diff --git a/components/esp_wifi/Kconfig b/components/esp_wifi/Kconfig
index 7cbe8c511b9..2713820427b 100644
--- a/components/esp_wifi/Kconfig
+++ b/components/esp_wifi/Kconfig
@@ -781,6 +781,13 @@ menu "Wi-Fi"
                 This option enables assert checks to verify that modem RF power state
                 is correctly cleared before pmu sleep.
 
+        config ESP_WIFI_PASSIVE_HIDDEN_AP_SUPPORT
+            bool "Support station connection to hidden APs using passive scan when country policy is auto"
+            default n
+            help
+                Select this option to enable/disable support for station connections
+                to hidden APs using passive scan when the country policy is set to auto.
+
     endif # wifi enabled
 
 endmenu # Wi-Fi
diff --git a/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi.h b/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi.h
index e5507d4bb07..35ab3b84200 100644
--- a/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi.h
+++ b/components/esp_wifi/include/esp_wifi.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2025 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2026 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -278,6 +278,12 @@ extern wifi_osi_funcs_t g_wifi_osi_funcs;
 #define WIFI_TX_HETB_QUEUE_NUM 1
 #endif
 
+#if CONFIG_ESP_WIFI_PASSIVE_HIDDEN_AP_SUPPORT
+#define WIFI_ENABLE_PASSIVE_HIDDEN_AP (1<<8)
+#else
+#define WIFI_ENABLE_PASSIVE_HIDDEN_AP 0
+#endif
+
 #define CONFIG_FEATURE_WPA3_SAE_BIT     (1<<0)
 #define CONFIG_FEATURE_CACHE_TX_BUF_BIT (1<<1)
 #define CONFIG_FEATURE_FTM_INITIATOR_BIT (1<<2)
@@ -286,6 +292,7 @@ extern wifi_osi_funcs_t g_wifi_osi_funcs;
 #define CONFIG_FEATURE_GMAC_BIT (1<<5)
 #define CONFIG_FEATURE_11R_BIT (1<<6)
 #define CONFIG_FEATURE_WIFI_ENT_BIT (1<<7)
+#define CONFIG_FEATURE_WIFI_PASSIVE_HIDDEN_AP_BIT (1<<8)
 
 /* Set additional WiFi features and capabilities */
 #define WIFI_FEATURE_CAPS (WIFI_ENABLE_WPA3_SAE | \
@@ -295,7 +302,8 @@ extern wifi_osi_funcs_t g_wifi_osi_funcs;
                            WIFI_ENABLE_GCMP | \
                            WIFI_ENABLE_GMAC | \
                            WIFI_ENABLE_11R  | \
-                           WIFI_ENABLE_ENTERPRISE)
+                           WIFI_ENABLE_ENTERPRISE | \
+                           WIFI_ENABLE_PASSIVE_HIDDEN_AP)
 
 #define WIFI_INIT_CONFIG_DEFAULT() { \
     .osi_funcs = &g_wifi_osi_funcs, \
diff --git a/components/esp_wifi/lib b/components/esp_wifi/lib
index 8ea3e10536e..9a433297f8c 160000
--- a/components/esp_wifi/lib
+++ b/components/esp_wifi/lib
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 8ea3e10536ee673e31d1280be8f0f71cd9793a96
+Subproject commit 9a433297f8cec2b3f0813ba2c7b572060fe1d378