diff --git a/core/hdd/inc/wlan_hdd_main.h b/core/hdd/inc/wlan_hdd_main.h
index f88c78b298f0..4e31c789f4f7 100644
--- a/core/hdd/inc/wlan_hdd_main.h
+++ b/core/hdd/inc/wlan_hdd_main.h
@@ -2395,8 +2395,31 @@ int hdd_qdf_trace_enable(QDF_MODULE_ID module_id, uint32_t bitmask);
 int hdd_init(void);
 void hdd_deinit(void);
 
-int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev);
-void __hdd_wlan_exit(void);
+/**
+ * hdd_wlan_startup() - HDD init function
+ * @dev: pointer to the underlying device
+ * @out_hdd_ctx: output hdd context pointer for the newly created context
+ *
+ * Return: Errno
+ */
+int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev, struct hdd_context **out_hdd_ctx);
+
+/**
+ * hdd_wlan_exit() - HDD WLAN exit function
+ * @hdd_ctx: pointer to the HDD Context
+ *
+ * Return: None
+ */
+void hdd_wlan_exit(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx);
+
+/**
+ * hdd_psoc_create_vdevs() - create the default vdevs for a psoc
+ * @hdd_ctx: the HDD context for the psoc to operate against
+ *
+ * Return: QDF_STATUS
+ */
+QDF_STATUS hdd_psoc_create_vdevs(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx);
+
 int hdd_wlan_notify_modem_power_state(int state);
 #ifdef QCA_HT_2040_COEX
 /**
diff --git a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c
index 8680816b2972..390207370b2f 100644
--- a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c
+++ b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.c
@@ -11918,31 +11918,20 @@ static void hdd_config_sched_scan_plans_to_wiphy(struct wiphy *wiphy,
 }
 #endif
 
-
-/**
- * hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc() - Allocate wiphy context
- * @priv_size:         Size of the hdd context.
- *
- * Allocate wiphy context and hdd context.
- *
- * Return: hdd context on success and NULL on failure.
- */
-struct hdd_context *hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc(int priv_size)
+struct hdd_context *hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc(void)
 {
 	struct wiphy *wiphy;
 	struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx;
 
 	hdd_enter();
 
-	wiphy = wiphy_new(&wlan_hdd_cfg80211_ops, priv_size);
-
+	wiphy = wiphy_new(&wlan_hdd_cfg80211_ops, sizeof(*hdd_ctx));
 	if (!wiphy) {
-		hdd_err("wiphy init failed!");
+		hdd_err("failed to allocate wiphy!");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	hdd_ctx = wiphy_priv(wiphy);
-
 	hdd_ctx->wiphy = wiphy;
 
 	return hdd_ctx;
diff --git a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.h b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.h
index fadd5d381409..7b150507a526 100644
--- a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.h
+++ b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_cfg80211.h
@@ -250,7 +250,14 @@ wlan_hdd_cfg80211_roam_metrics_handover(struct hdd_adapter *adapter,
 					struct csr_roam_info *roam_info);
 #endif
 
-struct hdd_context *hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc(int priv_size);
+/**
+ * hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc() - Allocate wiphy
+ *
+ * Allocate wiphy and hdd context.
+ *
+ * Return: hdd context on success and NULL on failure.
+ */
+struct hdd_context *hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc(void);
 
 int wlan_hdd_cfg80211_tdls_scan(struct wiphy *wiphy,
 				struct cfg80211_scan_request *request,
diff --git a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_driver_ops.c b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_driver_ops.c
index 02b2ab8f10af..d3e766e1a232 100644
--- a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_driver_ops.c
+++ b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_driver_ops.c
@@ -389,6 +389,8 @@ static int hdd_soc_probe(struct device *dev,
 			 const struct hif_bus_id *bid,
 			 enum qdf_bus_type bus_type)
 {
+	struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx;
+	QDF_STATUS status;
 	int errno;
 
 	hdd_info("probing driver");
@@ -401,10 +403,14 @@ static int hdd_soc_probe(struct device *dev,
 	if (errno)
 		goto unlock;
 
-	errno = hdd_wlan_startup(dev);
-	if (errno) {
-		probe_fail_cnt++;
+	errno = hdd_wlan_startup(dev, &hdd_ctx);
+	if (errno)
 		goto assert_fail_count;
+
+	status = hdd_psoc_create_vdevs(hdd_ctx);
+	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status)) {
+		errno = qdf_status_to_os_return(status);
+		goto wlan_exit;
 	}
 
 	probe_fail_cnt = 0;
@@ -416,7 +422,11 @@ static int hdd_soc_probe(struct device *dev,
 
 	return 0;
 
+wlan_exit:
+	hdd_wlan_exit(hdd_ctx);
+
 assert_fail_count:
+	probe_fail_cnt++;
 	hdd_err("consecutive probe failures:%u", probe_fail_cnt);
 	QDF_BUG(probe_fail_cnt < SSR_MAX_FAIL_CNT);
 
@@ -509,11 +519,18 @@ static void hdd_soc_remove(struct device *dev)
 
 	mutex_lock(&hdd_init_deinit_lock);
 	hdd_start_driver_ops_timer(eHDD_DRV_OP_REMOVE);
-	if (QDF_IS_EPPING_ENABLED(cds_get_conparam())) {
+	if (hdd_get_conparam() == QDF_GLOBAL_EPPING_MODE) {
 		epping_disable();
 		epping_close();
 	} else {
-		__hdd_wlan_exit();
+		struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx;
+
+		hdd_ctx = cds_get_context(QDF_MODULE_ID_HDD);
+		if (hdd_ctx)
+			hdd_wlan_exit(hdd_ctx);
+		else
+			hdd_err("invalid hdd context");
+
 	}
 	hdd_stop_driver_ops_timer();
 	mutex_unlock(&hdd_init_deinit_lock);
@@ -542,10 +559,7 @@ static void hdd_wlan_ssr_shutdown_event(void)
 					EVENT_WLAN_SSR_SHUTDOWN_SUBSYSTEM);
 }
 #else
-static inline void hdd_wlan_ssr_shutdown_event(void)
-{
-
-};
+static inline void hdd_wlan_ssr_shutdown_event(void) { }
 #endif
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c
index 4592afdf96ba..91c183e65f44 100644
--- a/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c
+++ b/core/hdd/src/wlan_hdd_main.c
@@ -6933,15 +6933,7 @@ static void wlan_hdd_cache_chann_mutex_destroy(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx)
 }
 #endif
 
-/**
- * hdd_wlan_exit() - HDD WLAN exit function
- * @hdd_ctx:	Pointer to the HDD Context
- *
- * This is the driver exit point (invoked during rmmod)
- *
- * Return: None
- */
-static void hdd_wlan_exit(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx)
+void hdd_wlan_exit(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx)
 {
 	struct wiphy *wiphy = hdd_ctx->wiphy;
 	int driver_status;
@@ -7053,25 +7045,6 @@ static void hdd_wlan_exit(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx)
 	hdd_context_destroy(hdd_ctx);
 }
 
-void __hdd_wlan_exit(void)
-{
-	struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx;
-
-	hdd_enter();
-
-	hdd_ctx = cds_get_context(QDF_MODULE_ID_HDD);
-	if (!hdd_ctx) {
-		hdd_err("Invalid HDD Context");
-		hdd_exit();
-		return;
-	}
-
-	/* Do all the cleanup before deregistering the driver */
-	hdd_wlan_exit(hdd_ctx);
-
-	hdd_exit();
-}
-
 #ifdef FEATURE_WLAN_AP_AP_ACS_OPTIMIZE
 /**
  * hdd_skip_acs_scan_timer_handler() - skip ACS scan timer timeout handler
@@ -9081,8 +9054,8 @@ static struct hdd_context *hdd_context_create(struct device *dev)
 
 	hdd_enter();
 
-	hdd_ctx = hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc(sizeof(struct hdd_context));
-	if (hdd_ctx == NULL) {
+	hdd_ctx = hdd_cfg80211_wiphy_alloc();
+	if (!hdd_ctx) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		goto err_out;
 	}
@@ -11365,8 +11338,8 @@ hdd_open_mode_handlers[QDF_GLOBAL_MAX_MODE] = {
 	[QDF_GLOBAL_EPPING_MODE] = hdd_open_adapters_for_epping_mode,
 };
 
-static int hdd_open_adapters_for_mode(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx,
-				      enum QDF_GLOBAL_MODE driver_mode)
+static QDF_STATUS hdd_open_adapters_for_mode(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx,
+					     enum QDF_GLOBAL_MODE driver_mode)
 {
 	QDF_STATUS status;
 
@@ -11381,18 +11354,10 @@ static int hdd_open_adapters_for_mode(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx,
 	status = hdd_open_mode_handlers[driver_mode](hdd_ctx);
 	hdd_release_rtnl_lock();
 
-	return qdf_status_to_os_return(status);
+	return status;
 }
 
-/**
- * hdd_wlan_startup() - HDD init function
- * @dev:	Pointer to the underlying device
- *
- * This is the driver startup code executed once a WLAN device has been detected
- *
- * Return:  0 for success, < 0 for failure
- */
-int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev)
+int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev, struct hdd_context **out_hdd_ctx)
 {
 	QDF_STATUS status;
 	struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx;
@@ -11402,7 +11367,6 @@ int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev)
 	hdd_enter();
 
 	hdd_ctx = hdd_context_create(dev);
-
 	if (IS_ERR(hdd_ctx))
 		return PTR_ERR(hdd_ctx);
 
@@ -11460,12 +11424,6 @@ int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev)
 		goto err_unregister_netdev;
 	}
 
-	ret = hdd_open_adapters_for_mode(hdd_ctx, con_mode);
-	if (ret) {
-		hdd_err("Failed to open interfaces: %d", ret);
-		goto err_release_rtnl_lock;
-	}
-
 	wlan_hdd_update_11n_mode(hdd_ctx->config);
 
 #ifdef FEATURE_WLAN_AP_AP_ACS_OPTIMIZE
@@ -11473,40 +11431,36 @@ int hdd_wlan_startup(struct device *dev)
 				   QDF_TIMER_TYPE_SW,
 				   hdd_skip_acs_scan_timer_handler,
 				   hdd_ctx);
-	if (!QDF_IS_STATUS_SUCCESS(status))
+	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status))
 		hdd_err("Failed to init ACS Skip timer");
+
 	qdf_spinlock_create(&hdd_ctx->acs_skip_lock);
 #endif
 
 	hdd_lpass_notify_wlan_version(hdd_ctx);
 
-	if (hdd_ctx->rps)
-		hdd_set_rps_cpu_mask(hdd_ctx);
-
 	ret = hdd_register_notifiers(hdd_ctx);
 	if (ret)
 		goto err_close_adapters;
 
 	status = wlansap_global_init();
-	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status)) {
-		hdd_unregister_notifiers(hdd_ctx);
-		goto err_close_adapters;
-	}
+	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status))
+		goto unregister_notifiers;
 
-	if (hdd_ctx->config->fIsImpsEnabled)
-		hdd_set_idle_ps_config(hdd_ctx, true);
-	else
-		hdd_set_idle_ps_config(hdd_ctx, false);
+	hdd_set_idle_ps_config(hdd_ctx, hdd_ctx->config->fIsImpsEnabled);
 
-	if (hdd_get_conparam() != QDF_GLOBAL_FTM_MODE)
-		hdd_psoc_idle_timer_start(hdd_ctx);
+	*out_hdd_ctx = hdd_ctx;
 
-	goto success;
+	hdd_exit();
+
+	return 0;
+
+unregister_notifiers:
+	hdd_unregister_notifiers(hdd_ctx);
 
 err_close_adapters:
 	hdd_close_all_adapters(hdd_ctx, false);
 
-err_release_rtnl_lock:
 	unregister_reboot_notifier(&system_reboot_notifier);
 
 err_unregister_netdev:
@@ -11534,11 +11488,30 @@ err_hdd_free_context:
 
 	qdf_nbuf_deinit_replenish_timer();
 	hdd_context_destroy(hdd_ctx);
-	return ret;
 
-success:
 	hdd_exit();
-	return 0;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+QDF_STATUS hdd_psoc_create_vdevs(struct hdd_context *hdd_ctx)
+{
+	enum QDF_GLOBAL_MODE driver_mode = hdd_get_conparam();
+	QDF_STATUS status;
+
+	status = hdd_open_adapters_for_mode(hdd_ctx, driver_mode);
+	if (QDF_IS_STATUS_ERROR(status)) {
+		hdd_err("Failed to create vdevs; status:%d", status);
+		return status;
+	}
+
+	if (hdd_ctx->rps)
+		hdd_set_rps_cpu_mask(hdd_ctx);
+
+	if (driver_mode != QDF_GLOBAL_FTM_MODE)
+		hdd_psoc_idle_timer_start(hdd_ctx);
+
+	return QDF_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 /**