diff --git a/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/spec/riscv/core-hw-riscv_qemu.mk b/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/spec/riscv/core-hw-riscv_qemu.mk
index 71966f0d76..cd1659bb65 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/spec/riscv/core-hw-riscv_qemu.mk
+++ b/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/spec/riscv/core-hw-riscv_qemu.mk
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ SRC_CC += spec/riscv/kernel/cpu.cc
 SRC_CC += spec/riscv/kernel/interface.cc
 SRC_CC += spec/riscv/kernel/pd.cc
 SRC_CC += spec/riscv/cpu.cc
+SRC_CC += spec/riscv/pic.cc
 SRC_CC += spec/riscv/platform_support.cc
 SRC_CC += spec/riscv/timer.cc
 SRC_CC += spec/64bit/memory_map.cc
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/bootstrap/spec/riscv/platform.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/bootstrap/spec/riscv/platform.cc
index 7d74f0dd4f..b0c3996831 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/bootstrap/spec/riscv/platform.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/bootstrap/spec/riscv/platform.cc
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ using namespace Board;
 Bootstrap::Platform::Board::Board()
 :
 	early_ram_regions(Memory_region { RAM_BASE, RAM_SIZE } ),
-	core_mmio()
+	core_mmio(Memory_region { PLIC_BASE, PLIC_SIZE })
 { }
 
 unsigned Bootstrap::Platform::enable_mmu()
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/board/riscv_qemu/plic.h b/repos/base-hw/src/core/board/riscv_qemu/plic.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a4a300bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/board/riscv_qemu/plic.h
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/**
+ * \brief  Platform-level interrupt controller layout (PLIC)
+ * \author Sebastian Sumpf
+ * \date   2021-03-05
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _CORE__SPEC__RISCV_QEMU__PLIC_H_
+#define _CORE__SPEC__RISCV_QEMU__PLIC_H_
+
+namespace Board { class Plic; }
+
+struct Board::Plic : Genode::Mmio
+{
+		enum { NR_OF_IRQ = 32 };
+
+		struct Enable : Register_array<0x80, 32, 32, 1> { };
+		struct Id     : Register<0x1ff004, 32> { };
+
+		Plic(Genode::addr_t const base)
+		:
+			Mmio(base) { }
+
+		void enable(unsigned value, unsigned irq)
+		{
+			write<Enable>(value, irq);
+		}
+
+		void el(unsigned, unsigned) { }
+};
+
+#endif /* _CORE__SPEC__RISCV_QEMU__PLIC_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/thread.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/thread.cc
index 1c45c55566..88e98a5b28 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/thread.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/kernel/thread.cc
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ void Thread::_call_new_irq()
 	}
 
 	Genode::Irq_session::Trigger  trigger  =
-		(Genode::Irq_session::Trigger)  (user_arg_3() & 0b1100);
+		(Genode::Irq_session::Trigger)  ((user_arg_3() >> 2) & 0b11);
 	Genode::Irq_session::Polarity polarity =
 		(Genode::Irq_session::Polarity) (user_arg_3() & 0b11);
 
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/kernel/thread.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/kernel/thread.cc
index f3b2c0e8b9..ce8d342be8 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/kernel/thread.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/kernel/thread.cc
@@ -28,8 +28,13 @@ void Thread::exception(Cpu & cpu)
 	using Stval = Genode::Cpu::Stval;
 
 	if (regs->is_irq()) {
-		/* there are only cpu-local timer interrupts right now */
-		cpu.interrupt(cpu.timer().interrupt_id());
+		/* cpu-local timer interrupt */
+		if (regs->irq() == cpu.timer().interrupt_id()) {
+			cpu.interrupt(cpu.timer().interrupt_id());
+		} else {
+			/* interrupt controller */
+			_interrupt(0);
+		}
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9689f33423
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * \brief   RISC-V PIC initialization
+ * \author  Sebastian Sumpf
+ * \date    2021-03-05
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+
+#include <board.h>
+#include <pic.h>
+#include <platform.h>
+
+Board::Pic::Pic() :
+	_plic(Genode::Platform::mmio_to_virt(Board::PLIC_BASE))
+{
+	/* enable external interrupts */
+	enum { SEIE = 0x200 };
+	Hw::Riscv_cpu::Sie external_interrupt(SEIE);
+}
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.h b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.h
index 58e72ea4a2..f76e5d620c 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.h
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/pic.h
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
  * \author Sebastian Sumpf
  * \date   2015-06-02
  *
- * There currently is no interrupt controller defined for the RISC-V platform.
+ * The platform specific PLIC-register layout can be found in 'plic.h'
  */
 
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Genode Labs GmbH
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2021 Genode Labs GmbH
  *
  * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
  * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
@@ -16,14 +16,23 @@
 #ifndef _CORE__SPEC__RISCV__PIC_H_
 #define _CORE__SPEC__RISCV__PIC_H_
 
+#include <irq_session/irq_session.h>
+#include <util/mmio.h>
+#include <plic.h>
+
 namespace Board { class Pic; }
 
 
 /**
- * Dummy PIC driver for core
+ * PIC driver for core for one CPU
  */
 class Board::Pic
 {
+	private:
+
+		Plic               _plic;
+		Plic::Id::access_t _last_irq { 0 };
+
 	public:
 
 		enum {
@@ -32,15 +41,45 @@ class Board::Pic
 			 *        when SMP is an aspect of CPUs only compiled where necessary
 			 */
 			IPI       = 0,
-			NR_OF_IRQ = 15,
+			NR_OF_IRQ = Plic::NR_OF_IRQ,
 		};
 
-		Pic() { }
-		bool take_request(unsigned & i) { i = 0; return true; }
-		void unmask(unsigned, unsigned) { }
-		void mask(unsigned) { }
-		void finish_request() { }
-		void irq_mode(unsigned, unsigned, unsigned) { }
+		Pic();
+
+		bool take_request(unsigned & irq)
+		{
+			irq = _plic.read<Plic::Id>();
+			if (irq == 0) return false;
+			_last_irq = irq;
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		void finish_request()
+		{
+			_plic.write<Plic::Id>(_last_irq);
+		}
+
+		void unmask(unsigned irq, unsigned)
+		{
+			if (irq > NR_OF_IRQ) return;
+			_plic.enable(1, irq);
+		}
+
+		void mask(unsigned irq)
+		{
+			if (irq > NR_OF_IRQ) return;
+			_plic.enable(0, irq);
+		}
+
+		void irq_mode(unsigned irq, unsigned trigger, unsigned)
+		{
+			using namespace Genode;
+
+			if (irq > NR_OF_IRQ || trigger == Irq_session::TRIGGER_UNCHANGED)
+				return;
+
+			_plic.el(trigger == Irq_session::TRIGGER_EDGE ? 1 : 0, irq);
+		}
 };
 
 #endif /* _CORE__SPEC__RISCV__PIC_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/platform_support.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/platform_support.cc
index 4e1d0e9f7a..7199d4e6e2 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/platform_support.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/platform_support.cc
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ void Platform::_init_io_port_alloc() { }
 void Platform::_init_additional_platform_info(Genode::Xml_generator&) { }
 
 
-long Platform::irq(long const /* user_irq */) { return 0; }
+long Platform::irq(long const user_irq ) { return user_irq; }
 
 
 bool Platform::get_msi_params(addr_t /* mmconf */, addr_t & /* address */,
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/timer.cc b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/timer.cc
index dd1297b1b7..4538533bfb 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/timer.cc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/core/spec/riscv/timer.cc
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Board::Timer::Timer(unsigned)
 {
 	/* enable timer interrupt */
 	enum { STIE = 0x20 };
-	asm volatile ("csrs sie, %0" : : "r"(STIE));
+	Hw::Riscv_cpu::Sie timer(STIE);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/cpu.h b/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/cpu.h
index 0965ec220e..49970a1d2f 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/cpu.h
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/cpu.h
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ struct Hw::Riscv_cpu
 		struct Asid : Bitfield<44,16> { };
 		struct Mode : Bitfield<60, 4> { };
 	);
+
+	struct Sie
+	{
+		Sie(Genode::addr_t bits)
+		{
+			asm volatile ("csrs sie, %0" : : "r"(bits));
+		}
+	};
 };
 
 #endif /* _SRC__LIB__HW__SPEC__RISCV__CPU_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/qemu_board.h b/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/qemu_board.h
index 872fa73ff0..8ebdb6b4ed 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/qemu_board.h
+++ b/repos/base-hw/src/include/hw/spec/riscv/qemu_board.h
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ namespace Hw::Riscv_board {
 		RAM_BASE = 0x80020000,
 		RAM_SIZE = 0x7fe0000,
 		TIMER_HZ = 10000000,
+
+		PLIC_BASE = 0xc002000,
+		PLIC_SIZE = 0x200000,
 	};
 
 	enum { UART_BASE, UART_CLOCK };