diff --git a/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h b/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
index 26806007d2..1c6180283e 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
@@ -142,12 +142,10 @@ extern "C" {
 #define NANOCOAP_BLOCK_SIZE_EXP_MAX  (6)
 #endif
 
-#if defined(MODULE_GCOAP) || defined(DOXYGEN)
 /** @brief   Maximum length of a query string written to a message */
 #ifndef NANOCOAP_QS_MAX
 #define NANOCOAP_QS_MAX             (64)
 #endif
-#endif
 /** @} */
 
 /**
@@ -964,6 +962,20 @@ static inline ssize_t coap_opt_add_format(coap_pkt_t *pkt, uint16_t format)
  */
 ssize_t coap_opt_add_opaque(coap_pkt_t *pkt, uint16_t optnum, const uint8_t *val, size_t val_len);
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Adds a single Uri-Query option in the form 'key=value' into pkt
+ *
+ * @param[in,out] pkt         The package that is being build
+ * @param[in]     key         Key to add to the query string
+ * @param[in]     val         Value to assign to @p key (may be NULL)
+ *
+ * @pre     ((pkt != NULL) && (key != NULL))
+ *
+ * @return  overall length of new query string
+ * @return  -1 on error
+ */
+ssize_t coap_opt_add_uquery(coap_pkt_t *pkt, const char *key, const char *val);
+
 /**
  * @brief   Encode the given string as option(s) into pkt
  *
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c
index dffcf31cdd..cac69efa12 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c
@@ -846,6 +846,29 @@ ssize_t coap_opt_add_string(coap_pkt_t *pkt, uint16_t optnum, const char *string
     return write_len;
 }
 
+ssize_t coap_opt_add_uquery(coap_pkt_t *pdu, const char *key, const char *val)
+{
+    char qs[NANOCOAP_QS_MAX];
+    size_t len = strlen(key);
+    size_t val_len = (val) ? (strlen(val) + 1) : 0;
+
+    /* test if the query string fits, account for the zero termination */
+    if ((len + val_len + 1) >= NANOCOAP_QS_MAX) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    memcpy(&qs[0], key, len);
+    if (val) {
+        qs[len] = '=';
+        /* the `=` character was already counted in `val_len`, so subtract it here */
+        memcpy(&qs[len + 1], val, (val_len - 1));
+        len += val_len;
+    }
+    qs[len] = '\0';
+
+    return coap_opt_add_string(pdu, COAP_OPT_URI_QUERY, qs, '&');
+}
+
 ssize_t coap_opt_add_opaque(coap_pkt_t *pkt, uint16_t optnum, const uint8_t *val, size_t val_len)
 {
     return _add_opt_pkt(pkt, optnum, val, val_len);