diff --git a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.c b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.c
index 968534e..ba1f207 100644
--- a/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.c
+++ b/wpa_supplicant/wpa_cli.c
@@ -406,6 +406,12 @@
 		printf("Not connected to wpa_supplicant - command dropped.\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
+	if (ifname_prefix) {
+		os_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "IFNAME=%s %s",
+			    ifname_prefix, cmd);
+		buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = '\0';
+		cmd = buf;
+	}
 	len = sizeof(buf) - 1;
 	ret = wpa_ctrl_request(ctrl, cmd, os_strlen(cmd), buf, &len,
 			       wpa_cli_msg_cb);
@@ -1630,12 +1636,6 @@
 		printf("Not connected to hostapd - command dropped.\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
-	if (ifname_prefix) {
-		os_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "IFNAME=%s %s",
-			    ifname_prefix, cmd);
-		buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = '\0';
-		cmd = buf;
-	}
 	len = sizeof(buf) - 1;
 	ret = wpa_ctrl_request(ctrl, cmd, os_strlen(cmd), buf, &len,
 			       wpa_cli_msg_cb);