diff --git a/src/platform/ESP32/ConnectivityManagerImpl_WiFi.cpp b/src/platform/ESP32/ConnectivityManagerImpl_WiFi.cpp
index 19eaa703f501ac..e1e26ba982e192 100644
--- a/src/platform/ESP32/ConnectivityManagerImpl_WiFi.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/ESP32/ConnectivityManagerImpl_WiFi.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ ConnectivityManager::WiFiStationMode ConnectivityManagerImpl::_GetWiFiStationMod
     if (mWiFiStationMode != kWiFiStationMode_ApplicationControlled)
     {
         wifi_mode_t curWiFiMode;
-        mWiFiStationMode = (esp_wifi_get_mode(&curWiFiMode) == ESP_OK && (curWiFiMode == WIFI_MODE_STA))
+        mWiFiStationMode =
+            (esp_wifi_get_mode(&curWiFiMode) == ESP_OK && (curWiFiMode == WIFI_MODE_APSTA || curWiFiMode == WIFI_MODE_STA))
+
             ? kWiFiStationMode_Enabled
             : kWiFiStationMode_Disabled;
     }
@@ -76,6 +78,8 @@ CHIP_ERROR ConnectivityManagerImpl::_SetWiFiStationMode(WiFiStationMode val)
 
     if (val != kWiFiStationMode_ApplicationControlled)
     {
+        ReturnErrorOnFailure(Internal::ESP32Utils::EnableStationMode());
+
         DeviceLayer::SystemLayer().ScheduleWork(DriveStationState, NULL);
     }
 
@@ -332,6 +336,9 @@ CHIP_ERROR ConnectivityManagerImpl::InitWiFi()
 
     // TODO Initialize the Chip Addressing and Routing Module.
 
+    // Ensure that ESP station mode is enabled.
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(Internal::ESP32Utils::EnableStationMode());
+
     // If there is no persistent station provision...
     if (!IsWiFiStationProvisioned())
     {
@@ -366,6 +373,7 @@ CHIP_ERROR ConnectivityManagerImpl::InitWiFi()
         }
     }
 
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(Internal::ESP32Utils::MapError(esp_wifi_set_mode(WIFI_MODE_STA)));
     // Queue work items to bootstrap the AP and station state machines once the Chip event loop is running.
     ReturnErrorOnFailure(DeviceLayer::SystemLayer().ScheduleWork(DriveStationState, NULL));
 
@@ -469,6 +477,9 @@ void ConnectivityManagerImpl::DriveStationState()
     {
         // Ensure that the ESP WiFi layer is started.
         ReturnOnFailure(Internal::ESP32Utils::StartWiFiLayer());
+
+        // Ensure that station mode is enabled in the ESP WiFi layer.
+        ReturnOnFailure(Internal::ESP32Utils::EnableStationMode());
     }
 
     // Determine if the ESP WiFi layer thinks the station interface is currently connected.
diff --git a/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.cpp b/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.cpp
index 1e45a31bf89c90..9aef5c706610d4 100644
--- a/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,36 @@ CHIP_ERROR ESP32Utils::IsStationEnabled(bool & staEnabled)
     return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
 }
 
+CHIP_ERROR ESP32Utils::EnableStationMode(void)
+{
+    wifi_mode_t curWiFiMode;
+
+    // Get the current ESP WiFI mode.
+    esp_err_t err = esp_wifi_get_mode(&curWiFiMode);
+    if (err != ESP_OK)
+    {
+        ChipLogError(DeviceLayer, "esp_wifi_get_mode() failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(err));
+        return ESP32Utils::MapError(err);
+    }
+
+    // If station mode is not already enabled (implying the current mode is WIFI_MODE_AP), change
+    // the mode to WIFI_MODE_APSTA.
+    if (curWiFiMode == WIFI_MODE_AP)
+    {
+        ChipLogProgress(DeviceLayer, "Changing ESP WiFi mode: %s -> %s", WiFiModeToStr(WIFI_MODE_AP),
+                        WiFiModeToStr(WIFI_MODE_APSTA));
+
+        err = esp_wifi_set_mode(WIFI_MODE_APSTA);
+        if (err != ESP_OK)
+        {
+            ChipLogError(DeviceLayer, "esp_wifi_set_mode() failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(err));
+            return ESP32Utils::MapError(err);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return CHIP_NO_ERROR;
+}
+
 bool ESP32Utils::IsStationProvisioned(void)
 {
     wifi_config_t stationConfig;
@@ -126,6 +156,10 @@ const char * ESP32Utils::WiFiModeToStr(wifi_mode_t wifiMode)
         return "NULL";
     case WIFI_MODE_STA:
         return "STA";
+    case WIFI_MODE_AP:
+        return "AP";
+    case WIFI_MODE_APSTA:
+        return "STA+AP";
     default:
         return "(unknown)";
     }
@@ -173,6 +207,10 @@ CHIP_ERROR ESP32Utils::SetWiFiStationProvision(const Internal::DeviceNetworkInfo
     char wifiSSID[kMaxWiFiSSIDLength + 1];
     size_t netInfoSSIDLen = strlen(netInfo.WiFiSSID);
 
+    // Ensure that ESP station mode is enabled.  This is required before esp_wifi_set_config(ESP_IF_WIFI_STA,...)
+    // can be called.
+    ReturnErrorOnFailure(ESP32Utils::EnableStationMode());
+
     // Enforce that wifiSSID is null terminated before copying it
     memcpy(wifiSSID, netInfo.WiFiSSID, min(netInfoSSIDLen + 1, sizeof(wifiSSID)));
     if (netInfoSSIDLen + 1 < sizeof(wifiSSID))
@@ -244,18 +282,6 @@ CHIP_ERROR ESP32Utils::InitWiFiStack(void)
         return ESP32Utils::MapError(err);
     }
 
-    esp_wifi_get_mode(&mode);
-    if (mode == WIFI_MODE_AP)
-    {
-        esp_fill_random(ap_mac, sizeof(ap_mac));
-        /* Bit 0 of the first octet of MAC Address should always be 0 */
-        ap_mac[0] &= (uint8_t) ~0x01;
-        err = esp_wifi_set_mac(WIFI_IF_AP, ap_mac);
-        if (err != ESP_OK)
-        {
-            return ESP32Utils::MapError(err);
-        }
-    }
     err = esp_event_handler_register(WIFI_EVENT, ESP_EVENT_ANY_ID, PlatformManagerImpl::HandleESPSystemEvent, NULL);
     if (err != ESP_OK)
     {
diff --git a/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.h b/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.h
index 2bbbe851b097b2..498a41033335b9 100644
--- a/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.h
+++ b/src/platform/ESP32/ESP32Utils.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class ESP32Utils
     static bool IsStationProvisioned(void);
     static CHIP_ERROR IsStationConnected(bool & connected);
     static CHIP_ERROR StartWiFiLayer(void);
+    static CHIP_ERROR EnableStationMode(void);
     static int OrderScanResultsByRSSI(const void * _res1, const void * _res2);
     static const char * WiFiModeToStr(wifi_mode_t wifiMode);
     static struct netif * GetNetif(const char * ifKey);