diff --git a/components/wpa_supplicant/esp_supplicant/src/esp_wpa_main.c b/components/wpa_supplicant/esp_supplicant/src/esp_wpa_main.c
index 31ddb87928..af93891300 100644
--- a/components/wpa_supplicant/esp_supplicant/src/esp_wpa_main.c
+++ b/components/wpa_supplicant/esp_supplicant/src/esp_wpa_main.c
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static int check_n_add_wps_sta(struct hostapd_data *hapd, struct sta_info *sta_i
 }
 #endif
 
-static bool hostap_sta_join(void **sm, u8 *bssid, u8 *wpa_ie, u8 wpa_ie_len, bool *pmf_enable)
+static bool hostap_sta_join(void **sta, u8 *bssid, u8 *wpa_ie, u8 wpa_ie_len, bool *pmf_enable)
 {
     struct sta_info *sta_info;
     struct hostapd_data *hapd = hostapd_get_hapd_data();
@@ -277,6 +277,10 @@ static bool hostap_sta_join(void **sm, u8 *bssid, u8 *wpa_ie, u8 wpa_ie_len, boo
     if (!hapd) {
         return 0;
     }
+
+    if (*sta) {
+       ap_free_sta(hapd, *sta);
+    }
     sta_info = ap_sta_add(hapd, bssid);
     if (!sta_info) {
         wpa_printf(MSG_ERROR, "failed to add station " MACSTR, MAC2STR(bssid));
@@ -284,13 +288,12 @@ static bool hostap_sta_join(void **sm, u8 *bssid, u8 *wpa_ie, u8 wpa_ie_len, boo
     }
 #ifdef CONFIG_WPS_REGISTRAR
     if (check_n_add_wps_sta(hapd, sta_info, wpa_ie, wpa_ie_len, pmf_enable)) {
-        *sm = sta_info;
+        *sta = sta_info;
         return true;
     }
 #endif
-    if (wpa_ap_join(sm, bssid, wpa_ie, wpa_ie_len, pmf_enable)) {
-        sta_info->wpa_sm = *sm;
-        *sm = sta_info;
+    if (wpa_ap_join(sta_info, bssid, wpa_ie, wpa_ie_len, pmf_enable)) {
+        *sta = sta_info;
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/ap_config.h b/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/ap_config.h
index 62b4c423aa..0b6fc253f9 100644
--- a/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/ap_config.h
+++ b/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/ap_config.h
@@ -372,7 +372,8 @@ int hostapd_wep_key_cmp(struct hostapd_wep_keys *a,
 const u8 * hostapd_get_psk(const struct hostapd_bss_config *conf,
 			   const u8 *addr, const u8 *prev_psk);
 int hostapd_setup_wpa_psk(struct hostapd_bss_config *conf);
-bool wpa_ap_join(void** sm, uint8_t *bssid, uint8_t *wpa_ie, uint8_t wpa_ie_len, bool *pmf_enable);
-bool wpa_ap_remove(void* sm);
+struct sta_info;
+bool wpa_ap_join(struct sta_info *sta, uint8_t *bssid, uint8_t *wpa_ie, uint8_t wpa_ie_len, bool *pmf_enable);
+bool wpa_ap_remove(void* sta_info);
 
 #endif /* HOSTAPD_CONFIG_H */
diff --git a/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/wpa_auth.c b/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/wpa_auth.c
index 6c0e902876..f13cc15a2a 100644
--- a/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/wpa_auth.c
+++ b/components/wpa_supplicant/src/ap/wpa_auth.c
@@ -2340,53 +2340,49 @@ static int wpa_sm_step(struct wpa_state_machine *sm)
     return 0;
 }
 
-bool wpa_ap_join(void** sm, uint8_t *bssid, uint8_t *wpa_ie, uint8_t wpa_ie_len, bool *pmf_enable)
+bool wpa_ap_join(struct sta_info *sta, uint8_t *bssid, uint8_t *wpa_ie, uint8_t wpa_ie_len, bool *pmf_enable)
 {
     struct hostapd_data *hapd = (struct hostapd_data*)esp_wifi_get_hostap_private_internal();
-    struct wpa_state_machine   **wpa_sm;
 
-    if (!sm || !bssid || !wpa_ie){
+    if (!sta || !bssid || !wpa_ie){
         return false;
     }
 
-
-    wpa_sm = (struct wpa_state_machine  **)sm;
-
     if (hapd) {
         if (hapd->wpa_auth->conf.wpa) {
-            if (*wpa_sm){
-                wpa_auth_sta_deinit(*wpa_sm);
+            if (sta->wpa_sm){
+                wpa_auth_sta_deinit(sta->wpa_sm);
             }
 
-            *wpa_sm = wpa_auth_sta_init(hapd->wpa_auth, bssid);
-            wpa_printf( MSG_DEBUG, "init wpa sm=%p\n", *wpa_sm);
+            sta->wpa_sm = wpa_auth_sta_init(hapd->wpa_auth, bssid);
+            wpa_printf( MSG_DEBUG, "init wpa sm=%p\n", sta->wpa_sm);
 
-            if (*wpa_sm == NULL) {
+            if (sta->wpa_sm == NULL) {
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if (wpa_validate_wpa_ie(hapd->wpa_auth, *wpa_sm, wpa_ie, wpa_ie_len)) {
+            if (wpa_validate_wpa_ie(hapd->wpa_auth, sta->wpa_sm, wpa_ie, wpa_ie_len)) {
                 return false;
 	    }
 
 	    //Check whether AP uses Management Frame Protection for this connection
-	    *pmf_enable = wpa_auth_uses_mfp(*wpa_sm);
+	    *pmf_enable = wpa_auth_uses_mfp(sta->wpa_sm);
         }
 
-        wpa_auth_sta_associated(hapd->wpa_auth, *wpa_sm);
+        wpa_auth_sta_associated(hapd->wpa_auth, sta->wpa_sm);
     }
 
     return true;
 }
 
-bool wpa_ap_remove(void* sm)
+bool wpa_ap_remove(void* sta_info)
 {
     struct hostapd_data *hapd = hostapd_get_hapd_data();
-    if (!sm || !hapd) {
+    if (!sta_info || !hapd) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    ap_free_sta(hapd, sm);
+    ap_free_sta(hapd, sta_info);
 
     return true;
 }