diff --git a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/main.cc b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/main.cc
index 76253b2e4..da4287020 100644
--- a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/main.cc
+++ b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/main.cc
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ struct Main
 		_wifi_frontend = &*_frontend;
 
 		_wpa.construct(env, _wpa_startup_lock);
-		_wpa->start();
 
 		/*
 		 * Forcefully disable 11n but for convenience the attribute is used the
diff --git a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/target.mk b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/target.mk
index 20b3d4e45..631330579 100644
--- a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/target.mk
+++ b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/target.mk
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 REQUIRES = x86
 
 TARGET   = wifi_drv
-SRC_CC   = main.cc
+SRC_CC   = main.cc wpa.cc
 LIBS     = base wifi iwl_firmware
-LIBS    += wpa_supplicant
+LIBS    += wpa_supplicant libc
 
 # needed for firmware.h
 INC_DIR += $(REP_DIR)/src/lib/wifi/include
diff --git a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.cc b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d986045f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Wpa_supplicant thread of the wifi driver
+ * \author Josef Soentgen
+ * \author Christian Helmuth
+ * \date   2019-12-18
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2019 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2.
+ */
+
+/* Genode includes */
+#include <base/env.h>
+#include <base/lock.h>
+#include <base/sleep.h>
+
+/* libc includes */
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include "wpa.h"
+
+
+/* entry function */
+extern "C" int wpa_main(void);
+
+
+void * Wpa_thread::_entry_trampoline(void *arg)
+{
+	Wpa_thread *t = (Wpa_thread *)arg;
+	t->_entry();
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+
+void Wpa_thread::_entry()
+{
+	/* wait until the wifi driver is up and running */
+	_lock.lock();
+	_exit = wpa_main();
+	Genode::sleep_forever();
+}
+
+
+Wpa_thread::Wpa_thread(Genode::Env &env, Genode::Lock &lock)
+: _lock(lock), _exit(-1)
+{
+	pthread_t tid = 0;
+	if (pthread_create(&tid, 0, _entry_trampoline, this) != 0) {
+		printf("Error: pthread_create() failed\n");
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.h b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.h
index 2cc5f423c..476d0335a 100644
--- a/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.h
+++ b/repos/dde_linux/src/drivers/wifi/wpa.h
@@ -14,34 +14,26 @@
 #ifndef _WIFI__WPA_H_
 #define _WIFI__WPA_H_
 
-/* Genode includes */
-#include <base/sleep.h>
 
-/* entry function */
-extern "C" int wpa_main(void);
+namespace Genode {
+	struct Env;
+	struct Lock;
+}
 
-class Wpa_thread : public Genode::Thread
+class Wpa_thread
 {
 	private:
 
 		Genode::Lock &_lock;
 		int           _exit;
 
+		static void * _entry_trampoline(void *arg);
+
+		void _entry();
+
 	public:
 
-		Wpa_thread(Genode::Env &env, Genode::Lock &lock)
-		:
-			Thread(env, "wpa_supplicant", 8*1024*sizeof(long)),
-			_lock(lock), _exit(-1)
-		{ }
-
-		void entry()
-		{
-			/* wait until the wifi driver is up and running */
-			_lock.lock();
-			_exit = wpa_main();
-			Genode::sleep_forever();
-		}
+		Wpa_thread(Genode::Env &env, Genode::Lock &lock);
 };
 
 #endif /* _WIFI__WPA_H_ */