diff --git a/tests/hwsim/example-wpa_supplicant.config b/tests/hwsim/example-wpa_supplicant.config
index 165d8b747..0dbb80e56 100644
--- a/tests/hwsim/example-wpa_supplicant.config
+++ b/tests/hwsim/example-wpa_supplicant.config
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ CONFIG_WPS_NFC=y
 CONFIG_WPS_ER=y
 #CONFIG_WPS_REG_DISABLE_OPEN=y
 
+CONFIG_DRIVER_WEXT=y
+
 CONFIG_DRIVER_NL80211=y
 CFLAGS += -I/usr/include/libnl3
 CONFIG_LIBNL32=y
diff --git a/tests/hwsim/vm/kernel-config b/tests/hwsim/vm/kernel-config
index 6f5341d06..487c4fd0a 100644
--- a/tests/hwsim/vm/kernel-config
+++ b/tests/hwsim/vm/kernel-config
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ CONFIG_CFG80211_DEVELOPER_WARNINGS=y
 CONFIG_CFG80211_DEFAULT_PS=y
 CONFIG_CFG80211_DEBUGFS=y
 # CONFIG_CFG80211_INTERNAL_REGDB is not set
-# CONFIG_CFG80211_WEXT is not set
+CONFIG_CFG80211_WEXT=y
 # CONFIG_LIB80211 is not set
 CONFIG_MAC80211=y
 CONFIG_MAC80211_HAS_RC=y