diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/cmd.c b/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/cmd.c
index b13eed129a92..e29343ed6ea2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/cmd.c
@@ -458,6 +458,97 @@ static void wl12xx_free_link(struct wl1271 *wl, u8 *hlid)
 	*hlid = WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID;
 }
 
+int wl12xx_cmd_role_start_dev(struct wl1271 *wl)
+{
+	struct wl12xx_cmd_role_start *cmd;
+	int ret;
+
+	cmd = kzalloc(sizeof(*cmd), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!cmd) {
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	wl1271_debug(DEBUG_CMD, "cmd role start dev %d", wl->dev_role_id);
+
+	cmd->role_id = wl->dev_role_id;
+	if (wl->band == IEEE80211_BAND_5GHZ)
+		cmd->band = WL12XX_BAND_5GHZ;
+	cmd->channel = wl->channel;
+
+	if (wl->dev_hlid == WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID) {
+		ret = wl12xx_allocate_link(wl, &wl->dev_hlid);
+		if (ret)
+			goto out_free;
+	}
+	cmd->device.hlid = wl->dev_hlid;
+	cmd->device.session = wl->session_counter;
+
+	wl1271_debug(DEBUG_CMD, "role start: roleid=%d, hlid=%d, session=%d",
+		     cmd->role_id, cmd->device.hlid, cmd->device.session);
+
+	ret = wl1271_cmd_send(wl, CMD_ROLE_START, cmd, sizeof(*cmd), 0);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		wl1271_error("failed to initiate cmd role enable");
+		goto err_hlid;
+	}
+
+	goto out_free;
+
+err_hlid:
+	/* clear links on error */
+	__clear_bit(wl->dev_hlid, wl->links_map);
+	wl->dev_hlid = WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID;
+
+
+out_free:
+	kfree(cmd);
+
+out:
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int wl12xx_cmd_role_stop_dev(struct wl1271 *wl)
+{
+	struct wl12xx_cmd_role_stop *cmd;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (WARN_ON(wl->dev_hlid == WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	cmd = kzalloc(sizeof(*cmd), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!cmd) {
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	wl1271_debug(DEBUG_CMD, "cmd role stop dev");
+
+	cmd->role_id = wl->dev_role_id;
+	cmd->disc_type = DISCONNECT_IMMEDIATE;
+	cmd->reason = cpu_to_le16(WLAN_REASON_UNSPECIFIED);
+
+	ret = wl1271_cmd_send(wl, CMD_ROLE_STOP, cmd, sizeof(*cmd), 0);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		wl1271_error("failed to initiate cmd role stop");
+		goto out_free;
+	}
+
+	ret = wl1271_cmd_wait_for_event(wl, DISCONNECT_EVENT_COMPLETE_ID);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		wl1271_error("cmd role stop dev event completion error");
+		goto out_free;
+	}
+
+	wl12xx_free_link(wl, &wl->dev_hlid);
+
+out_free:
+	kfree(cmd);
+
+out:
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int wl12xx_cmd_role_start_sta(struct wl1271 *wl)
 {
 	struct wl12xx_cmd_role_start *cmd;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/main.c b/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/main.c
index 3e77f59e3397..7b0b7c34ef76 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/main.c
@@ -1866,6 +1866,20 @@ static int wl1271_op_add_interface(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto power_off;
 
+		if (wl->bss_type == BSS_TYPE_STA_BSS) {
+			/*
+			 * The device role is a special role used for
+			 * rx and tx frames prior to association (as
+			 * the STA role can get packets only from
+			 * its associated bssid)
+			 */
+			ret = wl12xx_cmd_role_enable(wl,
+							 WL1271_ROLE_DEVICE,
+							 &wl->dev_role_id);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				goto irq_disable;
+		}
+
 		ret = wl12xx_cmd_role_enable(wl, role_type, &wl->role_id);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto irq_disable;
@@ -1965,6 +1979,12 @@ static void __wl1271_op_remove_interface(struct wl1271 *wl,
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto deinit;
 
+		if (wl->bss_type == BSS_TYPE_STA_BSS) {
+			ret = wl12xx_cmd_role_disable(wl, &wl->dev_role_id);
+			if (ret < 0)
+				goto deinit;
+		}
+
 		ret = wl12xx_cmd_role_disable(wl, &wl->role_id);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			goto deinit;
@@ -1973,6 +1993,7 @@ static void __wl1271_op_remove_interface(struct wl1271 *wl,
 	}
 deinit:
 	wl->sta_hlid = WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID;
+	wl->dev_hlid = WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID;
 
 	/*
 	 * this must be before the cancel_work calls below, so that the work
@@ -2023,6 +2044,7 @@ static void __wl1271_op_remove_interface(struct wl1271 *wl,
 	wl->ap_ps_map = 0;
 	wl->sched_scanning = false;
 	wl->role_id = WL12XX_INVALID_ROLE_ID;
+	wl->dev_role_id = WL12XX_INVALID_ROLE_ID;
 	memset(wl->roles_map, 0, sizeof(wl->roles_map));
 	memset(wl->links_map, 0, sizeof(wl->links_map));
 
@@ -4365,7 +4387,8 @@ struct ieee80211_hw *wl1271_alloc_hw(void)
 	wl->tx_security_last_seq_lsb = 0;
 	wl->role_id = WL12XX_INVALID_ROLE_ID;
 	wl->sta_hlid = WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID;
-
+	wl->dev_role_id = WL12XX_INVALID_ROLE_ID;
+	wl->dev_hlid = WL12XX_INVALID_LINK_ID;
 	setup_timer(&wl->rx_streaming_timer, wl1271_rx_streaming_timer,
 		    (unsigned long) wl);
 	wl->fwlog_size = 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/wl12xx.h b/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/wl12xx.h
index 3d43875163e1..ab46664969ec 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/wl12xx.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/wl12xx/wl12xx.h
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@ struct wl1271 {
 	u8 ssid_len;
 	int channel;
 	u8 role_id;
+	u8 dev_role_id;
 	u8 sta_hlid;
 	u8 dev_hlid;