diff --git a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_haiku.cpp b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_haiku.cpp
index d4910cdef5..b1f936febb 100644
--- a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_haiku.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_haiku.cpp
@@ -191,6 +191,34 @@ stop_wlan(device_t device)
 }
 
 
+status_t
+wlan_open(void* cookie)
+{
+	dprintf("wlan_open(%p)\n", cookie);
+	struct ifnet* ifp = (struct ifnet*)cookie;
+
+	ifp->if_init(ifp->if_softc);
+
+	ifp->if_flags |= IFF_UP;
+	ifp->if_ioctl(ifp, SIOCSIFFLAGS, NULL);
+
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+
+status_t
+wlan_close(void* cookie)
+{
+	dprintf("wlan_close(%p)\n", cookie);
+	struct ifnet* ifp = (struct ifnet*)cookie;
+
+	ifp->if_flags &= ~IFF_UP;
+	ifp->if_ioctl(ifp, SIOCSIFFLAGS, NULL);
+
+	return release_sem_etc(ifp->scan_done_sem, 1, B_RELEASE_ALL);
+}
+
+
 status_t
 wlan_control(void* cookie, uint32 op, void* arg, size_t length)
 {
@@ -344,6 +372,11 @@ wlan_control(void* cookie, uint32 op, void* arg, size_t length)
 			if (user_memcpy(&request, arg, sizeof(struct ieee80211req)) != B_OK)
 				return B_BAD_ADDRESS;
 
+			if (request.i_type == IEEE80211_IOC_HAIKU_COMPAT_WLAN_UP)
+				return wlan_open(cookie);
+			else if (request.i_type == IEEE80211_IOC_HAIKU_COMPAT_WLAN_DOWN)
+				return wlan_close(cookie);
+
 			TRACE("wlan_control: %ld, %d\n", op, request.i_type);
 			status_t status = ifp->if_ioctl(ifp, op, (caddr_t)&request);
 			if (status != B_OK)
@@ -367,18 +400,6 @@ wlan_control(void* cookie, uint32 op, void* arg, size_t length)
 }
 
 
-status_t
-wlan_close(void* cookie)
-{
-	struct ifnet* ifp = (struct ifnet*)cookie;
-
-	ifp->if_flags &= ~IFF_UP;
-	ifp->if_ioctl(ifp, SIOCSIFFLAGS, NULL);
-
-	return release_sem_etc(ifp->scan_done_sem, 1, B_RELEASE_ALL);
-}
-
-
 status_t
 wlan_if_l2com_alloc(void* data)
 {
diff --git a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_ioctl.h b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_ioctl.h
index f1a1dcd69a..551d1877a4 100644
--- a/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_ioctl.h
+++ b/src/libs/compat/freebsd_wlan/net80211/ieee80211_ioctl.h
@@ -719,6 +719,22 @@ struct ieee80211req {
 #define	IEEE80211_IOC_TDMA_SLOTLEN	203	/* TDMA: slot length (usecs) */
 #define	IEEE80211_IOC_TDMA_BINTERVAL	204	/* TDMA: beacon intvl (slots) */
 
+#ifdef __HAIKU__
+/*
+	These are here to allow overcoming a difference between Haiku and
+	FreeBSD drivers. In FreeBSD a device can be set into the down state
+	but is still fully configurable using the ioctl interface. The Haiku
+	network stack on the other hand opens and closes the driver on the
+	transition form up to down and vice versa. This difference can become
+	problematic with ported software that depends on the original behaviour.
+	Therefore IEEE80211_IOC_HAIKU_COMPAT_WLAN_{UP|DOWN} provide a way to
+	achieve the behaviour of setting and clearing IFF_UP without opening
+	or closing the driver itself.
+*/
+#define IEEE80211_IOC_HAIKU_COMPAT_WLAN_UP		0x6000
+#define IEEE80211_IOC_HAIKU_COMPAT_WLAN_DOWN	0x6001
+#endif /* __HAIKU__ */
+
 /*
  * Parameters for controlling a scan requested with
  * IEEE80211_IOC_SCAN_REQ.