diff --git a/sys/include/net/gcoap.h b/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
index c615ac6bd2..0c65031f60 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
@@ -844,15 +844,43 @@ void gcoap_register_listener(gcoap_listener_t *listener);
  * @param[in] len       Length of the buffer
  * @param[in] code      Request code, one of COAP_METHOD_XXX or COAP_CODE_EMPTY
  *                      to ping
- * @param[in] path      Resource path, may be NULL
+ * @param[in] path      Resource path, may be NULL. @p path_len will be ignored
+ *                      in that case.
+ * @param[in] path_len  Length of @p path.
  *
  * @pre @p path must start with `/` if not NULL
  *
  * @return  0 on success
  * @return  < 0 on error
  */
-int gcoap_req_init(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
-                   unsigned code, const char *path);
+int gcoap_req_init_path_buffer(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
+                               unsigned code, const char *path,
+                               size_t path_len);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Initializes a CoAP request PDU on a buffer.
+ *
+ * If @p code is COAP_CODE_EMPTY, prepares a complete "CoAP ping" 4 byte empty
+ * message request, ready to send.
+ *
+ * @param[out] pdu      Request metadata
+ * @param[out] buf      Buffer containing the PDU
+ * @param[in] len       Length of the buffer
+ * @param[in] code      Request code, one of COAP_METHOD_XXX or COAP_CODE_EMPTY
+ *                      to ping
+ * @param[in] path      `\0`-terminated resource path, may be NULL
+ *
+ * @pre @p path must start with `/` if not NULL
+ *
+ * @return  0 on success
+ * @return  < 0 on error
+ */
+static inline int gcoap_req_init(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
+                                 unsigned code, const char *path)
+{
+    return gcoap_req_init_path_buffer(pdu, buf, len, code, path,
+                                      (path) ? strlen(path) : 0U);
+}
 
 /**
  * @brief   Writes a complete CoAP request PDU when there is not a payload
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
index eadbe4913d..d98c24275b 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
@@ -1023,8 +1023,8 @@ 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)
+int gcoap_req_init_path_buffer(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
+                               unsigned code, const char *path, size_t path_len)
 {
     assert((path == NULL) || (path[0] == '/'));
 
@@ -1055,8 +1055,8 @@ int gcoap_req_init(coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf, size_t len,
     }
 
     coap_pkt_init(pdu, buf, len, res);
-    if (path != NULL) {
-        res = coap_opt_add_uri_path(pdu, path);
+    if ((path != NULL) && (path_len > 0)) {
+        res = coap_opt_add_uri_path_buffer(pdu, path, path_len);
     }
     return (res > 0) ? 0 : res;
 }