diff --git a/src/netdev.c b/src/netdev.c
index ff574d65..e3b5fbca 100644
--- a/src/netdev.c
+++ b/src/netdev.c
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ struct netdev {
 	void *user_data;
 	struct eapol_sm *sm;
 	struct sae_sm *sae_sm;
-	struct owe_sm *owe;
 	struct auth_proto *ap;
 	struct handshake_state *handshake;
 	uint32_t connect_cmd_id;
@@ -557,11 +556,6 @@ static void netdev_connect_free(struct netdev *netdev)
 		netdev->sae_sm = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (netdev->owe) {
-		owe_sm_free(netdev->owe);
-		netdev->owe = NULL;
-	}
-
 	if (netdev->ap) {
 		auth_proto_free(netdev->ap);
 		netdev->ap = NULL;
@@ -2376,7 +2370,7 @@ static void netdev_authenticate_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
 	 * the FT Associate command is included in the attached frame and is
 	 * not available in the Authenticate command callback.
 	 */
-	if (!netdev->in_ft && !netdev->sae_sm && !netdev->owe && !netdev->ap)
+	if (!netdev->in_ft && !netdev->sae_sm && !netdev->ap)
 		return;
 
 	if (!l_genl_attr_init(&attr, msg)) {
@@ -2417,8 +2411,6 @@ static void netdev_authenticate_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
 		netdev_sae_process(netdev,
 				((struct mmpdu_header *)frame)->address_2,
 				frame + 26, frame_len - 26);
-	else if (netdev->owe)
-		owe_rx_authenticate(netdev->owe);
 	else if (netdev->ap) {
 		ret = auth_proto_rx_authenticate(netdev->ap, frame, frame_len);
 		if (ret == 0 || ret == -EAGAIN)
@@ -2453,8 +2445,7 @@ static void netdev_associate_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
 	if (!netdev->connected || netdev->aborting)
 		return;
 
-	if (!netdev->owe && !netdev->in_ft && !netdev->handshake->mde &&
-				!netdev->ap)
+	if (!netdev->in_ft && !netdev->handshake->mde && !netdev->ap)
 		return;
 
 	if (!l_genl_attr_init(&attr, msg)) {
@@ -2483,10 +2474,7 @@ static void netdev_associate_event(struct l_genl_msg *msg,
 	if (!frame)
 		goto assoc_failed;
 
-	if (netdev->owe) {
-		owe_rx_associate(netdev->owe, frame, frame_len);
-		return;
-	} else if (netdev->ap) {
+	if (netdev->ap) {
 		ret = auth_proto_rx_associate(netdev->ap, frame, frame_len);
 		if (ret == 0) {
 			auth_proto_free(netdev->ap);
@@ -2749,38 +2737,6 @@ static void netdev_owe_tx_associate(struct iovec *ie_iov, size_t iov_len,
 	}
 }
 
-static void netdev_owe_complete(uint16_t status, void *user_data)
-{
-	struct netdev *netdev = user_data;
-
-	switch (status) {
-	case 0: /* success */
-		break;
-	case MMPDU_STATUS_CODE_UNSUPP_FINITE_CYCLIC_GROUP:
-		if (owe_retry(netdev->owe)) {
-			netdev->ignore_connect_event = true;
-			return;
-		}
-		/* fall through */
-	default:
-		netdev->result = NETDEV_RESULT_ASSOCIATION_FAILED;
-		netdev->last_code = status;
-		netdev->expect_connect_failure = true;
-
-		goto free_owe;
-	}
-
-	netdev->ignore_connect_event = true;
-
-	netdev->sm = eapol_sm_new(netdev->handshake);
-	eapol_register(netdev->sm);
-	eapol_start(netdev->sm);
-
-free_owe:
-	owe_sm_free(netdev->owe);
-	netdev->owe = NULL;
-}
-
 static void netdev_fils_tx_authenticate(const uint8_t *body,
 					size_t body_len,
 					void *user_data)
@@ -2957,8 +2913,6 @@ static int netdev_connect_common(struct netdev *netdev,
 
 	if (netdev->sae_sm)
 		sae_start(netdev->sae_sm);
-	else if (netdev->owe)
-		owe_start(netdev->owe);
 	else
 		auth_proto_start(netdev->ap);
 
@@ -2987,9 +2941,8 @@ int netdev_connect(struct netdev *netdev, struct scan_bss *bss,
 						netdev_sae_complete, netdev);
 		break;
 	case IE_RSN_AKM_SUITE_OWE:
-		netdev->owe = owe_sm_new(hs, netdev_owe_tx_authenticate,
+		netdev->ap = owe_sm_new(hs, netdev_owe_tx_authenticate,
 						netdev_owe_tx_associate,
-						netdev_owe_complete,
 						netdev);
 		break;
 	case IE_RSN_AKM_SUITE_FILS_SHA256:
diff --git a/src/owe.c b/src/owe.c
index 3e455e68..a8e66da2 100644
--- a/src/owe.c
+++ b/src/owe.c
@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@
 #include "src/handshake.h"
 #include "src/owe.h"
 #include "src/mpdu.h"
+#include "src/auth-proto.h"
 
 struct owe_sm {
+	struct auth_proto ap;
 	struct handshake_state *hs;
 	const struct l_ecc_curve *curve;
 	struct l_ecc_scalar *private;
@@ -43,7 +45,6 @@ struct owe_sm {
 
 	owe_tx_authenticate_func_t auth_tx;
 	owe_tx_associate_func_t assoc_tx;
-	owe_complete_func_t complete;
 	void *user_data;
 };
 
@@ -71,43 +72,30 @@ static bool owe_reset(struct owe_sm *owe)
 	return true;
 }
 
-struct owe_sm *owe_sm_new(struct handshake_state *hs,
-				owe_tx_authenticate_func_t auth,
-				owe_tx_associate_func_t assoc,
-				owe_complete_func_t complete, void *user_data)
+static void owe_free(struct auth_proto *ap)
 {
-	struct owe_sm *owe = l_new(struct owe_sm, 1);
+	struct owe_sm *owe = l_container_of(ap, struct owe_sm, ap);
 
-	owe->hs = hs;
-	owe->auth_tx = auth;
-	owe->assoc_tx = assoc;
-	owe->user_data = user_data;
-	owe->complete = complete;
-	owe->ecc_groups = l_ecc_curve_get_supported_ike_groups();
-
-	if (!owe_reset(owe)) {
-		l_free(owe);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	return owe;
-}
-
-void owe_sm_free(struct owe_sm *owe)
-{
 	l_ecc_scalar_free(owe->private);
 	l_ecc_point_free(owe->public_key);
 
 	l_free(owe);
 }
 
-void owe_start(struct owe_sm *owe)
+static bool owe_start(struct auth_proto *ap)
 {
+	struct owe_sm *owe = l_container_of(ap, struct owe_sm, ap);
+
 	owe->auth_tx(owe->user_data);
+
+	return true;
 }
 
-void owe_rx_authenticate(struct owe_sm *owe)
+static int owe_rx_authenticate(struct auth_proto *ap, const uint8_t *frame,
+				size_t frame_len)
 {
+	struct owe_sm *owe = l_container_of(ap, struct owe_sm, ap);
+
 	uint8_t buf[5 + L_ECC_SCALAR_MAX_BYTES];
 	struct iovec iov[3];
 	int iov_elems = 0;
@@ -138,6 +126,8 @@ void owe_rx_authenticate(struct owe_sm *owe)
 	iov_elems++;
 
 	owe->assoc_tx(iov, iov_elems, owe->user_data);
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -229,8 +219,26 @@ failed:
 	return false;
 }
 
-void owe_rx_associate(struct owe_sm *owe, const uint8_t *frame, size_t len)
+static bool owe_retry(struct owe_sm *owe)
 {
+	/* retry with another group, if possible */
+	owe->retry++;
+
+	if (!owe_reset(owe))
+		return false;
+
+	l_debug("OWE retrying with group %u", owe->group);
+
+	owe_rx_authenticate(&owe->ap, NULL, 0);
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+static int owe_rx_associate(struct auth_proto *ap, const uint8_t *frame,
+				size_t len)
+{
+	struct owe_sm *owe = l_container_of(ap, struct owe_sm, ap);
+
 	const struct mmpdu_header *mpdu = NULL;
 	const struct mmpdu_association_response *body;
 	struct ie_tlv_iter iter;
@@ -243,15 +251,18 @@ void owe_rx_associate(struct owe_sm *owe, const uint8_t *frame, size_t len)
 	mpdu = mpdu_validate(frame, len);
 	if (!mpdu) {
 		l_error("could not process frame");
-		goto owe_failed;
+		return -EBADMSG;
 	}
 
 	body = mmpdu_body(mpdu);
 
-	if (body->status_code) {
-		owe->complete(body->status_code, owe->user_data);
-		return;
-	}
+	if (body->status_code == MMPDU_STATUS_CODE_UNSUPP_FINITE_CYCLIC_GROUP) {
+		if (!owe_retry(owe))
+			goto owe_bad_status;
+
+		return -EAGAIN;
+	} else if (body->status_code)
+		goto owe_bad_status;
 
 	ie_tlv_iter_init(&iter, body->ies, (const uint8_t *) mpdu + len -
 				body->ies);
@@ -271,7 +282,7 @@ void owe_rx_associate(struct owe_sm *owe, const uint8_t *frame, size_t len)
 		case IE_TYPE_RSN:
 			if (ie_parse_rsne(&iter, &info) < 0) {
 				l_error("could not parse RSN IE");
-				goto owe_failed;
+				goto invalid_ies;
 			}
 
 			/*
@@ -282,7 +293,7 @@ void owe_rx_associate(struct owe_sm *owe, const uint8_t *frame, size_t len)
 			 */
 			if (info.akm_suites != IE_RSN_AKM_SUITE_OWE) {
 				l_error("OWE AKM not included");
-				goto owe_failed;
+				goto invalid_ies;
 			}
 
 			akm_found = true;
@@ -295,39 +306,51 @@ void owe_rx_associate(struct owe_sm *owe, const uint8_t *frame, size_t len)
 
 	if (!owe_dh || owe_dh_len < 34 || !akm_found) {
 		l_error("associate response did not include proper OWE IE's");
-		goto owe_failed;
+		goto invalid_ies;
 	}
 
 	if (l_get_le16(owe_dh) != owe->group) {
 		l_error("associate response contained unsupported group %u",
 				l_get_le16(owe_dh));
-		goto owe_failed;
+		return -EBADMSG;
 	}
 
 	if (!owe_compute_keys(owe, owe_dh + 2, owe_dh_len - 2)) {
 		l_error("could not compute OWE keys");
-		goto owe_failed;
+		return -EBADMSG;
 	}
 
-	owe->complete(0, owe->user_data);
+	return 0;
 
-	return;
+invalid_ies:
+	return MMPDU_STATUS_CODE_INVALID_ELEMENT;
 
-owe_failed:
-	owe->complete(MMPDU_REASON_CODE_UNSPECIFIED, owe->user_data);
+owe_bad_status:
+	return (int)body->status_code;
 }
 
-bool owe_retry(struct owe_sm *owe)
+struct auth_proto *owe_sm_new(struct handshake_state *hs,
+				owe_tx_authenticate_func_t auth,
+				owe_tx_associate_func_t assoc,
+				void *user_data)
 {
-	/* retry with another group, if possible */
-	owe->retry++;
+	struct owe_sm *owe = l_new(struct owe_sm, 1);
 
-	if (!owe_reset(owe))
-		return false;
+	owe->hs = hs;
+	owe->auth_tx = auth;
+	owe->assoc_tx = assoc;
+	owe->user_data = user_data;
+	owe->ecc_groups = l_ecc_curve_get_supported_ike_groups();
 
-	l_debug("OWE retrying with group %u", owe->group);
+	owe->ap.start = owe_start;
+	owe->ap.free = owe_free;
+	owe->ap.rx_authenticate = owe_rx_authenticate;
+	owe->ap.rx_associate = owe_rx_associate;
 
-	owe_rx_authenticate(owe);
+	if (!owe_reset(owe)) {
+		l_free(owe);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
-	return true;
+	return &owe->ap;
 }
diff --git a/src/owe.h b/src/owe.h
index 75c91bba..f2c0d3e9 100644
--- a/src/owe.h
+++ b/src/owe.h
@@ -26,15 +26,8 @@ struct handshake_state;
 typedef void (*owe_tx_authenticate_func_t)(void *user_data);
 typedef void (*owe_tx_associate_func_t)(struct iovec *ie_iov, size_t iov_len,
 					void *user_data);
-typedef void (*owe_complete_func_t)(uint16_t status, void *user_data);
 
-struct owe_sm *owe_sm_new(struct handshake_state *hs,
+struct auth_proto *owe_sm_new(struct handshake_state *hs,
 				owe_tx_authenticate_func_t auth,
 				owe_tx_associate_func_t assoc,
-				owe_complete_func_t complete, void *user_data);
-void owe_sm_free(struct owe_sm *owe);
-
-void owe_start(struct owe_sm *owe);
-bool owe_retry(struct owe_sm *owe);
-void owe_rx_authenticate(struct owe_sm *owe);
-void owe_rx_associate(struct owe_sm *owe, const uint8_t *frame, size_t len);
+				void *user_data);