diff --git a/examples/nanocoap_server/Makefile b/examples/nanocoap_server/Makefile
index 265d73c6f0..4d2fe9afc2 100644
--- a/examples/nanocoap_server/Makefile
+++ b/examples/nanocoap_server/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ USEMODULE += sock_udp
 USEMODULE += gnrc_icmpv6_echo
 
 USEMODULE += nanocoap_sock
-USEMODULE += nanocoap_server
+USEMODULE += nanocoap_resources
 
 USEMODULE += xtimer
 
@@ -43,6 +43,23 @@ ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARD),$(LOW_MEMORY_BOARDS)))
   USEMODULE += prng_minstd
 endif
 
+# Enable fileserver for boards with plenty of memory
+HIGH_MEMORY_BOARDS := native same54-xpro mcb2388
+
+ifneq (,$(filter $(BOARD),$(HIGH_MEMORY_BOARDS)))
+  USEMODULE += gcoap_fileserver
+  USEMODULE += vfs_default
+
+  # we don't want to run GCoAP
+  CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GCOAP_NO_AUTO_INIT=1
+  CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_NANOCOAP_SERVER_WELL_KNOWN_CORE=1
+
+  # always enable auto-format for native
+  ifeq ($(BOARD),native)
+    USEMODULE += vfs_auto_format
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Change this to 0 show compiler invocation lines by default:
 QUIET ?= 1
 
diff --git a/examples/nanocoap_server/coap_handler.c b/examples/nanocoap_server/coap_handler.c
index 8a7e8d08f8..6bffe8b224 100644
--- a/examples/nanocoap_server/coap_handler.c
+++ b/examples/nanocoap_server/coap_handler.c
@@ -181,3 +181,23 @@ NANOCOAP_RESOURCE(ver) {
 NANOCOAP_RESOURCE(sha256) {
     .path = "/sha256", .methods = COAP_POST, .handler = _sha256_handler
 };
+
+/* we can also include the fileserver module */
+#ifdef MODULE_GCOAP_FILESERVER
+#include "net/gcoap/fileserver.h"
+#include "vfs_default.h"
+
+NANOCOAP_RESOURCE(fileserver) {
+    .path = "/vfs",
+    .methods = COAP_GET
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_GCOAP_FILESERVER_PUT)
+      | COAP_PUT
+#endif
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_GCOAP_FILESERVER_DELETE)
+      | COAP_DELETE
+#endif
+      | COAP_MATCH_SUBTREE,
+    .handler = gcoap_fileserver_handler,
+    .context = VFS_DEFAULT_DATA
+};
+#endif