diff --git a/include/zephyr/net/coap.h b/include/zephyr/net/coap.h
index e303d5c8ad..cd57c560be 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/net/coap.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/net/coap.h
@@ -1112,6 +1112,15 @@ void coap_pending_clear(struct coap_pending *pending);
  */
 void coap_pendings_clear(struct coap_pending *pendings, size_t len);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Count number of pending requests.
+ *
+ * @param len Number of elements in array.
+ * @param pendings Array of pending requests.
+ * @return count of elements where timeout is not zero.
+ */
+size_t coap_pendings_count(struct coap_pending *pendings, size_t len);
+
 /**
  * @brief Cancels awaiting for this reply, so it becomes available
  * again. User responsibility to free the memory associated with data.
diff --git a/subsys/net/lib/coap/coap.c b/subsys/net/lib/coap/coap.c
index bfb643a8e8..d22ee29bea 100644
--- a/subsys/net/lib/coap/coap.c
+++ b/subsys/net/lib/coap/coap.c
@@ -1734,6 +1734,19 @@ void coap_pendings_clear(struct coap_pending *pendings, size_t len)
 	}
 }
 
+size_t coap_pendings_count(struct coap_pending *pendings, size_t len)
+{
+	struct coap_pending *p = pendings;
+	size_t c = 0;
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < len && p; i++, p++) {
+		if (p->timeout) {
+			c++;
+		}
+	}
+	return c;
+}
+
 /* Reordering according to RFC7641 section 3.4 but without timestamp comparison */
 static inline bool is_newer(int v1, int v2)
 {