diff --git a/drivers/mcp23x17/include/mcp23x17_params.h b/drivers/mcp23x17/include/mcp23x17_params.h
index dae76893fa0c..afa1e6b11da3 100644
--- a/drivers/mcp23x17/include/mcp23x17_params.h
+++ b/drivers/mcp23x17/include/mcp23x17_params.h
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define MCP23X17_SAUL_GPIO_PARAMS { \
                                         .dev = 0, \
                                         .gpio = { \
-                                            .name = "PA0 Input", \
+                                            .name = "MCP23x17_0 PA0 Input", \
                                             .pin = MCP23X17_GPIO_PIN(0, 0), \
                                             .mode = GPIO_IN, \
                                             .flags = 0, \
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ extern "C" {
                                  { \
                                         .dev = 0, \
                                         .gpio = { \
-                                            .name = "PB5 Output", \
+                                            .name = "MCP23x17_0 PB5 Output", \
                                             .pin = MCP23X17_GPIO_PIN(1, 5), \
                                             .mode = GPIO_OUT, \
                                             .flags = SAUL_GPIO_INIT_CLEAR, \
diff --git a/drivers/saul/init_devs/auto_init_mcp23x17.c b/drivers/saul/init_devs/auto_init_mcp23x17.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0ab4d2fee003
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/saul/init_devs/auto_init_mcp23x17.c
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2018 Gunar Schorcht
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup     drivers_mcp23x17
+ * @ingroup     sys_auto_init_saul
+ * @brief       Auto initialization for Microchip MCP23x17 I/O expanders
+ * @author      Gunar Schorcht <gunar@schorcht.net>
+ * @file
+ * @{
+ */
+
+#if MODULE_MCP23X17 && MODULE_SAUL_GPIO
+
+#include "assert.h"
+#include "log.h"
+
+#include "saul_reg.h"
+#include "saul/periph.h"
+
+#include "mcp23x17.h"
+#include "mcp23x17_params.h"
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Number of configured MCP23x17 I/O expander devices
+ */
+#define MCP23X17_NUM                ARRAY_SIZE(mcp23x17_params)
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Number of configured SAUL MCP23x17 I/O pins
+ */
+#define MCP23X17_SAUL_GPIO_NUMOF    ARRAY_SIZE(mcp23x17_saul_gpio_params)
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Number of saul info
+ */
+#define MCP23X17_INFO_NUM           ARRAY_SIZE(mcp23x17_saul_info)
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Allocate the memory for the MCP23x17 I/O expander device descriptors
+ */
+mcp23x17_t mcp23x17_devs[MCP23X17_NUM];
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Allocate the memory for MCP23x17 I/O expander SAUL registry entries
+ */
+static saul_reg_t mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[MCP23X17_SAUL_GPIO_NUMOF];
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Reference the MCP23x17 I/O expander input mode driver struct
+ */
+extern saul_driver_t mcp23x17_gpio_in_saul_driver;
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Reference to the MCP23x17 I/O expander output mode driver struct
+ */
+extern saul_driver_t mcp23x17_gpio_out_saul_driver;
+
+void auto_init_mcp23x17(void)
+{
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < MCP23X17_NUM; i++) {
+        LOG_DEBUG("[auto_init_saul] initializing MCP23x17 I/O expander dev #%u\n", i);
+        mcp23x17_init(&mcp23x17_devs[i], &mcp23x17_params[i]);
+    }
+
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < MCP23X17_SAUL_GPIO_NUMOF; i++) {
+        const mcp23x17_saul_gpio_params_t *p = &mcp23x17_saul_gpio_params[i];
+
+        LOG_DEBUG("[auto_init_saul] initializing MCP23x17 GPIO #%u\n", i);
+
+        /* check the MCP23x17 device index */
+        assert(p->dev < MCP23X17_NUM);
+        /* check the MCP23x17 device index */
+        assert(p->gpio.pin < MCP23X17_GPIO_PIN_NUM);
+
+        mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[i].dev = (void *)p;
+        mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[i].name = p->gpio.name;
+        if ((p->gpio.mode == GPIO_IN) ||
+            (p->gpio.mode == GPIO_IN_PD) ||
+            (p->gpio.mode == GPIO_IN_PU)) {
+            mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[i].driver = &mcp23x17_gpio_in_saul_driver;
+        }
+        else {
+            mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[i].driver = &mcp23x17_gpio_out_saul_driver;
+        }
+        /* initialize the MCP23x17 pin */
+        mcp23x17_gpio_init(&mcp23x17_devs[p->dev], p->gpio.pin, p->gpio.mode);
+        /* set initial pin MCP23x17 state if configured */
+        if (p->gpio.flags & (SAUL_GPIO_INIT_CLEAR | SAUL_GPIO_INIT_SET)) {
+            phydat_t s;
+            s.val[0] = (p->gpio.flags & SAUL_GPIO_INIT_SET);
+            mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[i].driver->write(p, &s);
+        }
+        /* add to registry */
+        saul_reg_add(&(mcp23x17_saul_reg_entries[i]));
+    }
+}
+#else
+typedef int dont_be_pedantic;
+#endif /* MODULE_MCP23x17 && MODULE_SAUL_GPIO */
diff --git a/drivers/saul/init_devs/init.c b/drivers/saul/init_devs/init.c
index e052c8410cd2..39445406d592 100644
--- a/drivers/saul/init_devs/init.c
+++ b/drivers/saul/init_devs/init.c
@@ -195,6 +195,10 @@ void saul_init_devs(void)
         extern void auto_init_mag3110(void);
         auto_init_mag3110();
     }
+    if (IS_USED(MODULE_MCP23X17)) {
+        extern void auto_init_mcp23x17(void);
+        auto_init_mcp23x17();
+    }
     if (IS_USED(MODULE_MHZ19)) {
         extern void auto_init_mhz19(void);
         auto_init_mhz19();