diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c b/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c
index 7c230dcab..b4aefb65e 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c
@@ -8548,7 +8548,7 @@ static int wpa_supplicant_global_iface_add(struct wpa_global *global,
 	if (wpa_supplicant_get_iface(global, iface.ifname))
 		return -1;
 
-	return wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface) ? 0 : -1;
+	return wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface, NULL) ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_new_handlers.c b/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_new_handlers.c
index e7c2dd886..f2e62ca96 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_new_handlers.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_new_handlers.c
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ DBusMessage * wpas_dbus_handler_create_interface(DBusMessage *message,
 		iface.confname = confname;
 		iface.bridge_ifname = bridge_ifname;
 		/* Otherwise, have wpa_supplicant attach to it. */
-		wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface);
+		wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface, NULL);
 		if (wpa_s) {
 			const char *path = wpa_s->dbus_new_path;
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_old_handlers.c b/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_old_handlers.c
index 955ea782f..773ee8b49 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_old_handlers.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/dbus/dbus_old_handlers.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ DBusMessage * wpas_dbus_global_add_interface(DBusMessage *message,
 		iface.confname = confname;
 		iface.bridge_ifname = bridge_ifname;
 		/* Otherwise, have wpa_supplicant attach to it. */
-		wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface);
+		wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface, NULL);
 		if (wpa_s) {
 			const char *path = wpa_s->dbus_path;
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/main.c b/wpa_supplicant/main.c
index 13e976949..22827479c 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/main.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/main.c
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			exitcode = -1;
 			break;
 		}
-		wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &ifaces[i]);
+		wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &ifaces[i], NULL);
 		if (wpa_s == NULL) {
 			exitcode = -1;
 			break;
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/main_none.c b/wpa_supplicant/main_none.c
index 010c30a30..4d3caf2a4 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/main_none.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/main_none.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	memset(&iface, 0, sizeof(iface));
 	/* TODO: set interface parameters */
 
-	if (wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface) == NULL)
+	if (wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface, NULL) == NULL)
 		exitcode = -1;
 
 	if (exitcode == 0)
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/main_winmain.c b/wpa_supplicant/main_winmain.c
index 93a68f17b..e1dded0c3 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/main_winmain.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/main_winmain.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
 			exitcode = -1;
 			break;
 		}
-		if (wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &ifaces[i]) == NULL)
+		if (wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &ifaces[i], NULL) == NULL)
 			exitcode = -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/main_winsvc.c b/wpa_supplicant/main_winsvc.c
index 0b7d5ce06..9950aa99a 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/main_winsvc.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/main_winsvc.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static int read_interface(struct wpa_global *global, HKEY _hk,
 
 	RegCloseKey(hk);
 
-	if (wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface) == NULL) {
+	if (wpa_supplicant_add_iface(global, &iface, NULL) == NULL) {
 		if (skip_on_error)
 			wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "Skipped interface '%s' due to "
 				   "initialization failure", iface.ifname);
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/mesh.c b/wpa_supplicant/mesh.c
index 32506b677..cf3676c22 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/mesh.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/mesh.c
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ int wpas_mesh_add_interface(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, char *ifname,
 	iface.driver_param = wpa_s->conf->driver_param;
 	iface.ctrl_interface = wpa_s->conf->ctrl_interface;
 
-	mesh_wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(wpa_s->global, &iface);
+	mesh_wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(wpa_s->global, &iface, wpa_s);
 	if (!mesh_wpa_s) {
 		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR,
 			   "mesh: Failed to create new wpa_supplicant interface");
@@ -535,6 +535,5 @@ int wpas_mesh_add_interface(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, char *ifname,
 		return -1;
 	}
 	mesh_wpa_s->mesh_if_created = 1;
-	mesh_wpa_s->parent = wpa_s;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/p2p_supplicant.c b/wpa_supplicant/p2p_supplicant.c
index 6ffe59588..9c7c867ae 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/p2p_supplicant.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/p2p_supplicant.c
@@ -1990,14 +1990,13 @@ wpas_p2p_init_group_interface(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, int go)
 	else
 		iface.ctrl_interface = wpa_s->conf->ctrl_interface;
 	iface.driver_param = wpa_s->conf->driver_param;
-	group_wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(wpa_s->global, &iface);
+	group_wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(wpa_s->global, &iface, wpa_s);
 	if (group_wpa_s == NULL) {
 		wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "P2P: Failed to create new "
 			   "wpa_supplicant interface");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	wpa_s->pending_interface_name[0] = '\0';
-	group_wpa_s->parent = wpa_s;
 	group_wpa_s->p2p_group_interface = go ? P2P_GROUP_INTERFACE_GO :
 		P2P_GROUP_INTERFACE_CLIENT;
 	wpa_s->global->p2p_group_formation = group_wpa_s;
@@ -4669,12 +4668,11 @@ int wpas_p2p_add_p2pdev_interface(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 	}
 	iface.conf_p2p_dev = NULL;
 
-	p2pdev_wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(wpa_s->global, &iface);
+	p2pdev_wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_add_iface(wpa_s->global, &iface, wpa_s);
 	if (!p2pdev_wpa_s) {
 		wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "P2P: Failed to add P2P Device interface");
 		return -1;
 	}
-	p2pdev_wpa_s->parent = wpa_s;
 	wpa_s->p2p_dev = p2pdev_wpa_s;
 
 	wpa_s->pending_interface_name[0] = '\0';
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c
index 15f856935..5848202b1 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c
@@ -3230,7 +3230,8 @@ static int wpa_supplicant_daemon(const char *pid_file)
 }
 
 
-static struct wpa_supplicant * wpa_supplicant_alloc(void)
+static struct wpa_supplicant *
+wpa_supplicant_alloc(struct wpa_supplicant *parent)
 {
 	struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s;
 
@@ -3240,7 +3241,7 @@ static struct wpa_supplicant * wpa_supplicant_alloc(void)
 	wpa_s->scan_req = INITIAL_SCAN_REQ;
 	wpa_s->scan_interval = 5;
 	wpa_s->new_connection = 1;
-	wpa_s->parent = wpa_s;
+	wpa_s->parent = parent ? parent : wpa_s;
 	wpa_s->sched_scanning = 0;
 
 	return wpa_s;
@@ -4294,6 +4295,7 @@ static void wpa_supplicant_deinit_iface(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
  * wpa_supplicant_add_iface - Add a new network interface
  * @global: Pointer to global data from wpa_supplicant_init()
  * @iface: Interface configuration options
+ * @parent: Parent interface or %NULL to assign new interface as parent
  * Returns: Pointer to the created interface or %NULL on failure
  *
  * This function is used to add new network interfaces for %wpa_supplicant.
@@ -4303,7 +4305,8 @@ static void wpa_supplicant_deinit_iface(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
  * e.g., when a hotplug network adapter is inserted.
  */
 struct wpa_supplicant * wpa_supplicant_add_iface(struct wpa_global *global,
-						 struct wpa_interface *iface)
+						 struct wpa_interface *iface,
+						 struct wpa_supplicant *parent)
 {
 	struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s;
 	struct wpa_interface t_iface;
@@ -4312,7 +4315,7 @@ struct wpa_supplicant * wpa_supplicant_add_iface(struct wpa_global *global,
 	if (global == NULL || iface == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_alloc();
+	wpa_s = wpa_supplicant_alloc(parent);
 	if (wpa_s == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant_i.h b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant_i.h
index 0c0ee84a5..26ff216b0 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant_i.h
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant_i.h
@@ -1035,7 +1035,8 @@ void free_hw_features(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s);
 void wpa_show_license(void);
 
 struct wpa_supplicant * wpa_supplicant_add_iface(struct wpa_global *global,
-						 struct wpa_interface *iface);
+						 struct wpa_interface *iface,
+						 struct wpa_supplicant *parent);
 int wpa_supplicant_remove_iface(struct wpa_global *global,
 				struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 				int terminate);