diff --git a/basil/TL/Serial.py b/basil/TL/Serial.py
index 4231f5b6..9eba6105 100644
--- a/basil/TL/Serial.py
+++ b/basil/TL/Serial.py
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ def init(self):
             logger.debug(e)
         self.timeout = self._init.get('timeout', None)  # timeout of 0 returns immediately
 
+        # make interface compatible with other transfer layes (visa)
+        if "baud_rate" in self._init.keys():
+            self._init["baudrate"] = self._init.pop("baud_rate")
+
         self._port = serial.Serial(**{key: value for key, value in self._init.items() if key not in ("read_termination", "write_termination")})
 
     def close(self):
diff --git a/basil/TL/Visa.py b/basil/TL/Visa.py
index 85eacb9d..0365f80a 100644
--- a/basil/TL/Visa.py
+++ b/basil/TL/Visa.py
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ def init(self):
         except NotImplementedError:  # some backends do not always implement the list_resources function
             logger.info('BASIL VISA TL with %s backend', backend)
 
+        # make interface compatible with other transfer layers (serial)
+        if "baudrate" in self._init.keys():
+            self._init["baud_rate"] = self._init.pop("baudrate")
+
         self._resource = rm.open_resource(**{key: value for key, value in self._init.items() if key not in ("backend",)})
 
     def close(self):