diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/config.c b/wpa_supplicant/config.c
index 180827367..9ceaaf85c 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/config.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/config.c
@@ -3358,6 +3358,7 @@ static const struct global_parse_data global_fields[] = {
 	{ FUNC(freq_list), 0 },
 	{ INT(scan_cur_freq), 0 },
 	{ INT(sched_scan_interval), 0 },
+	{ INT(tdls_external_control), 0},
 };
 
 #undef FUNC
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/config.h b/wpa_supplicant/config.h
index 55a2d62ed..068679e56 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/config.h
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/config.h
@@ -933,6 +933,16 @@ struct wpa_config {
 	 * sched_scan_interval -  schedule scan interval
 	 */
 	unsigned int sched_scan_interval;
+
+	/**
+	 * tdls_external_control - External control for TDLS setup requests
+	 *
+	 * Enable TDLS mode where external programs are given the control
+	 * to specify the TDLS link to get established to the driver. The
+	 * driver requests the TDLS setup to the supplicant only for the
+	 * specified TDLS peers.
+	 */
+	int tdls_external_control;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/config_file.c b/wpa_supplicant/config_file.c
index ed5cdfffc..7d328673c 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/config_file.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/config_file.c
@@ -1079,6 +1079,10 @@ static void wpa_config_write_global(FILE *f, struct wpa_config *config)
 
 	if (config->external_sim)
 		fprintf(f, "external_sim=%d\n", config->external_sim);
+
+	if (config->tdls_external_control)
+		fprintf(f, "tdls_external_control=%d\n",
+			config->tdls_external_control);
 }
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_NO_CONFIG_WRITE */
diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c b/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c
index ebe08b37a..615a972bf 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/ctrl_iface.c
@@ -571,6 +571,10 @@ static int wpa_supplicant_ctrl_iface_tdls_setup(
 	wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "CTRL_IFACE TDLS_SETUP " MACSTR,
 		   MAC2STR(peer));
 
+	if ((wpa_s->conf->tdls_external_control) &&
+	    wpa_tdls_is_external_setup(wpa_s->wpa))
+		return wpa_drv_tdls_oper(wpa_s, TDLS_SETUP, peer);
+
 	wpa_tdls_remove(wpa_s->wpa, peer);
 
 	if (wpa_tdls_is_external_setup(wpa_s->wpa))
@@ -597,6 +601,10 @@ static int wpa_supplicant_ctrl_iface_tdls_teardown(
 	wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "CTRL_IFACE TDLS_TEARDOWN " MACSTR,
 		   MAC2STR(peer));
 
+	if ((wpa_s->conf->tdls_external_control) &&
+	    wpa_tdls_is_external_setup(wpa_s->wpa))
+		return wpa_drv_tdls_oper(wpa_s, TDLS_TEARDOWN, peer);
+
 	if (wpa_tdls_is_external_setup(wpa_s->wpa))
 		ret = wpa_tdls_teardown_link(
 			wpa_s->wpa, peer,