diff --git a/sys/clif/clif.c b/sys/clif/clif.c
index b52b7565dc..a52b5a9cac 100644
--- a/sys/clif/clif.c
+++ b/sys/clif/clif.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ ssize_t clif_encode_link(const clif_t *link, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
     size_t pos = 0;
     ssize_t res = 0;
 
-    res = clif_add_target(link->target, buf, maxlen);
+    res = clif_add_target_from_buffer(link->target, link->target_len, buf, maxlen);
     if (res < 0) {
         return res;
     }
@@ -124,12 +124,12 @@ ssize_t clif_encode_link(const clif_t *link, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
     return pos;
 }
 
-ssize_t clif_add_target(const char *target, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
+ssize_t clif_add_target_from_buffer(const char *target, size_t target_len, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
 {
     assert(target);
 
     size_t pos = 0;
-    size_t target_len = strlen(target);
+    DEBUG("Adding target: %.*s, len: %d\n", target_len, target, target_len);
 
     if (!buf) {
         return target_len + 2; /* size after adding '<' and '>' */
@@ -149,6 +149,15 @@ ssize_t clif_add_target(const char *target, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
     return pos;
 }
 
+ssize_t clif_add_target(const char *target, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
+{
+    assert(target);
+
+    size_t target_len = strlen(target);
+    assert(target_len > 0);
+    return clif_add_target_from_buffer(target, target_len, buf, maxlen);
+}
+
 ssize_t clif_add_link_separator(char *buf, size_t maxlen)
 {
     if (!buf) {
diff --git a/sys/include/clif.h b/sys/include/clif.h
index 14d718d2f2..12f772837c 100644
--- a/sys/include/clif.h
+++ b/sys/include/clif.h
@@ -191,8 +191,28 @@ ssize_t clif_decode_link(clif_t *link, clif_attr_t *attrs, unsigned attrs_len,
  *
  * @pre `target != NULL`
  *
- * @param[in]  target  string containing the path to the resource. Must not be
- *                     NULL.
+ * @param[in]  target       buffer containing the path to the resource.
+ *                          Must not be NULL.
+ * @param[in]  target_len   size of @p target
+ * @param[out] buf          buffer to output the formatted path. Can be NULL
+ * @param[in]  maxlen       size of @p buf
+ *
+ * @note If @p buf is NULL this will return the amount of bytes that would be
+ *       needed
+ *
+ * @return in success the amount of bytes used in the buffer
+ * @return CLIF_NO_SPACE if there is not enough space in the buffer
+ */
+ssize_t clif_add_target_from_buffer(const char *target, size_t target_len,
+                                    char *buf, size_t maxlen);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Adds a given @p target to a given buffer @p buf using link format
+ *
+ * @pre `target != NULL`
+ *
+ * @param[in]  target  zero terminated string containing the path to the resource.
+ *                     Must not be NULL.
  * @param[out] buf     buffer to output the formatted path. Can be NULL
  * @param[in]  maxlen  size of @p buf
  *
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-clif/tests-clif.c b/tests/unittests/tests-clif/tests-clif.c
index 4bc6f0d146..7e6f6b15e4 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/tests-clif/tests-clif.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-clif/tests-clif.c
@@ -87,9 +87,9 @@ static void test_clif_encode_links(void)
     };
 
     clif_t links[] = {
-        { .target = "/sensor/temp", .attrs = attrs, .attrs_len = 2 },
-        { .target = "/node/info", .attrs_len = 0 },
-        { .target = "/node/ep", .attrs = &attrs[2], .attrs_len = 1 }
+        { .target = "/sensor/temp", .target_len = 12, .attrs = attrs, .attrs_len = 2 },
+        { .target = "/node/info", .target_len = 10, .attrs_len = 0 },
+        { .target = "/node/ep", .target_len = 8, .attrs = &attrs[2], .attrs_len = 1 }
     };
 
     const size_t exp_size = sizeof(exp_string) - 1;
@@ -313,6 +313,33 @@ static void test_clif_get_attr_empty(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(CLIF_NOT_FOUND, r);
 }
 
+static void tests_clif_decode_encode_minimal(void)
+{
+    char input_buf[] = "</sensors>";
+
+    /* The required buffer size is (in this case) equal to the input buffer
+     * plus one additional byte to hold the null termination */
+    const size_t output_buf_size = strlen(input_buf) + 1;
+    char output_buf[output_buf_size];
+    clif_t out_link;
+
+    ssize_t input_len = strlen(input_buf);
+
+    ssize_t decode_len = clif_decode_link(&out_link, NULL, 0, input_buf, input_len);
+    if (decode_len == CLIF_NOT_FOUND) {
+        TEST_FAIL("Malformed input string");
+    }
+
+    ssize_t result_len = clif_encode_link(&out_link, output_buf, output_buf_size);
+    if (result_len == CLIF_NO_SPACE) {
+        TEST_FAIL("No space left in the buffer");
+    }
+    output_buf[result_len] = '\0';
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(input_len, result_len);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING(input_buf, output_buf);
+}
+
 Test *tests_clif_tests(void)
 {
     EMB_UNIT_TESTFIXTURES(fixtures) {
@@ -321,7 +348,8 @@ Test *tests_clif_tests(void)
         new_TestFixture(test_clif_get_attr_missing_value),
         new_TestFixture(test_clif_get_attr_missing_quote),
         new_TestFixture(test_clif_get_empty_attr_value),
-        new_TestFixture(test_clif_get_attr_empty)
+        new_TestFixture(test_clif_get_attr_empty),
+        new_TestFixture(tests_clif_decode_encode_minimal)
     };
 
     EMB_UNIT_TESTCALLER(clif_tests, NULL, NULL, fixtures);