diff --git a/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi_default.h b/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi_default.h
index a6fb03014f..fc6af5441e 100644
--- a/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi_default.h
+++ b/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi_default.h
@@ -77,4 +77,22 @@ esp_netif_t* esp_netif_create_default_wifi_ap(void);
  */
 esp_netif_t* esp_netif_create_default_wifi_sta(void);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Creates default STA and AP network interfaces for esp-mesh.
+ *
+ * Both netifs are almost identical to the default station and softAP, but with
+ * DHCP client and server disabled. Please note that the DHCP client is typically
+ * enabled only if the device is promoted to a root node.
+ *
+ * Returns created interfaces which could be ignored setting parameters to NULL
+ * if an application code does not need to save the interface instances
+ * for further processing.
+ *
+ * @param[out] p_netif_sta pointer where the resultant STA interface is saved (if non NULL)
+ * @param[out] p_netif_ap pointer where the resultant AP interface is saved (if non NULL)
+ *
+ * @return ESP_OK on success
+ */
+esp_err_t esp_netif_create_default_wifi_mesh_netifs(esp_netif_t **p_netif_sta, esp_netif_t **p_netif_ap);
+
 #endif //_ESP_WIFI_DEFAULT_H
diff --git a/components/esp_wifi/src/wifi_default.c b/components/esp_wifi/src/wifi_default.c
index 6301cc2030..8922ffe32b 100644
--- a/components/esp_wifi/src/wifi_default.c
+++ b/components/esp_wifi/src/wifi_default.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "esp_log.h"
 #include "esp_private/wifi.h"
 #include "esp_wifi_netif.h"
+#include <string.h>
 
 //
 //  Purpose of this module is to provide basic wifi initialization setup for
@@ -318,4 +319,50 @@ esp_netif_t* esp_netif_create_default_wifi_sta(void)
     esp_netif_attach_wifi_station(netif);
     esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_sta_handlers();
     return netif;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Creates mesh network interfaces based on default STA and AP,
+ * but without DHCP, this is to be enabled separately only on root node
+ */
+esp_err_t esp_netif_create_default_wifi_mesh_netifs(esp_netif_t **p_netif_sta, esp_netif_t **p_netif_ap)
+{
+    // Create "almost" default AP, with un-flagged DHCP server
+    esp_netif_inherent_config_t netif_cfg;
+    memcpy(&netif_cfg, ESP_NETIF_BASE_DEFAULT_WIFI_AP, sizeof(netif_cfg));
+    netif_cfg.flags &= ~ESP_NETIF_DHCPS;
+    esp_netif_config_t cfg_ap = {
+            .base = &netif_cfg,
+            .stack = ESP_NETIF_NETSTACK_DEFAULT_WIFI_AP,
+    };
+    esp_netif_t *netif_ap = esp_netif_new(&cfg_ap);
+    assert(netif_ap);
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_attach_wifi_ap(netif_ap));
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_ap_handlers());
+
+    // ...and stop DHCP server to be compatible with former tcpip_adapter (to keep the ESP_NETIF_DHCP_STOPPED state)
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_dhcps_stop(netif_ap));
+
+    // Create "almost" default station, but with un-flagged DHCP client
+    memcpy(&netif_cfg, ESP_NETIF_BASE_DEFAULT_WIFI_STA, sizeof(netif_cfg));
+    netif_cfg.flags &= ~ESP_NETIF_DHCPC;
+    esp_netif_config_t cfg_sta = {
+            .base = &netif_cfg,
+            .stack = ESP_NETIF_NETSTACK_DEFAULT_WIFI_STA,
+    };
+    esp_netif_t *netif_sta = esp_netif_new(&cfg_sta);
+    assert(netif_sta);
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_attach_wifi_station(netif_sta));
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_sta_handlers());
+
+    // ...and stop DHCP client (to be started separately if the station were promoted to root)
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_dhcpc_stop(netif_sta));
+
+    if (p_netif_sta) {
+        *p_netif_sta = netif_sta;
+    }
+    if (p_netif_ap) {
+        *p_netif_ap = netif_ap;
+    }
+    return ESP_OK;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/mesh/internal_communication/main/mesh_main.c b/examples/mesh/internal_communication/main/mesh_main.c
index 2c29d51e4e..46fff40af7 100644
--- a/examples/mesh/internal_communication/main/mesh_main.c
+++ b/examples/mesh/internal_communication/main/mesh_main.c
@@ -372,38 +372,6 @@ void ip_event_handler(void *arg, esp_event_base_t event_base,
 
 }
 
-/**
- * @brief Creates mesh network interfaces based on default STA and AP,
- * but without DHCP, this is to be enabled separately only on root node
- */
-static esp_err_t create_wifi_netifs(void)
-{
-    esp_netif_inherent_config_t netif_cfg;
-    memcpy(&netif_cfg, ESP_NETIF_BASE_DEFAULT_WIFI_AP, sizeof(netif_cfg));
-    netif_cfg.flags &= ~ESP_NETIF_DHCPS;
-    esp_netif_config_t cfg_ap = {
-        .base = &netif_cfg,
-        .stack = ESP_NETIF_NETSTACK_DEFAULT_WIFI_AP,
-    };
-    esp_netif_t *netif_ap = esp_netif_new(&cfg_ap);
-    assert(netif_ap);
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_attach_wifi_ap(netif_ap));
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_sta_handlers());
-
-    memcpy(&netif_cfg, ESP_NETIF_BASE_DEFAULT_WIFI_STA, sizeof(netif_cfg));
-    netif_cfg.flags &= ~ESP_NETIF_DHCPC;
-    esp_netif_config_t cfg_sta = {
-        .base = &netif_cfg,
-        .stack = ESP_NETIF_NETSTACK_DEFAULT_WIFI_STA,
-    };
-
-    netif_sta = esp_netif_new(&cfg_sta);
-    assert(netif_sta);
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_attach_wifi_station(netif_sta));
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_sta_handlers());
-    return ESP_OK;
-}
-
 void app_main(void)
 {
     ESP_ERROR_CHECK(mesh_light_init());
@@ -412,8 +380,8 @@ void app_main(void)
     esp_netif_init();
     /*  event initialization */
     ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_event_loop_create_default());
-    /*  crete network interfaces for mesh */
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(create_wifi_netifs());
+    /*  crete network interfaces for mesh (only station instance saved for further manipulation, soft AP instance ignored */
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_create_default_wifi_mesh_netifs(&netif_sta, NULL));
     /*  wifi initialization */
     wifi_init_config_t config = WIFI_INIT_CONFIG_DEFAULT();
     ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_init(&config));
diff --git a/examples/mesh/manual_networking/main/mesh_main.c b/examples/mesh/manual_networking/main/mesh_main.c
index bb203b67ee..9ffc971a3b 100644
--- a/examples/mesh/manual_networking/main/mesh_main.c
+++ b/examples/mesh/manual_networking/main/mesh_main.c
@@ -296,38 +296,6 @@ void ip_event_handler(void *arg, esp_event_base_t event_base,
     ESP_LOGI(MESH_TAG, "<IP_EVENT_STA_GOT_IP>IP:" IPSTR, IP2STR(&event->ip_info.ip));
 }
 
-/**
- * @brief Creates mesh network interfaces based on default STA and AP,
- * but without DHCP, this is to be enabled separately only on root node
- */
-static esp_err_t create_wifi_netifs(void)
-{
-    esp_netif_inherent_config_t netif_cfg;
-    memcpy(&netif_cfg, ESP_NETIF_BASE_DEFAULT_WIFI_AP, sizeof(netif_cfg));
-    netif_cfg.flags &= ~ESP_NETIF_DHCPS;
-    esp_netif_config_t cfg_ap = {
-        .base = &netif_cfg,
-        .stack = ESP_NETIF_NETSTACK_DEFAULT_WIFI_AP,
-    };
-    esp_netif_t *netif_ap = esp_netif_new(&cfg_ap);
-    assert(netif_ap);
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_attach_wifi_ap(netif_ap));
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_sta_handlers());
-
-    memcpy(&netif_cfg, ESP_NETIF_BASE_DEFAULT_WIFI_STA, sizeof(netif_cfg));
-    netif_cfg.flags &= ~ESP_NETIF_DHCPC;
-    esp_netif_config_t cfg_sta = {
-        .base = &netif_cfg,
-        .stack = ESP_NETIF_NETSTACK_DEFAULT_WIFI_STA,
-    };
-
-    netif_sta = esp_netif_new(&cfg_sta);
-    assert(netif_sta);
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_attach_wifi_station(netif_sta));
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_set_default_wifi_sta_handlers());
-    return ESP_OK;
-}
-
 void app_main(void)
 {
     ESP_ERROR_CHECK(mesh_light_init());
@@ -336,8 +304,8 @@ void app_main(void)
     esp_netif_init();
     /*  event initialization */
     ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_event_loop_create_default());
-    /*  crete network interfaces for mesh */
-    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(create_wifi_netifs());
+    /*  crete network interfaces for mesh (only station instance saved for further manipulation, soft AP instance ignored */
+    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_netif_create_default_wifi_mesh_netifs(&netif_sta, NULL));
     /*  wifi initialization */
     wifi_init_config_t config = WIFI_INIT_CONFIG_DEFAULT();
     ESP_ERROR_CHECK(esp_wifi_init(&config));