diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 39cceedd..b0f0b97c 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #include "src/dbus.h"
 #include "src/eap.h"
 #include "src/eapol.h"
-#include "src/scan.h"
 #include "src/rfkill.h"
 #include "src/ap.h"
 #include "src/plugin.h"
@@ -158,9 +157,6 @@ static void nl80211_appeared(const struct l_genl_family_info *info,
 
 	netdev_set_nl80211(nl80211);
 
-	if (!scan_init(nl80211))
-		l_error("Unable to init scan functionality");
-
 	ap_init(nl80211);
 	adhoc_init(nl80211);
 }
@@ -540,7 +536,6 @@ fail_netdev:
 		manager_exit();
 		ap_exit();
 		adhoc_exit();
-		scan_exit();
 		wiphy_exit();
 		l_genl_family_free(nl80211);
 	}
diff --git a/src/scan.c b/src/scan.c
index fd377baa..5537c756 100644
--- a/src/scan.c
+++ b/src/scan.c
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 static struct l_queue *scan_contexts;
 
 static struct l_genl_family *nl80211;
-static uint32_t scan_id;
 static uint32_t next_scan_request_id;
 
 struct scan_periodic {
@@ -198,41 +197,6 @@ static void scan_context_free(struct scan_context *sc)
 	l_free(sc);
 }
 
-bool scan_ifindex_add(uint32_t ifindex)
-{
-	struct scan_context *sc;
-
-	sc = l_queue_find(scan_contexts, scan_context_match,
-				L_UINT_TO_PTR(ifindex));
-
-	if (sc)
-		return false;
-
-	sc = scan_context_new(ifindex);
-	if (!sc)
-		return false;
-
-	l_queue_push_head(scan_contexts, sc);
-
-	return true;
-}
-
-bool scan_ifindex_remove(uint32_t ifindex)
-{
-	struct scan_context *sc;
-
-	sc = l_queue_remove_if(scan_contexts, scan_context_match,
-				L_UINT_TO_PTR(ifindex));
-
-	if (!sc)
-		return false;
-
-	l_info("Removing scan context for ifindex: %u", ifindex);
-	scan_context_free(sc);
-
-	return true;
-}
-
 static void scan_request_triggered(struct l_genl_msg *msg, void *userdata)
 {
 	struct scan_context *sc = userdata;
@@ -1775,45 +1739,73 @@ void scan_freq_set_constrain(struct scan_freq_set *set,
 	set->channels_2ghz &= constraint->channels_2ghz;
 }
 
-bool scan_init(struct l_genl_family *in)
+bool scan_ifindex_add(uint32_t ifindex)
+{
+	struct scan_context *sc;
+
+	sc = l_queue_find(scan_contexts, scan_context_match,
+				L_UINT_TO_PTR(ifindex));
+
+	if (sc)
+		return false;
+
+	sc = scan_context_new(ifindex);
+	if (!sc)
+		return false;
+
+	l_queue_push_head(scan_contexts, sc);
+
+	if (l_queue_length(scan_contexts) > 1)
+		goto done;
+
+	nl80211 = l_genl_family_new(iwd_get_genl(), NL80211_GENL_NAME);
+	l_genl_family_register(nl80211, "scan", scan_notify, NULL, NULL);
+
+done:
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool scan_ifindex_remove(uint32_t ifindex)
+{
+	struct scan_context *sc;
+
+	sc = l_queue_remove_if(scan_contexts, scan_context_match,
+				L_UINT_TO_PTR(ifindex));
+
+	if (!sc)
+		return false;
+
+	l_info("Removing scan context for ifindex: %u", ifindex);
+	scan_context_free(sc);
+
+	if (l_queue_isempty(scan_contexts)) {
+		l_genl_family_free(nl80211);
+		nl80211 = NULL;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+static int scan_init(void)
 {
 	const struct l_settings *config = iwd_get_config();
 
-	nl80211 = in;
-	scan_id = l_genl_family_register(nl80211, "scan", scan_notify,
-						NULL, NULL);
-
-	if (!scan_id) {
-		l_error("Registering for scan notification failed");
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	scan_contexts = l_queue_new();
 
 	if (!l_settings_get_double(config, "Rank", "rank_5g_factor",
 					&RANK_5G_FACTOR))
 		RANK_5G_FACTOR = 1.0;
 
-	return true;
+	return 0;
 }
 
-bool scan_exit()
+static void scan_exit()
 {
-	bool r;
-
-	l_debug("");
-
-	if (!nl80211)
-		return false;
-
 	l_queue_destroy(scan_contexts,
 				(l_queue_destroy_func_t) scan_context_free);
 	scan_contexts = NULL;
-
-	r = l_genl_family_unregister(nl80211, scan_id);
-	scan_id = 0;
-
-	nl80211 = 0;
-
-	return r;
+	l_genl_family_free(nl80211);
+	nl80211 = NULL;
 }
+
+IWD_MODULE(scan, scan_init, scan_exit)
diff --git a/src/scan.h b/src/scan.h
index ce7a1a34..93e8cf74 100644
--- a/src/scan.h
+++ b/src/scan.h
@@ -131,6 +131,3 @@ void scan_freq_set_constrain(struct scan_freq_set *set,
 
 bool scan_ifindex_add(uint32_t ifindex);
 bool scan_ifindex_remove(uint32_t ifindex);
-
-bool scan_init(struct l_genl_family *in);
-bool scan_exit();