diff --git a/sys/include/net/gcoap.h b/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
index 1767e83a7e..09cfb99bfb 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/gcoap.h
@@ -352,6 +352,20 @@ extern "C" {
 #define GCOAP_RECV_TIMEOUT      (1 * US_PER_SEC)
 #endif
 
+#ifdef DOXYGEN
+/**
+ * @ingroup net_gcoap_conf
+ * @brief   Turns off retransmission backoff when defined (undefined per default)
+ *
+ * In normal operations the timeout between retransmissions doubles. When
+ * GCOAP_NO_RETRANS_BACKOFF is defined this doubling does not happen.
+ *
+ * @see COAP_ACK_TIMEOUT
+ * @see COAP_ACK_VARIANCE
+ */
+#define GCOAP_NO_RETRANS_BACKOFF
+#endif
+
 /**
  * @ingroup net_gcoap_conf
  * @brief   Default time to wait for a non-confirmable response [in usec]
diff --git a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
index 0a0246ff35..04d4bae326 100644
--- a/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
+++ b/sys/net/application_layer/gcoap/gcoap.c
@@ -133,7 +133,11 @@ static void *_event_loop(void *arg)
                 /* reduce retries remaining, double timeout and resend */
                 else {
                     memo->send_limit--;
+#ifdef GCOAP_NO_RETRANS_BACKOFF
+                    unsigned i        = 0;
+#else
                     unsigned i        = COAP_MAX_RETRANSMIT - memo->send_limit;
+#endif
                     uint32_t timeout  = ((uint32_t)COAP_ACK_TIMEOUT << i) * US_PER_SEC;
 #if COAP_ACK_VARIANCE > 0
                     uint32_t variance = ((uint32_t)COAP_ACK_VARIANCE << i) * US_PER_SEC;