diff --git a/ports/esp32/modnetwork.h b/ports/esp32/modnetwork.h
index d7a99f5c94..80537ea473 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/modnetwork.h
+++ b/ports/esp32/modnetwork.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ typedef struct _wlan_if_obj_t {
     int if_id;
 } wlan_if_obj_t;
 
+extern const mp_obj_type_t esp_network_wlan_type;
+
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(esp_network_initialize_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_VAR_BETWEEN(esp_network_get_wlan_obj);
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_KW(esp_network_get_lan_obj);
diff --git a/ports/esp32/modnetwork_globals.h b/ports/esp32/modnetwork_globals.h
index 72d1ff3afb..1f657fb5c8 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/modnetwork_globals.h
+++ b/ports/esp32/modnetwork_globals.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR___init__), MP_ROM_PTR(&esp_network_initialize_obj) },
 
 #if MICROPY_PY_NETWORK_WLAN
-{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_WLAN), MP_ROM_PTR(&esp_network_get_wlan_obj) },
+{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_WLAN), MP_ROM_PTR(&esp_network_wlan_type) },
 #endif
 
 #if MICROPY_PY_NETWORK_LAN
diff --git a/ports/esp32/network_wlan.c b/ports/esp32/network_wlan.c
index 81410f209b..e56d73b237 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/network_wlan.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/network_wlan.c
@@ -171,7 +171,9 @@ void esp_initialise_wifi() {
     }
 }
 
-STATIC mp_obj_t get_wlan(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
+STATIC mp_obj_t network_wlan_make_new(const mp_obj_type_t *type, size_t n_args, size_t n_kw, const mp_obj_t *args) {
+    mp_arg_check_num(n_args, n_kw, 0, 1, false);
+
     esp_initialise_wifi();
 
     int idx = (n_args > 0) ? mp_obj_get_int(args[0]) : WIFI_IF_STA;
@@ -183,7 +185,6 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t get_wlan(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
         mp_raise_ValueError(MP_ERROR_TEXT("invalid WLAN interface identifier"));
     }
 }
-MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_VAR_BETWEEN(esp_network_get_wlan_obj, 0, 1, get_wlan);
 
 STATIC mp_obj_t network_wlan_active(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
     wlan_if_obj_t *self = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(args[0]);
@@ -646,13 +647,14 @@ STATIC const mp_rom_map_elem_t wlan_if_locals_dict_table[] = {
 STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_DICT(wlan_if_locals_dict, wlan_if_locals_dict_table);
 
 MP_DEFINE_CONST_OBJ_TYPE(
-    wlan_if_type,
+    esp_network_wlan_type,
     MP_QSTR_WLAN,
     MP_TYPE_FLAG_NONE,
+    make_new, network_wlan_make_new,
     locals_dict, &wlan_if_locals_dict
     );
 
-STATIC const wlan_if_obj_t wlan_sta_obj = {{&wlan_if_type}, WIFI_IF_STA};
-STATIC const wlan_if_obj_t wlan_ap_obj = {{&wlan_if_type}, WIFI_IF_AP};
+STATIC const wlan_if_obj_t wlan_sta_obj = {{&esp_network_wlan_type}, WIFI_IF_STA};
+STATIC const wlan_if_obj_t wlan_ap_obj = {{&esp_network_wlan_type}, WIFI_IF_AP};
 
 #endif // MICROPY_PY_NETWORK_WLAN
diff --git a/ports/esp8266/modnetwork.h b/ports/esp8266/modnetwork.h
index dc9203b0fb..5fd142e71e 100644
--- a/ports/esp8266/modnetwork.h
+++ b/ports/esp8266/modnetwork.h
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_VAR_BETWEEN(esp_network_get_wlan_obj);
+extern const mp_obj_type_t esp_network_wlan_type;
+
 MP_DECLARE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_VAR_BETWEEN(esp_network_phy_mode_obj);
diff --git a/ports/esp8266/modnetwork_globals.h b/ports/esp8266/modnetwork_globals.h
index f977cd14e4..1a04568024 100644
--- a/ports/esp8266/modnetwork_globals.h
+++ b/ports/esp8266/modnetwork_globals.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_WLAN), MP_ROM_PTR(&esp_network_get_wlan_obj) },
+{ MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_WLAN), MP_ROM_PTR(&esp_network_wlan_type) },
 { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_phy_mode), MP_ROM_PTR(&esp_network_phy_mode_obj) },
 
 { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_STA_IF), MP_ROM_INT(STATION_IF)},
diff --git a/ports/esp8266/network_wlan.c b/ports/esp8266/network_wlan.c
index 4ab4a9a002..348d7f6355 100644
--- a/ports/esp8266/network_wlan.c
+++ b/ports/esp8266/network_wlan.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "spi_flash.h"
 #include "ets_alt_task.h"
 #include "lwip/dns.h"
+#include "modnetwork.h"
 
 typedef struct _wlan_if_obj_t {
     mp_obj_base_t base;
@@ -46,11 +47,10 @@ typedef struct _wlan_if_obj_t {
 } wlan_if_obj_t;
 
 void error_check(bool status, const char *msg);
-const mp_obj_type_t wlan_if_type;
 
 STATIC const wlan_if_obj_t wlan_objs[] = {
-    {{&wlan_if_type}, STATION_IF},
-    {{&wlan_if_type}, SOFTAP_IF},
+    {{&esp_network_wlan_type}, STATION_IF},
+    {{&esp_network_wlan_type}, SOFTAP_IF},
 };
 
 STATIC void require_if(mp_obj_t wlan_if, int if_no) {
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ STATIC void require_if(mp_obj_t wlan_if, int if_no) {
     }
 }
 
-STATIC mp_obj_t get_wlan(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
+STATIC mp_obj_t esp_wlan_make_new(const mp_obj_type_t *type, size_t n_args, size_t n_kw, const mp_obj_t *args) {
+    mp_arg_check_num(n_args, n_kw, 0, 1, false);
     int idx = 0;
     if (n_args > 0) {
         idx = mp_obj_get_int(args[0]);
@@ -70,7 +71,6 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t get_wlan(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
     }
     return MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(&wlan_objs[idx]);
 }
-MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_VAR_BETWEEN(esp_network_get_wlan_obj, 0, 1, get_wlan);
 
 STATIC mp_obj_t esp_active(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args) {
     wlan_if_obj_t *self = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(args[0]);
@@ -529,9 +529,10 @@ STATIC const mp_rom_map_elem_t wlan_if_locals_dict_table[] = {
 STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_DICT(wlan_if_locals_dict, wlan_if_locals_dict_table);
 
 MP_DEFINE_CONST_OBJ_TYPE(
-    wlan_if_type,
+    esp_network_wlan_type,
     MP_QSTR_WLAN,
     MP_TYPE_FLAG_NONE,
+    make_new, esp_wlan_make_new,
     locals_dict, &wlan_if_locals_dict
     );