diff --git a/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_objects.c b/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_objects.c
index 30c645ef56..36edaa6ddf 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_objects.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/esp_netif_objects.c
@@ -151,39 +151,39 @@ esp_netif_t* esp_netif_next_unsafe(esp_netif_t* netif)
 
 bool esp_netif_is_netif_listed(esp_netif_t *esp_netif)
 {
+    struct slist_netifs_s *item;
     esp_err_t ret;
     if ((ret = esp_netif_list_lock()) != ESP_OK) {
         ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to lock esp-netif list with %d", ret);
-        return NULL;
+        return false;
     }
 
-    // looking for the netif in the list of registered interfaces
-    esp_netif_t *it = esp_netif_next_unsafe(NULL);
-    do {
-        if (it && it == esp_netif) {
+    SLIST_FOREACH(item, &s_head, next) {
+        if (item->netif == esp_netif) {
             esp_netif_list_unlock();
             return true;
         }
-    } while (NULL != (it = esp_netif_next_unsafe(it)));
+    }
     esp_netif_list_unlock();
     return false;
 }
 
 esp_netif_t *esp_netif_get_handle_from_ifkey(const char *if_key)
 {
+    struct slist_netifs_s *item;
     esp_err_t ret;
     if ((ret = esp_netif_list_lock()) != ESP_OK) {
         ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to lock esp-netif list with %d", ret);
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    esp_netif_t *esp_netif = esp_netif_next_unsafe(NULL);
-    do {
-        if (esp_netif && strcmp(if_key, esp_netif_get_ifkey(esp_netif))==0) {
+    SLIST_FOREACH(item, &s_head, next) {
+        esp_netif_t *esp_netif = item->netif;
+        if (strcmp(if_key, esp_netif_get_ifkey(esp_netif)) == 0) {
             esp_netif_list_unlock();
             return esp_netif;
         }
-    } while (NULL != (esp_netif = esp_netif_next_unsafe(esp_netif)));
+    }
     esp_netif_list_unlock();
     return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/components/esp_netif/test/test_esp_netif.c b/components/esp_netif/test/test_esp_netif.c
index 423c8941dc..1c2aa80a9f 100644
--- a/components/esp_netif/test/test_esp_netif.c
+++ b/components/esp_netif/test/test_esp_netif.c
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ TEST_CASE("esp_netif: get from if_key", "[esp_netif][leaks=0]")
 
 }
 
+// This is a private esp-netif API, but include here to test it
+bool esp_netif_is_netif_listed(esp_netif_t *esp_netif);
 
 TEST_CASE("esp_netif: create and delete multiple netifs", "[esp_netif][leaks=0]")
 {
@@ -54,12 +56,19 @@ TEST_CASE("esp_netif: create and delete multiple netifs", "[esp_netif][leaks=0]"
         TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(netifs[i]);
     }
 
-    // there's no AP within created stations
-    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(NULL, esp_netif_get_handle_from_ifkey("WIFI_AP_DEF"));
+    // there's no AP within created netifs
+    TEST_ASSERT_NULL(esp_netif_get_handle_from_ifkey("WIFI_AP_DEF"));
 
-    // destroy
+    // check that the created netifs are correctly found by their interface keys and globally listed
+    for (int i=0; i<nr_of_netifs; ++i) {
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(netifs[i], esp_netif_get_handle_from_ifkey(if_keys[i]));
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(esp_netif_is_netif_listed(netifs[i]));
+    }
+
+    // destroy one by one and check it's been removed
     for (int i=0; i<nr_of_netifs; ++i) {
         esp_netif_destroy(netifs[i]);
+        TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(esp_netif_is_netif_listed(netifs[i]));
     }
 
 }