diff --git a/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h b/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
index f8fdd7a5e353..6bf964318fb4 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/nanocoap.h
@@ -395,6 +395,18 @@ static inline unsigned coap_get_token_len(const coap_pkt_t *pkt)
     return (pkt->hdr->ver_t_tkl & 0xf);
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief   Get pointer to a message's token
+ *
+ * @param[in]   pkt   CoAP packet
+ *
+ * @returns     pointer to the token position
+ */
+static inline void *coap_get_token(const coap_pkt_t *pkt)
+{
+    return (uint8_t*)pkt->hdr + sizeof(coap_hdr_t);
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief   Get the total header length (4-byte header + token length)
  *
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/forward_proxy.c b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/forward_proxy.c
index 662513c67de2..a45cb217dfee 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/forward_proxy.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/forward_proxy.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ static int _gcoap_forward_proxy_via_coap(coap_pkt_t *client_pkt,
     pkt.hdr->id = client_pkt->hdr->id;
 
     if (token_len) {
-        memcpy(pkt.token, client_pkt->token, token_len);
+        memcpy(coap_get_token(&pkt), coap_get_token(client_pkt), token_len);
     }
 
     /* copy all options from client_pkt to pkt */
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
index 23dbcba15650..238e71be2ed3 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ static size_t _handle_req(gcoap_socket_t *sock, coap_pkt_t *pdu, uint8_t *buf,
             memo->token_len = coap_get_token_len(pdu);
             memo->socket = *sock;
             if (memo->token_len) {
-                memcpy(&memo->token[0], pdu->token, memo->token_len);
+                memcpy(&memo->token[0], coap_get_token(pdu), memo->token_len);
             }
             DEBUG("gcoap: Registered observer for: %s\n", memo->resource->path);
         }
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ static void _find_req_memo(gcoap_request_memo_t **memo_ptr, coap_pkt_t *src_pdu,
             }
         } else if (coap_get_token_len(memo_pdu) == cmplen) {
             memo_pdu->token = coap_hdr_data_ptr(memo_pdu->hdr);
-            if ((memcmp(src_pdu->token, memo_pdu->token, cmplen) == 0)
+            if ((memcmp(coap_get_token(src_pdu), memo_pdu->token, cmplen) == 0)
                     && sock_udp_ep_equal(&memo->remote_ep, remote)) {
                 *memo_ptr = memo;
                 break;
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c
index bc04d68bb94f..86df6af9374a 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/nanocoap/nanocoap.c
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ ssize_t coap_build_reply(coap_pkt_t *pkt, unsigned code,
         }
     }
 
-    coap_build_hdr((coap_hdr_t *)rbuf, type, pkt->token, tkl, code,
+    coap_build_hdr((coap_hdr_t *)rbuf, type, coap_get_token(pkt), tkl, code,
                    ntohs(pkt->hdr->id));
     coap_hdr_set_type((coap_hdr_t *)rbuf, type);
     coap_hdr_set_code((coap_hdr_t *)rbuf, code);