diff --git a/hostapd/config_file.c b/hostapd/config_file.c
index 85c634f84..953032d53 100644
--- a/hostapd/config_file.c
+++ b/hostapd/config_file.c
@@ -2138,8 +2138,8 @@ static int hostapd_config_fill(struct hostapd_config *conf,
 		bss->skip_inactivity_poll = atoi(pos);
 	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "country_code") == 0) {
 		os_memcpy(conf->country, pos, 2);
-		/* FIX: make this configurable */
-		conf->country[2] = ' ';
+	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "country3") == 0) {
+		conf->country[2] = strtol(pos, NULL, 16);
 	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "ieee80211d") == 0) {
 		conf->ieee80211d = atoi(pos);
 	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "ieee80211h") == 0) {
diff --git a/hostapd/hostapd.conf b/hostapd/hostapd.conf
index da975050d..821910c10 100644
--- a/hostapd/hostapd.conf
+++ b/hostapd/hostapd.conf
@@ -98,8 +98,25 @@ ssid=test
 # Country code (ISO/IEC 3166-1). Used to set regulatory domain.
 # Set as needed to indicate country in which device is operating.
 # This can limit available channels and transmit power.
+# These two octets are used as the first two octets of the Country String
+# (dot11CountryString)
 #country_code=US
 
+# The third octet of the Country String (dot11CountryString)
+# This parameter is used to set the third octet of the country string.
+#
+# All environments of the current frequency band and country (default)
+#country3=0x20
+# Outdoor environment only
+#country3=0x4f
+# Indoor environment only
+#country3=0x49
+# Noncountry entity (country_code=XX)
+#country3=0x58
+# IEEE 802.11 standard Annex E table indication: 0x01 .. 0x1f
+# Annex E, Table E-4 (Global operating classes)
+#country3=0x04
+
 # Enable IEEE 802.11d. This advertises the country_code and the set of allowed
 # channels and transmit power levels based on the regulatory limits. The
 # country_code setting must be configured with the correct country for
diff --git a/src/ap/ap_config.c b/src/ap/ap_config.c
index a996ea81f..a03c006ab 100644
--- a/src/ap/ap_config.c
+++ b/src/ap/ap_config.c
@@ -206,6 +206,11 @@ struct hostapd_config * hostapd_config_defaults(void)
 	conf->acs_num_scans = 5;
 #endif /* CONFIG_ACS */
 
+	/* The third octet of the country string uses an ASCII space character
+	 * by default to indicate that the regulations encompass all
+	 * environments for the current frequency band in the country. */
+	conf->country[2] = ' ';
+
 	return conf;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ap/ap_config.h b/src/ap/ap_config.h
index cbdb786f5..82eb0063f 100644
--- a/src/ap/ap_config.h
+++ b/src/ap/ap_config.h
@@ -679,6 +679,9 @@ struct hostapd_config {
 			  * ' ' (ascii 32): all environments
 			  * 'O': Outdoor environemnt only
 			  * 'I': Indoor environment only
+			  * 'X': Used with noncountry entity ("XXX")
+			  * 0x00..0x31: identifying IEEE 802.11 standard
+			  *	Annex E table (0x04 = global table)
 			  */
 
 	int ieee80211d;