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_0.99.h
index 2ea2d92b4d..6e22c73192 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_0.99.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_0.99.h
@@ -183,8 +183,10 @@
 //#define SPI_SELECT_SLAVE5_PORT GPIOC
 //#define SPI_SELECT_SLAVE5_PIN GPIO4
 
-/* Activate onboard baro */
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 /* PWM */
 #define PWM_USE_TIM2 1
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_1.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_1.0.h
index bf77163d64..7fc32b63d0 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_1.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/apogee_1.0.h
@@ -253,8 +253,11 @@
 #define I2C2_GPIO_SDA GPIO11
 
 
-/* Activate onboard baro */
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
+
 
 /* PWM */
 #define PWM_USE_TIM2 1
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/ardrone2_raw.h b/sw/airborne/boards/ardrone2_raw.h
index 30024b58d5..b60b41efc4 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/ardrone2_raw.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/ardrone2_raw.h
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 #define ActuatorsDefaultInit() ActuatorsArdroneInit()
 #define ActuatorsDefaultCommit() ActuatorsArdroneCommit()
 
+
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_ARDRONE2_RAW */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/booz_1.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/booz_1.0.h
index 5dc6479522..70fc889bc3 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/booz_1.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/booz_1.0.h
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@
 #endif
 
 
+/* by default enable onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_BOOZ2_V1_0_H */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/krooz_sd.h b/sw/airborne/boards/krooz_sd.h
index 289d763230..5c12ecef7e 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/krooz_sd.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/krooz_sd.h
@@ -224,8 +224,12 @@
   }
 #endif // USE_AD1
 
-/* Activate onboard baro */
+
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
+
 
 /* PWM */
 #define PWM_USE_TIM3 1
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_l_1.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_l_1.0.h
index 1c109b84ce..bb21346971 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_l_1.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_l_1.0.h
@@ -156,7 +156,11 @@
 #define BOARD_ADC_CHANNEL_3 0
 #define BOARD_ADC_CHANNEL_4 15
 
+
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 
 /* Default actuators driver */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_1.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_1.0.h
index e683048f29..e4f48c3ab2 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_1.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_1.0.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 #endif
 
 /* GPIO mapping for ADC1 pins, overwrites the default in arch/stm32/mcu_periph/adc_arch.c */
-// FIXME, this is not very nice, is also stm lib specific
+// FIXME, this is not very nice, is also libopencm3 lib specific
 #ifdef USE_AD1
 #define ADC1_GPIO_INIT(gpio) {                  \
   gpio_set_mode(GPIOC, GPIO_MODE_INPUT,         \
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@
   }
 #endif // USE_AD1
 
+
+/* by default enable onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_LISA_M_1_0_H */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_2.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_2.0.h
index 1885f3eda9..de0664a950 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_2.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/lisa_m_2.0.h
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@
 #endif // USE_AD1
 
 
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_LISA_M_2_0_H */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/navgo_1.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/navgo_1.0.h
index 0f9c922d29..8cdfd75591 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/navgo_1.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/navgo_1.0.h
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@
 #define SERVO_REG_1 PWMMR5
 #endif
 
+
+/* by default activate onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_NAVGO_V1_0_H */
diff --git a/sw/airborne/boards/umarim_1.0.h b/sw/airborne/boards/umarim_1.0.h
index 5b97725349..b3859e2897 100644
--- a/sw/airborne/boards/umarim_1.0.h
+++ b/sw/airborne/boards/umarim_1.0.h
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@
 #define SPI1_DRDY_EINT         0
 #define SPI1_DRDY_VIC_IT       VIC_EINT0
 
+
+/* by default enable onboard baro */
+#ifndef USE_BARO_BOARD
 #define USE_BARO_BOARD 1
+#endif
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_UMARIM_V1_0_H */