diff --git a/hostapd/config_file.c b/hostapd/config_file.c
index 7a184c440..425446c24 100644
--- a/hostapd/config_file.c
+++ b/hostapd/config_file.c
@@ -4206,6 +4206,8 @@ static int hostapd_config_fill(struct hostapd_config *conf,
 		bss->igtk_rsc_override = wpabuf_parse_bin(pos);
 	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "no_beacon_rsnxe") == 0) {
 		bss->no_beacon_rsnxe = atoi(pos);
+	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "skip_prune_assoc") == 0) {
+		bss->skip_prune_assoc = atoi(pos);
 #endif /* CONFIG_TESTING_OPTIONS */
 #ifdef CONFIG_SAE
 	} else if (os_strcmp(buf, "sae_password") == 0) {
diff --git a/src/ap/ap_config.h b/src/ap/ap_config.h
index 7930fc374..2a0bf0763 100644
--- a/src/ap/ap_config.h
+++ b/src/ap/ap_config.h
@@ -685,6 +685,7 @@ struct hostapd_bss_config {
 	struct wpabuf *gtk_rsc_override;
 	struct wpabuf *igtk_rsc_override;
 	int no_beacon_rsnxe;
+	int skip_prune_assoc;
 #endif /* CONFIG_TESTING_OPTIONS */
 
 #define MESH_ENABLED BIT(0)
diff --git a/src/ap/utils.c b/src/ap/utils.c
index fcb371bec..bedad6eb0 100644
--- a/src/ap/utils.c
+++ b/src/ap/utils.c
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ static int prune_associations(struct hostapd_iface *iface, void *ctx)
 		ohapd = iface->bss[j];
 		if (ohapd == data->hapd)
 			continue;
+#ifdef CONFIG_TESTING_OPTIONS
+		if (ohapd->conf->skip_prune_assoc)
+			continue;
+#endif /* CONFIG_TESTING_OPTIONS */
 #ifdef CONFIG_FST
 		/* Don't prune STAs belong to same FST */
 		if (ohapd->iface->fst &&