diff --git a/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/__init__.py b/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/__init__.py
index 8182de518904..4aafce2443b0 100755
--- a/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/__init__.py
+++ b/dist/pythonlibs/testrunner/__init__.py
@@ -54,10 +54,24 @@ def check_unittests(child, timeout=TIMEOUT, nb_tests=None):
         to perform an exact match against that number.
     """
     if nb_tests is None:
-        child.expect(r'OK \((\d+) tests\)', timeout=timeout)
-        return int(child.match.group(1))
-    _tests = int(nb_tests)
-    child.expect_exact('OK ({} tests)'.format(_tests), timeout=timeout)
+        # need escape sequence so don't use raw string
+        res = child.expect(['OK(\033\\[21m)? \\((\\d+) tests\\)',
+                            r'<Tests>(\d+)</Tests>'], timeout=timeout)
+        if res == 0:
+            _tests = int(child.match.group(2))
+        else:
+            _tests = int(child.match.group(1))
+    else:
+        _tests = int(nb_tests)
+        # need escape sequence so don't use raw string
+        res = child.expect(['OK(\033\\[21m)? \\({} tests\\)'.format(_tests),
+                            r'<Tests>{}</Tests>'.format(_tests)],
+                           timeout=timeout)
+    if res == 1:
+        res = child.expect([r'<Failures>\d+</Failures>', '</Statistics>'],
+                           timeout=timeout)
+        if res == 0:
+            raise AssertionError("Unittests failed")
     return _tests
 
 
diff --git a/sys/embunit/ColorOutputter.c b/sys/embunit/ColorOutputter.c
index 3c489e1562dd..e7cce64cf64e 100644
--- a/sys/embunit/ColorOutputter.c
+++ b/sys/embunit/ColorOutputter.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void ColorOutputter_printStatistics(OutputterRef self, TestResultRef result)
     else {
         printf("\n" BGGREEN SBOLD "OK" SDEFAULT " (%d tests)", result->runCount);
     }
-    printf(LINEFILL BGDEFAULT "\n");
+    printf(LINEFILL BGDEFAULT "\n" ANSI_RESET);
 }
 
 static const OutputterImplement ColorOutputterImplement = {
diff --git a/sys/embunit/ColorTextColors.h b/sys/embunit/ColorTextColors.h
index f615a9982a5f..1e7bd30ca2b2 100644
--- a/sys/embunit/ColorTextColors.h
+++ b/sys/embunit/ColorTextColors.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define SBOLD       "\033[1m"
 #define SDEFAULT    "\033[21m"
 #define LINEFILL    "\033[K"
+#define ANSI_RESET  "\033[0m"
 
 /**
  * @}
diff --git a/sys/include/embUnit.h b/sys/include/embUnit.h
index 6a17f1bcd55e..0e57ef1045fc 100644
--- a/sys/include/embUnit.h
+++ b/sys/include/embUnit.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
 #   include "embUnit/TextUIRunner.h"
 
-#   define TESTS_START()   TextUIRunner_start()
+#   define TESTS_START()   TextUIRunner_startWithOutputter(OUTPUTTER)
 #   define TESTS_RUN(t)    TextUIRunner_runTest(t)
 #   define TESTS_END()     TextUIRunner_end()
 #else
diff --git a/tests/driver_ds1307/tests-with-config/01-run.py b/tests/driver_ds1307/tests-with-config/01-run.py
index 87ecdb87ccd5..ccd5ab24b020 100755
--- a/tests/driver_ds1307/tests-with-config/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/driver_ds1307/tests-with-config/01-run.py
@@ -7,12 +7,19 @@
 # directory for more details.
 
 import sys
-from testrunner import run
+
+import pexpect
+
+from testrunner import run, run_check_unittests
 
 
 def testfunc(child):
-    child.expect([r"OK \([0-9]+ tests\)",
-                  r"error: unable to initialize RTC \[I2C initialization error\]"])
+    res = child.expect([
+        r"error: unable to initialize RTC \[I2C initialization error\]",
+        pexpect.TIMEOUT,
+    ])
+    if res == 1:
+        run_check_unittests()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_ipv6_ext_frag/Makefile b/tests/gnrc_ipv6_ext_frag/Makefile
index c7ba5f083fed..9afc46c5b0ed 100644
--- a/tests/gnrc_ipv6_ext_frag/Makefile
+++ b/tests/gnrc_ipv6_ext_frag/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 export TAP ?= tap0
 
-CFLAGS += -DOUTPUT=TEXT
+OUTPUT = TEXT
+
 CFLAGS += -DTEST_SUITES="gnrc_ipv6_ext_frag"
 
 ifeq (native,$(BOARD))
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_lorawan/Makefile b/tests/gnrc_lorawan/Makefile
index 9532a2510ed3..b3e15f897b2c 100644
--- a/tests/gnrc_lorawan/Makefile
+++ b/tests/gnrc_lorawan/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # name of your application
 include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
-CFLAGS += -DOUTPUT=TEXT
+# set embunit output to test
+OUTPUT = TEXT
 
 # Add unittest framework
 USEMODULE += embunit
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_rpl_srh/Makefile b/tests/gnrc_rpl_srh/Makefile
index c7e3112c4ba8..26ab1a364740 100644
--- a/tests/gnrc_rpl_srh/Makefile
+++ b/tests/gnrc_rpl_srh/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ include ../Makefile.tests_common
 
 export TAP ?= tap0
 
-CFLAGS += -DOUTPUT=TEXT
+OUTPUT = TEXT
 
 # use Ethernet as link-layer protocol
 ifeq (native,$(BOARD))
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_minfwd/tests/01-run.py b/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_minfwd/tests/01-run.py
index 6d8b056e2d59..2eac21932f00 100755
--- a/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_minfwd/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_minfwd/tests/01-run.py
@@ -8,12 +8,8 @@
 # directory for more details.
 
 import sys
-from testrunner import run
-
-
-def testfunc(child):
-    child.expect(r"OK \(\d+ tests\)")
+from testrunner import run_check_unittests
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.exit(run(testfunc))
+    sys.exit(run_check_unittests())
diff --git a/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_sfr/tests/01-run.py b/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_sfr/tests/01-run.py
index 6d8b056e2d59..2eac21932f00 100755
--- a/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_sfr/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/gnrc_sixlowpan_frag_sfr/tests/01-run.py
@@ -8,12 +8,8 @@
 # directory for more details.
 
 import sys
-from testrunner import run
-
-
-def testfunc(child):
-    child.expect(r"OK \(\d+ tests\)")
+from testrunner import run_check_unittests
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.exit(run(testfunc))
+    sys.exit(run_check_unittests())
diff --git a/tests/pkg_libbase58/tests/01-run.py b/tests/pkg_libbase58/tests/01-run.py
index 5ba9b468a288..0f594d325692 100755
--- a/tests/pkg_libbase58/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/pkg_libbase58/tests/01-run.py
@@ -7,12 +7,8 @@
 # directory for more details.
 
 import sys
-from testrunner import run
-
-
-def testfunc(child):
-    child.expect(u"OK \\([0-9]+ tests\\)")
+from testrunner import run_check_unittests
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.exit(run(testfunc, timeout=120))
+    sys.exit(run_check_unittests(timeout=120))
diff --git a/tests/suit_manifest/tests/01-run.py b/tests/suit_manifest/tests/01-run.py
index 388f894852c2..960e38c4d9b3 100755
--- a/tests/suit_manifest/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/suit_manifest/tests/01-run.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-from testrunner import run
+from testrunner import run, check_unittests
 
 
 def testfunc(child):
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def testfunc(child):
     # 16 seconds on `samr21-xpro`
     # >50 seconds on `nrf51dk`
     timeout = 60 if board != 'native' else -1
-    child.expect(r"OK \(\d+ tests\)", timeout=timeout)
+    assert check_unittests(child, timeout=timeout) > 0
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/tests/unittests/main.c b/tests/unittests/main.c
index 8128bd5dd17d..809af0c8f584 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/main.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/main.c
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ int main(void)
     xtimer_init();
 #endif
 
-#ifdef OUTPUT
-    TextUIRunner_setOutputter(OUTPUTTER);
-#endif
-
     TESTS_START();
 #ifndef NO_TEST_SUITES
     UNCURRY(RUN_TEST_SUITES, TEST_SUITES)