diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 44beed1..b7da252 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -37,3 +37,6 @@
 [submodule "components/fmt"]
 	path = components/fmt
 	url = git@github.com:0xFEEDC0DE64/fmt.git
+[submodule "components/espwifistack"]
+	path = components/espwifistack
+	url = git@github.com:0xFEEDC0DE64/espwifistack.git
diff --git a/components/espwifistack b/components/espwifistack
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..0497b7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/espwifistack
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 0497b7a1345f87ed2f54fd6ddf89dca0755276cc
diff --git a/main/CMakeLists.txt b/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 830e653..f1201c0 100644
--- a/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ set(headers
     feedbackparser.h
     globals.h
     htmlutils.h
+    macros_bobbycar.h
     modeinterface.h
     ota.h
     serialhandler.h
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ set(headers
     unifiedmodelmode.h
     utils.h
     wifitexthelpers.h
+    wifi_bobbycar.h
 )
 
 set(sources
@@ -179,7 +181,7 @@ set(dependencies
 #    AsyncTCP
     bobbycar-protocol cpputils cxx-ring-buffer date
 #    ESPAsyncWebServer
-    espchrono espcpputils expected fmt TFT_eSPI
+    espchrono espcpputils espwifistack expected fmt TFT_eSPI
 )
 
 idf_component_register(
diff --git a/main/actions/wifisoftapaction.h b/main/actions/wifisoftapaction.h
index 63a809d..007cb51 100644
--- a/main/actions/wifisoftapaction.h
+++ b/main/actions/wifisoftapaction.h
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #pragma once
 
+// local includes
 #include "actioninterface.h"
 #include "globals.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "macros_bobbycar.h"
 
 namespace {
 class WifiSoftApAction : public virtual ActionInterface
diff --git a/main/displays/statusdisplay.h b/main/displays/statusdisplay.h
index 887ae5d..4b20577 100644
--- a/main/displays/statusdisplay.h
+++ b/main/displays/statusdisplay.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ void StatusDisplay::redraw()
     m_labelLimit1.redraw(std::to_string(controllers.front.command.left.iDcMax) + "A");
     m_labelPerformance.redraw(std::to_string(performance.last));
     m_labelMode.redraw(currentMode->displayName());
-    m_labelName.redraw(&deviceName[0]);
+    m_labelName.redraw(deviceName);
     const auto profile = settingsPersister.currentlyOpenProfileIndex();
     m_labelProfile.redraw(profile ? std::to_string(*profile) : "-");
 }
diff --git a/main/globals.h b/main/globals.h
index c09d708..74fa05b 100644
--- a/main/globals.h
+++ b/main/globals.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #endif
 #include <SPI.h>
 
+// 3rdparty lib includes
 #include <espchrono.h>
 #include <TFT_eSPI.h>
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "modeinterface.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "settingspersister.h"
+#include "macros_bobbycar.h"
 
 namespace {
 std::optional<int16_t> raw_gas, raw_brems;
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ float gametrakX, gametrakY, gametrakDist;
 #endif
 float avgSpeed, avgSpeedKmh, sumCurrent;
 
-char deviceName[32];
+char deviceName[32] = STRING(DEVICE_PREFIX) "_ERR";
 
 Settings settings;
 SettingsPersister settingsPersister;
diff --git a/main/macros_bobbycar.h b/main/macros_bobbycar.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13fdd05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/macros_bobbycar.h
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#pragma once
+
+// macros are a shit piece of software
+#define STRING2(s) #s
+#define STRING(s) STRING2(s)
diff --git a/main/main.cpp b/main/main.cpp
index 69bbc7e..8aed033 100644
--- a/main/main.cpp
+++ b/main/main.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 // esp-idf includes
 #include <esp_wifi_types.h>
+#include <esp_log.h>
 
 // Arduino includes
 #include <Arduino.h>
@@ -10,10 +11,12 @@
 // 3rdparty lib includes
 #include <espchrono.h>
 using namespace std::chrono_literals;
+#include <espwifistack.h>
 
 // local includes
 #include "bobbycar-common.h"
 #include "bobbycar-serial.h"
+#include "macros_bobbycar.h"
 #include "globals.h"
 #include "modes/defaultmode.h"
 #include "modes/tempomatmode.h"
@@ -176,13 +179,12 @@ extern "C" void app_main()
     printMemoryStats("swapFronBack()");
 #endif
 
-    //bootLabel.redraw("deviceName");
-    //{
-    //    uint8_t macAddress[6];
-    //    WiFi.macAddress(&macAddress[0]);
-    //    std::sprintf(deviceName, STRING(DEVICE_PREFIX) "_%02hhx%02hhx%02hhx", macAddress[3], macAddress[4], macAddress[5]);
-    //}
-    //printMemoryStats("deviceName");
+    bootLabel.redraw("deviceName");
+    if (const auto result = wifi_stack::get_default_mac_addr())
+        std::sprintf(deviceName, STRING(DEVICE_PREFIX) "_%02hhx%02hhx%02hhx", result->at(3), result->at(4), result->at(5));
+    else
+        ESP_LOGE("MAIN", "get_default_mac_addr() failed: %.*s", result.error().size(), result.error().data());
+    printMemoryStats("deviceName");
 
     //bootLabel.redraw("setHostname");
     //if (!WiFi.setHostname(deviceName))
diff --git a/main/utils.h b/main/utils.h
index ba627b4..309e89f 100644
--- a/main/utils.h
+++ b/main/utils.h
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@
 #include "can.h"
 #endif
 
-// macros are a shit piece of software
-#define STRING2(s) #s
-#define STRING(s) STRING2(s)
-
 namespace {
 bool currentlyReverseBeeping;
 bool reverseBeepToggle;
diff --git a/main/wifi_bobbycar.h b/main/wifi_bobbycar.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d373912
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/wifi_bobbycar.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#pragma once
+
+// 3rdparty lib includes
+#include <espwifistack.h>
+
+namespace {
+
+} // namespace
diff --git a/main/wifiaccessors.h b/main/wifiaccessors.h
index 10ee782..eec93c1 100644
--- a/main/wifiaccessors.h
+++ b/main/wifiaccessors.h
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
+// esp-idf includes
 #include <esp_wifi_types.h>
 
+// local includes
 #include "accessorinterface.h"
 
 namespace {