diff --git a/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h b/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
index d99857e99d..b966834aeb 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
@@ -687,6 +687,17 @@ static inline void coap_hdr_set_code(coap_hdr_t *hdr, uint8_t code)
     hdr->code = code;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Write the given raw message code to given CoAP pkt
+ *
+ * @param[out]  pkt     CoAP packet to write to
+ * @param[in]   code    raw message code
+ */
+static inline void coap_pkt_set_code(coap_pkt_t *pkt, uint8_t code)
+{
+    coap_hdr_set_code(pkt->hdr, code);
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief   Set the message type for the given CoAP header
  *
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
index b316371396..2e9d4e7e46 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ static void _process_coap_pdu(gcoap_socket_t *sock, sock_udp_ep_t *remote, sock_
 
     if (messagelayer_emptyresponse_type != NO_IMMEDIATE_REPLY) {
         coap_hdr_set_type(pdu.hdr, (uint8_t)messagelayer_emptyresponse_type);
-        coap_hdr_set_code(pdu.hdr, COAP_CODE_EMPTY);
+        coap_pkt_set_code(&pdu, COAP_CODE_EMPTY);
         /* Set the token length to 0, preserving the CoAP version as it was and
          * the empty message type that was just set.
          *
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/fileserver.c b/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/fileserver.c
index a2965a14b0..6a4e61ae07 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/fileserver.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/fileserver.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ static ssize_t _get_file(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
 
 late_err:
     vfs_close(fd);
-    coap_hdr_set_code(pdu->hdr, COAP_CODE_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
+    coap_pkt_set_code(pdu, COAP_CODE_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
     return coap_get_total_hdr_len(pdu);
 }