diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 50a1499d..af6f0f74 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@
 #include "src/backtrace.h"
 
 static struct l_genl *genl;
-static struct l_genl_family *nl80211;
 static struct l_settings *iwd_config;
 static struct l_timeout *timeout;
 static const char *interfaces;
@@ -57,6 +56,7 @@ static const char *plugins;
 static const char *noplugins;
 static const char *debugopt;
 static bool terminating;
+static bool nl80211_complete;
 
 static void main_loop_quit(struct l_timeout *timeout, void *user_data)
 {
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ static void iwd_shutdown(void)
 
 	terminating = true;
 
-	if (!nl80211) {
+	if (!nl80211_complete) {
 		l_main_quit();
 		return;
 	}
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ static void nl80211_appeared(const struct l_genl_family_info *info,
 							void *user_data)
 {
 	l_debug("Found nl80211 interface");
-	nl80211 = l_genl_family_new(genl, NL80211_GENL_NAME);
+
+	nl80211_complete = true;
 
 	if (iwd_modules_init() < 0) {
 		l_main_quit();
@@ -173,9 +174,6 @@ static void nl80211_appeared(const struct l_genl_family_info *info,
 	}
 
 	plugin_init(plugins, noplugins);
-
-	if (!wiphy_init(nl80211))
-		l_error("Unable to init wiphy functionality");
 }
 
 static void request_name_callback(struct l_dbus *dbus, bool success,
@@ -507,11 +505,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	eap_exit();
 
-	if (nl80211) {
-		wiphy_exit();
-		l_genl_family_free(nl80211);
-	}
-
 	dbus_exit();
 	l_dbus_destroy(dbus);
 	storage_cleanup_dirs();
diff --git a/src/wiphy.c b/src/wiphy.c
index 3316a084..169631af 100644
--- a/src/wiphy.c
+++ b/src/wiphy.c
@@ -1150,14 +1150,17 @@ static void setup_wiphy_interface(struct l_dbus_interface *interface)
 					NULL);
 }
 
-bool wiphy_init(struct l_genl_family *in)
+static int wiphy_init(void)
 {
+	struct l_genl *genl = iwd_get_genl();
 	const struct l_settings *config = iwd_get_config();
 	const char *s = l_settings_get_value(config, "General",
 							"mac_randomize_bytes");
 	const char *whitelist = iwd_get_phy_whitelist();
 	const char *blacklist = iwd_get_phy_blacklist();
 
+	nl80211 = l_genl_family_new(genl, NL80211_GENL_NAME);
+
 	if (s && !strcmp(s, "nic"))
 		mac_randomize_bytes = 3;
 
@@ -1170,8 +1173,6 @@ bool wiphy_init(struct l_genl_family *in)
 		l_queue_destroy(wiphy_list, NULL);
 	}
 
-	nl80211 = in;
-
 	wiphy_list = l_queue_new();
 
 	rfkill_watch_add(wiphy_rfkill_cb, NULL);
@@ -1191,10 +1192,10 @@ bool wiphy_init(struct l_genl_family *in)
 	if (blacklist)
 		blacklist_filter = l_strsplit(blacklist, ',');
 
-	return true;
+	return 0;
 }
 
-bool wiphy_exit(void)
+static void wiphy_exit(void)
 {
 	l_strfreev(whitelist_filter);
 	l_strfreev(blacklist_filter);
@@ -1202,12 +1203,14 @@ bool wiphy_exit(void)
 	l_queue_destroy(wiphy_list, wiphy_free);
 	wiphy_list = NULL;
 
+	l_genl_family_free(nl80211);
 	nl80211 = NULL;
 	mac_randomize_bytes = 6;
 
 	l_dbus_unregister_interface(dbus_get_bus(), IWD_WIPHY_INTERFACE);
 
 	l_hwdb_unref(hwdb);
-
-	return true;
 }
+
+IWD_MODULE(wiphy, wiphy_init, wiphy_exit);
+IWD_MODULE_DEPENDS(wiphy, rfkill);
diff --git a/src/wiphy.h b/src/wiphy.h
index ac94585f..61e1caf8 100644
--- a/src/wiphy.h
+++ b/src/wiphy.h
@@ -81,6 +81,3 @@ uint32_t wiphy_state_watch_add(struct wiphy *wiphy,
 				wiphy_state_watch_func_t func, void *user_data,
 				wiphy_destroy_func_t destroy);
 bool wiphy_state_watch_remove(struct wiphy *wiphy, uint32_t id);
-
-bool wiphy_init(struct l_genl_family *in);
-bool wiphy_exit(void);