diff --git a/sys/include/net/gcoap.h b/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
index 92b221fdec..991909c4a9 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
@@ -484,20 +484,14 @@ void gcoap_register_listener(gcoap_listener_t *listener);
 
 /**
  * @brief   Initializes a CoAP request PDU on a buffer.
-
- * @warning After you use this function, you may not add Options with option
- * number less than COAP_OPT_URI_PATH. Otherwise, use the struct-based API
- * described with @link net_nanocoap nanocoap @endlink to initialize the
- * message. See the implementation of gcoap_req_init() itself as an example.
  *
  * @param[out] pdu      Request metadata
  * @param[out] buf      Buffer containing the PDU
  * @param[in] len       Length of the buffer
- * @param[in] code      Request code: GCOAP_[GET|POST|PUT|DELETE]
- * @param[in] path      Resource path, *must* start with '/'
+ * @param[in] code      Request code, one of COAP_METHOD_XXX
+ * @param[in] path      Resource path, may be NULL
  *
- * @pre @p path not `NULL`
- * @pre @p path must start with `/`
+ * @pre @p path must start with `/` if not NULL
  *
  * @return  0 on success
  * @return  < 0 on error
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
index 79c26dc87b..119a7aaa66 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ void gcoap_register_listener(gcoap_listener_t *listener)
 int gcoap_req_init(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
                    unsigned code, const char *path)
 {
-    assert((path != NULL) && (path[0] == '/'));
+    assert((path == NULL) || (path[0] == '/'));
 
     pdu->hdr = (coap_hdr_t *)buf;
 
@@ -669,7 +669,9 @@ int gcoap_req_init(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
 
     if (hdrlen > 0) {
         coap_pkt_init(pdu, buf, len - GCOAP_REQ_OPTIONS_BUF, hdrlen);
-        coap_opt_add_string(pdu, COAP_OPT_URI_PATH, path, '/');
+        if (path != NULL) {
+            coap_opt_add_string(pdu, COAP_OPT_URI_PATH, path, '/');
+        }
         return 0;
     }
     else {