--- a/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.c
+++ b/src/drivers/driver_nl80211.c
@@ -4435,9 +4435,11 @@ static int i802_set_wds_sta(void *priv, 
 	wpa_printf(MSG_DEBUG, "nl80211: Set WDS STA addr=" MACSTR
 		   " aid=%d val=%d name=%s", MAC2STR(addr), aid, val, name);
 	if (val) {
-		if (nl80211_create_iface(drv, name, NL80211_IFTYPE_AP_VLAN,
+		if (!if_nametoindex(name)) {
+			if (nl80211_create_iface(drv, name, NL80211_IFTYPE_AP_VLAN,
 					 NULL, 1) < 0)
-			return -1;
+				return -1;
+		}
 		linux_set_iface_flags(drv->ioctl_sock, name, 1);
 		return i802_set_sta_vlan(priv, addr, name, 0);
 	} else {