diff --git a/resources/function_help/json/$z b/resources/function_help/json/$z
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e4ae9651219d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/function_help/json/$z
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "name": "$z",
+  "type": "function",
+  "groups": ["GeometryGroup"],
+  "description": "Returns the z value of the current point feature if it is 3D. If the feature is a multipoint feature, then the z value of the first point will be returned.",
+  "examples": [ { "expression":"$z", "returns":"123"}
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/src/core/expression/qgsexpressionfunction.cpp b/src/core/expression/qgsexpressionfunction.cpp
index d372aa72816c..2c91d6f212a2 100644
--- a/src/core/expression/qgsexpressionfunction.cpp
+++ b/src/core/expression/qgsexpressionfunction.cpp
@@ -2426,6 +2426,40 @@ static QVariant fcnY( const QVariantList &, const QgsExpressionContext *context,
   }
 }
 
+static QVariant fcnZ( const QVariantList &, const QgsExpressionContext *context, QgsExpression *, const QgsExpressionNodeFunction * )
+{
+  FEAT_FROM_CONTEXT( context, f )
+  ENSURE_GEOM_TYPE( f, g, QgsWkbTypes::PointGeometry )
+
+  if ( g.isEmpty() )
+    return QVariant();
+
+  const QgsAbstractGeometry *abGeom = g.constGet();
+
+  if ( g.isEmpty() || !abGeom->is3D() )
+    return QVariant();
+
+  if ( g.type() == QgsWkbTypes::PointGeometry && !g.isMultipart() )
+  {
+    const QgsPoint *point = qgsgeometry_cast< const QgsPoint * >( g.constGet() );
+    if ( point )
+      return point->z();
+  }
+  else if ( g.type() == QgsWkbTypes::PointGeometry && g.isMultipart() )
+  {
+    if ( const QgsGeometryCollection *collection = qgsgeometry_cast< const QgsGeometryCollection * >( g.constGet() ) )
+    {
+      if ( collection->numGeometries() > 0 )
+      {
+        if ( const QgsPoint *point = qgsgeometry_cast< const QgsPoint * >( collection->geometryN( 0 ) ) )
+          return point->z();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return QVariant();
+}
+
 static QVariant fcnGeomIsValid( const QVariantList &values, const QgsExpressionContext *, QgsExpression *parent, const QgsExpressionNodeFunction * )
 {
   QgsGeometry geom = QgsExpressionUtils::getGeometry( values.at( 0 ), parent );
@@ -6794,6 +6828,10 @@ const QList<QgsExpressionFunction *> &QgsExpression::Functions()
     yFunc->setIsStatic( false );
     functions << yFunc;
 
+    QgsStaticExpressionFunction *zFunc = new QgsStaticExpressionFunction( QStringLiteral( "$z" ), 0, fcnZ, QStringLiteral( "GeometryGroup" ), QString(), true );
+    zFunc->setIsStatic( false );
+    functions << zFunc;
+
     QMap< QString, QgsExpressionFunction::FcnEval > geometry_overlay_definitions
     {
       { QStringLiteral( "overlay_intersects" ), fcnGeomOverlayIntersects },
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsexpression.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsexpression.cpp
index a043091bc0bc..30cd8eef45e7 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsexpression.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsexpression.cpp
@@ -2826,12 +2826,13 @@ class TestQgsExpression: public QObject
       QTest::addColumn<bool>( "evalError" );
       QTest::addColumn<QVariant>( "result" );
 
-      QgsPointXY point( 123, 456 );
+      QgsPoint point( 123, 456, 789 );
       QgsPolylineXY line;
       line << QgsPointXY( 1, 1 ) << QgsPointXY( 4, 2 ) << QgsPointXY( 3, 1 );
 
-      QTest::newRow( "geom x" ) << "$x" << QgsGeometry::fromPointXY( point ) << false << QVariant( 123. );
-      QTest::newRow( "geom y" ) << "$y" << QgsGeometry::fromPointXY( point ) << false << QVariant( 456. );
+      QTest::newRow( "geom x" ) << "$x" << QgsGeometry( std::make_unique<QgsPoint>( point ) ) << false << QVariant( 123. );
+      QTest::newRow( "geom y" ) << "$y" << QgsGeometry( std::make_unique<QgsPoint>( point ) ) << false << QVariant( 456. );
+      QTest::newRow( "geom z" ) << "$z" << QgsGeometry( std::make_unique<QgsPoint>( point ) ) << false << QVariant( 789. );
       QTest::newRow( "geom xat" ) << "xat(-1)" << QgsGeometry::fromPolylineXY( line ) << false << QVariant( 3. );
       QTest::newRow( "geom yat" ) << "yat(1)" << QgsGeometry::fromPolylineXY( line ) << false << QVariant( 2. );
       QTest::newRow( "null geometry" ) << "$geometry" << QgsGeometry() << false << QVariant();