diff --git a/app/src/full/java/cc/mvdan/accesspoint/WifiApControl.java b/app/src/full/java/cc/mvdan/accesspoint/WifiApControl.java
index f2bee0a5e..07e746190 100644
--- a/app/src/full/java/cc/mvdan/accesspoint/WifiApControl.java
+++ b/app/src/full/java/cc/mvdan/accesspoint/WifiApControl.java
@@ -16,15 +16,14 @@
 
 package cc.mvdan.accesspoint;
 
-import android.annotation.SuppressLint;
-import android.annotation.TargetApi;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.net.wifi.WifiConfiguration;
 import android.net.wifi.WifiManager;
-import android.os.Build;
 import android.provider.Settings;
 import android.util.Log;
 
+import org.fdroid.fdroid.BuildConfig;
+
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
 import java.io.FileReader;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@ import java.net.Inet6Address;
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.NetworkInterface;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Enumeration;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
@@ -67,21 +65,28 @@ final public class WifiApControl {
 	private static Method setWifiApEnabledMethod;
 
 	static {
-		for (Method method : WifiManager.class.getDeclaredMethods()) {
-			switch (method.getName()) {
-			case "getWifiApConfiguration":
-				getWifiApConfigurationMethod = method;
-				break;
-			case "getWifiApState":
-				getWifiApStateMethod = method;
-				break;
-			case "isWifiApEnabled":
-				isWifiApEnabledMethod = method;
-				break;
-			case "setWifiApEnabled":
-				setWifiApEnabledMethod = method;
-				break;
+		try {
+			for (Method method : WifiManager.class.getDeclaredMethods()) {
+				switch (method.getName()) {
+					case "getWifiApConfiguration":
+						getWifiApConfigurationMethod = method;
+						break;
+					case "getWifiApState":
+						getWifiApStateMethod = method;
+						break;
+					case "isWifiApEnabled":
+						isWifiApEnabledMethod = method;
+						break;
+					case "setWifiApEnabled":
+						setWifiApEnabledMethod = method;
+						break;
+				}
 			}
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
+				throw e;
+			}
+			Log.e(TAG, "WifiManager failed to init", e);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -134,7 +139,15 @@ final public class WifiApControl {
 				Log.e(TAG, "6.0 or later, but haven't been granted WRITE_SETTINGS!");
 				return null;
 			}
-			instance = new WifiApControl(context);
+			try {
+				instance = new WifiApControl(context);
+				instance.isEnabled();  // make sure this instance works
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
+					throw e;
+				}
+				Log.e(TAG, "WifiManager failed to init", e);
+			}
 		}
 		return instance;
 	}
@@ -144,15 +157,6 @@ final public class WifiApControl {
 		return FALLBACK_DEVICE;
 	}
 
-	private static byte[] macAddressToByteArray(String macString) {
-		String[] mac = macString.split("[:\\s-]");
-		byte[] macAddress = new byte[6];
-		for (int i = 0; i < mac.length; i++) {
-			macAddress[i] = Integer.decode("0x" + mac[i]).byteValue();
-		}
-		return macAddress;
-	}
-
 	private static Object invokeQuietly(Method method, Object receiver, Object... args) {
 		try {
 			return method.invoke(receiver, args);
diff --git a/app/src/full/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/nearby/WifiStateChangeService.java b/app/src/full/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/nearby/WifiStateChangeService.java
index 11eeca152..e21ec99e5 100644
--- a/app/src/full/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/nearby/WifiStateChangeService.java
+++ b/app/src/full/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/nearby/WifiStateChangeService.java
@@ -261,13 +261,7 @@ public class WifiStateChangeService extends Worker {
             }
             FDroidApp.bssid = wifiInfo.getBSSID();
         } else {
-            WifiApControl wifiApControl = null;
-            try {
-                wifiApControl = WifiApControl.getInstance(context);
-                wifiApControl.isEnabled();
-            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
-                wifiApControl = null;
-            }
+            WifiApControl wifiApControl = WifiApControl.getInstance(context);
             Utils.debugLog(TAG, "WifiApControl: " + wifiApControl);
             if (wifiApControl == null && FDroidApp.ipAddressString != null) {
                 wifiInfo = wifiManager.getConnectionInfo();