diff --git a/examples/gcoap/gcoap_cli.c b/examples/gcoap/gcoap_cli.c
index 9a3706851c..1cc31156c8 100644
--- a/examples/gcoap/gcoap_cli.c
+++ b/examples/gcoap/gcoap_cli.c
@@ -180,61 +180,66 @@ int gcoap_cli_cmd(int argc, char **argv)
         goto end;
     }
 
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(method_codes) / sizeof(char*); i++) {
-        if (strcmp(argv[1], method_codes[i]) == 0) {
-            if (argc == 5 || argc == 6) {
-                if (argc == 6) {
-                    gcoap_req_init(&pdu, &buf[0], GCOAP_PDU_BUF_SIZE, i+1, argv[4]);
-                    memcpy(pdu.payload, argv[5], strlen(argv[5]));
-                    len = gcoap_finish(&pdu, strlen(argv[5]), COAP_FORMAT_TEXT);
-                }
-                else {
-                    len = gcoap_request(&pdu, &buf[0], GCOAP_PDU_BUF_SIZE, i+1,
-                                                                           argv[4]);
-                }
-                printf("gcoap_cli: sending msg ID %u, %u bytes\n", coap_get_id(&pdu),
-                       (unsigned) len);
-                if (!_send(&buf[0], len, argv[2], argv[3])) {
-                    puts("gcoap_cli: msg send failed");
-                }
-                else {
-                    /* send Observe notification for /cli/stats */
-                    switch (gcoap_obs_init(&pdu, &buf[0], GCOAP_PDU_BUF_SIZE,
-                            &_resources[0])) {
-                    case GCOAP_OBS_INIT_OK:
-                        DEBUG("gcoap_cli: creating /cli/stats notification\n");
-                        size_t payload_len = fmt_u16_dec((char *)pdu.payload, req_count);
-                        len = gcoap_finish(&pdu, payload_len, COAP_FORMAT_TEXT);
-                        gcoap_obs_send(&buf[0], len, &_resources[0]);
-                        break;
-                    case GCOAP_OBS_INIT_UNUSED:
-                        DEBUG("gcoap_cli: no observer for /cli/stats\n");
-                        break;
-                    case GCOAP_OBS_INIT_ERR:
-                        DEBUG("gcoap_cli: error initializing /cli/stats notification\n");
-                        break;
-                    }
-                }
-                return 0;
-            }
-            else {
-                printf("usage: %s <get|post|put> <addr> <port> <path> [data]\n",
-                       argv[0]);
-                return 1;
-            }
-        }
+    if (strcmp(argv[1], "info") == 0) {
+        uint8_t open_reqs = gcoap_op_state();
+
+        printf("CoAP server is listening on port %u\n", GCOAP_PORT);
+        printf(" CLI requests sent: %u\n", req_count);
+        printf("CoAP open requests: %u\n", open_reqs);
+        return 0;
     }
 
-    if (strcmp(argv[1], "info") == 0) {
-        if (argc == 2) {
-            uint8_t open_reqs = gcoap_op_state();
-
-            printf("CoAP server is listening on port %u\n", GCOAP_PORT);
-            printf(" CLI requests sent: %u\n", req_count);
-            printf("CoAP open requests: %u\n", open_reqs);
-            return 0;
+    /* find method code */
+    int code_pos = -1;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(method_codes) / sizeof(char*); i++) {
+        if (strcmp(argv[1], method_codes[i]) == 0) {
+            code_pos = i;
         }
     }
+    if (code_pos == -1) {
+        goto end;
+    }
+
+    if (argc == 5 || argc == 6) {
+        if (argc == 6) {
+            gcoap_req_init(&pdu, &buf[0], GCOAP_PDU_BUF_SIZE, code_pos+1, argv[4]);
+            memcpy(pdu.payload, argv[5], strlen(argv[5]));
+            len = gcoap_finish(&pdu, strlen(argv[5]), COAP_FORMAT_TEXT);
+        }
+        else {
+            len = gcoap_request(&pdu, &buf[0], GCOAP_PDU_BUF_SIZE, code_pos+1,
+                                argv[4]);
+        }
+        printf("gcoap_cli: sending msg ID %u, %u bytes\n", coap_get_id(&pdu),
+               (unsigned) len);
+        if (!_send(&buf[0], len, argv[2], argv[3])) {
+            puts("gcoap_cli: msg send failed");
+        }
+        else {
+            /* send Observe notification for /cli/stats */
+            switch (gcoap_obs_init(&pdu, &buf[0], GCOAP_PDU_BUF_SIZE,
+                    &_resources[0])) {
+            case GCOAP_OBS_INIT_OK:
+                DEBUG("gcoap_cli: creating /cli/stats notification\n");
+                size_t payload_len = fmt_u16_dec((char *)pdu.payload, req_count);
+                len = gcoap_finish(&pdu, payload_len, COAP_FORMAT_TEXT);
+                gcoap_obs_send(&buf[0], len, &_resources[0]);
+                break;
+            case GCOAP_OBS_INIT_UNUSED:
+                DEBUG("gcoap_cli: no observer for /cli/stats\n");
+                break;
+            case GCOAP_OBS_INIT_ERR:
+                DEBUG("gcoap_cli: error initializing /cli/stats notification\n");
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+    else {
+        printf("usage: %s <get|post|put> <addr> <port> <path> [data]\n",
+               argv[0]);
+        return 1;
+    }
 
     end:
     printf("usage: %s <get|post|put|info>\n", argv[0]);