diff --git a/sys/include/phydat.h b/sys/include/phydat.h
index 77062314f3..96e7c87817 100644
--- a/sys/include/phydat.h
+++ b/sys/include/phydat.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ enum {
     UNIT_A,         /**< Ampere */
     UNIT_V,         /**< Volts */
     UNIT_GS,        /**< gauss */
+    UNIT_DBM,       /**< decibel-milliwatts */
     /* pressure */
     UNIT_BAR,       /**< Beer? */
     UNIT_PA,        /**< Pascal */
diff --git a/sys/phydat/phydat_str.c b/sys/phydat/phydat_str.c
index a10fd7aee6..c97666ee94 100644
--- a/sys/phydat/phydat_str.c
+++ b/sys/phydat/phydat_str.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ void phydat_dump(phydat_t *data, uint8_t dim)
             case UNIT_PERCENT:
             case UNIT_TEMP_C:
             case UNIT_TEMP_F:
+            case UNIT_DBM:
                 /* no string conversion */
                 scale_prefix = '\0';
                 break;
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ const char *phydat_unit_to_str(uint8_t unit)
         case UNIT_GR:       return "G";
         case UNIT_A:        return "A";
         case UNIT_V:        return "V";
+        case UNIT_DBM:      return "dBm";
         case UNIT_GS:       return "Gs";
         case UNIT_BAR:      return "Bar";
         case UNIT_PA:       return "Pa";