diff --git a/hostapd/main.c b/hostapd/main.c
index d5a0fd775..99c137dd3 100644
--- a/hostapd/main.c
+++ b/hostapd/main.c
@@ -257,10 +257,22 @@ static int hostapd_driver_init(struct hostapd_iface *iface)
 
 	os_memset(&params, 0, sizeof(params));
 	for (i = 0; wpa_drivers[i]; i++) {
-		if (wpa_drivers[i] == hapd->driver) {
-			params.global_priv = global.drv_priv[i];
-			break;
+		if (wpa_drivers[i] != hapd->driver)
+			continue;
+
+		if (global.drv_priv[i] == NULL &&
+		    wpa_drivers[i]->global_init) {
+			global.drv_priv[i] = wpa_drivers[i]->global_init();
+			if (global.drv_priv[i] == NULL) {
+				wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "Failed to initialize "
+					   "driver '%s'",
+					   wpa_drivers[i]->name);
+				return -1;
+			}
 		}
+
+		params.global_priv = global.drv_priv[i];
+		break;
 	}
 	params.bssid = b;
 	params.ifname = hapd->conf->iface;
@@ -425,16 +437,6 @@ static int hostapd_global_init(struct hapd_interfaces *interfaces,
 	global.drv_priv = os_zalloc(global.drv_count * sizeof(void *));
 	if (global.drv_priv == NULL)
 		return -1;
-	for (i = 0; wpa_drivers[i]; i++) {
-		if (!wpa_drivers[i]->global_init)
-			continue;
-		global.drv_priv[i] = wpa_drivers[i]->global_init();
-		if (global.drv_priv[i] == NULL) {
-			wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "Failed to initialize driver "
-				   "'%s'", wpa_drivers[i]->name);
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c
index 62a82bd26..e49b0a5c2 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.c
@@ -1867,6 +1867,26 @@ struct wpa_ssid * wpa_supplicant_get_ssid(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s)
 }
 
 
+static int select_driver(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s, int i)
+{
+	struct wpa_global *global = wpa_s->global;
+
+	if (wpa_drivers[i]->global_init && global->drv_priv[i] == NULL) {
+		global->drv_priv[i] = wpa_drivers[i]->global_init();
+		if (global->drv_priv[i] == NULL) {
+			wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "Failed to initialize driver "
+				   "'%s'", wpa_drivers[i]->name);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	wpa_s->driver = wpa_drivers[i];
+	wpa_s->global_drv_priv = global->drv_priv[i];
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 static int wpa_supplicant_set_driver(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 				     const char *name)
 {
@@ -1885,9 +1905,7 @@ static int wpa_supplicant_set_driver(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 
 	if (name == NULL) {
 		/* default to first driver in the list */
-		wpa_s->driver = wpa_drivers[0];
-		wpa_s->global_drv_priv = wpa_s->global->drv_priv[0];
-		return 0;
+		return select_driver(wpa_s, 0);
 	}
 
 	do {
@@ -1900,12 +1918,8 @@ static int wpa_supplicant_set_driver(struct wpa_supplicant *wpa_s,
 		for (i = 0; wpa_drivers[i]; i++) {
 			if (os_strlen(wpa_drivers[i]->name) == len &&
 			    os_strncmp(driver, wpa_drivers[i]->name, len) ==
-			    0) {
-				wpa_s->driver = wpa_drivers[i];
-				wpa_s->global_drv_priv =
-					wpa_s->global->drv_priv[i];
-				return 0;
-			}
+			    0)
+				return select_driver(wpa_s, i);
 		}
 
 		driver = pos + 1;
@@ -2625,17 +2639,6 @@ struct wpa_global * wpa_supplicant_init(struct wpa_params *params)
 		wpa_supplicant_deinit(global);
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	for (i = 0; wpa_drivers[i]; i++) {
-		if (!wpa_drivers[i]->global_init)
-			continue;
-		global->drv_priv[i] = wpa_drivers[i]->global_init();
-		if (global->drv_priv[i] == NULL) {
-			wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "Failed to initialize driver "
-				   "'%s'", wpa_drivers[i]->name);
-			wpa_supplicant_deinit(global);
-			return NULL;
-		}
-	}
 
 	return global;
 }