diff --git a/man/NetworkManager.conf.xml b/man/NetworkManager.conf.xml
index 231b7d017f..04f6b54b23 100644
--- a/man/NetworkManager.conf.xml
+++ b/man/NetworkManager.conf.xml
@@ -927,6 +927,15 @@ managed=1
             </para>
           </listitem>
         </varlistentry>
+        <varlistentry id="wifi.backend">
+          <term><varname>wifi.backend</varname></term>
+          <listitem>
+            <para>
+              Specify the Wi-Fi backend used for the device. Currently supported
+              are <literal>wpa_supplicant</literal> and <literal>iwd</literal> (experimental).
+            </para>
+          </listitem>
+        </varlistentry>
         <varlistentry>
           <term><varname>wifi.scan-generate-mac-address-mask</varname></term>
           <listitem>
diff --git a/src/devices/wifi/nm-wifi-factory.c b/src/devices/wifi/nm-wifi-factory.c
index 1272e94139..298b15f143 100644
--- a/src/devices/wifi/nm-wifi-factory.c
+++ b/src/devices/wifi/nm-wifi-factory.c
@@ -104,10 +104,11 @@ create_device (NMDeviceFactory *factory,
 	if (plink->type != NM_LINK_TYPE_WIFI)
 		return nm_device_olpc_mesh_new (iface);
 
-	backend = nm_config_data_get_value (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
-	                                    NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
-	                                    NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_WIFI_BACKEND,
-	                                    NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP);
+	backend = nm_config_data_get_device_config_by_pllink (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
+	                                                      NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_DEVICE_WIFI_BACKEND,
+	                                                      plink,
+	                                                      NULL);
+	nm_strstrip (backend);
 
 	nm_log_dbg (LOGD_PLATFORM | LOGD_WIFI, "(%s) config: backend is %s, %i", iface, backend, WITH_IWD);
 	if (!backend || !strcasecmp (backend, "wpa_supplicant"))
diff --git a/src/nm-config.h b/src/nm-config.h
index b99576abf3..7ba707aac0 100644
--- a/src/nm-config.h
+++ b/src/nm-config.h
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_DEBUG                    "debug"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_HOSTNAME_MODE            "hostname-mode"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_SLAVES_ORDER             "slaves-order"
-#define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_WIFI_BACKEND             "wifi-backend"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_LOGGING_BACKEND               "backend"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_CONFIG_ENABLE                 "enable"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_ATOMIC_SECTION_WAS            ".was"
@@ -79,6 +78,7 @@
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_DEVICE_MANAGED                "managed"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_DEVICE_IGNORE_CARRIER         "ignore-carrier"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_DEVICE_SRIOV_NUM_VFS          "sriov-num-vfs"
+#define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_DEVICE_WIFI_BACKEND           "wifi.backend"
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_DEVICE_CARRIER_WAIT_TIMEOUT   "carrier-wait-timeout"
 
 #define NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEYPREFIX_WAS                     ".was."