diff --git a/include/linux/nl802154.h b/include/linux/nl802154.h
index 33d9f5175109..2015ad248101 100644
--- a/include/linux/nl802154.h
+++ b/include/linux/nl802154.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ enum {
 	IEEE802154_ATTR_CHANNEL_PAGE_LIST,
 
 	IEEE802154_ATTR_PHY_NAME,
+	IEEE802154_ATTR_DEV_TYPE,
 
 	__IEEE802154_ATTR_MAX,
 };
@@ -126,4 +127,9 @@ enum {
 
 #define IEEE802154_CMD_MAX (__IEEE802154_CMD_MAX - 1)
 
+enum {
+	__IEEE802154_DEV_INVALID = -1,
+	__IEEE802154_DEV_MAX,
+};
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/net/wpan-phy.h b/include/net/wpan-phy.h
index ff27f1b078d1..efd6749e392b 100644
--- a/include/net/wpan-phy.h
+++ b/include/net/wpan-phy.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ struct wpan_phy {
 	int idx;
 
 	struct net_device *(*add_iface)(struct wpan_phy *phy,
-			const char *name);
+					const char *name, int type);
 	void (*del_iface)(struct wpan_phy *phy, struct net_device *dev);
 
 	char priv[0] __attribute__((__aligned__(NETDEV_ALIGN)));
diff --git a/net/ieee802154/nl-phy.c b/net/ieee802154/nl-phy.c
index 3bdc4303c339..eed291626da6 100644
--- a/net/ieee802154/nl-phy.c
+++ b/net/ieee802154/nl-phy.c
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ static int ieee802154_add_iface(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	const char *devname;
 	int rc = -ENOBUFS;
 	struct net_device *dev;
+	int type = __IEEE802154_DEV_INVALID;
 
 	pr_debug("%s\n", __func__);
 
@@ -221,7 +222,13 @@ static int ieee802154_add_iface(struct sk_buff *skb,
 		goto nla_put_failure;
 	}
 
-	dev = phy->add_iface(phy, devname);
+	if (info->attrs[IEEE802154_ATTR_DEV_TYPE]) {
+		type = nla_get_u8(info->attrs[IEEE802154_ATTR_DEV_TYPE]);
+		if (type >= __IEEE802154_DEV_MAX)
+			return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	dev = phy->add_iface(phy, devname, type);
 	if (IS_ERR(dev)) {
 		rc = PTR_ERR(dev);
 		goto nla_put_failure;