diff --git a/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.cpp b/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.cpp
index 9823ea23..54ada30a 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.cpp
+++ b/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.cpp
@@ -209,24 +209,25 @@ time_t ahoywifi::getNtpTime(void) {
 }
 
 
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void ahoywifi::scanAvailNetworks(void) {
+    int n = WiFi.scanComplete();
+    if(n == -2)
+        WiFi.scanNetworks(true);
+}
+
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void ahoywifi::getAvailNetworks(JsonObject obj) {
     JsonArray nets = obj.createNestedArray("networks");
 
     int n = WiFi.scanComplete();
-    if(n == -2) {
-        WiFi.scanNetworks(true);
-    } else if(n) {
+    if(n > 0) {
         for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
             nets[i]["ssid"]   = WiFi.SSID(i);
             nets[i]["rssi"]   = WiFi.RSSI(i);
-            // TODO: does github workflow use another version of this library?
-            // ahoywifi.cpp:223:38: error: 'class WiFiClass' has no member named 'isHidden'
-            //nets[i]["hidden"] = WiFi.isHidden(i) ? true : false;
         }
         WiFi.scanDelete();
-        if(WiFi.scanComplete() == -2)
-            WiFi.scanNetworks(true);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.h b/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.h
index 9a3239fd..cf3c779d 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.h
+++ b/tools/esp8266/ahoywifi.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class ahoywifi {
         bool setupStation(uint32_t timeout);
         bool getApActive(void);
         time_t getNtpTime(void);
+        void scanAvailNetworks(void);
         void getAvailNetworks(JsonObject obj);
 
     private:
diff --git a/tools/esp8266/app.cpp b/tools/esp8266/app.cpp
index befe017c..6f403fec 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/app.cpp
+++ b/tools/esp8266/app.cpp
@@ -609,6 +609,12 @@ bool app::getWifiApActive(void) {
 }
 
 
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void app::scanAvailNetworks(void) {
+    mWifi->scanAvailNetworks();
+}
+
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void app::getAvailNetworks(JsonObject obj) {
     mWifi->getAvailNetworks(obj);
diff --git a/tools/esp8266/app.h b/tools/esp8266/app.h
index e2e1adcc..fdb8ba93 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/app.h
+++ b/tools/esp8266/app.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class app {
         void saveValues(void);
         void resetPayload(Inverter<>* iv);
         bool getWifiApActive(void);
+        void scanAvailNetworks(void);
         void getAvailNetworks(JsonObject obj);
 
         uint8_t getIrqPin(void) {
diff --git a/tools/esp8266/html/api.js b/tools/esp8266/html/api.js
index a959ed74..eb2791ee 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/html/api.js
+++ b/tools/esp8266/html/api.js
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ function sel(name, opt, selId) {
     return e;
 }
 
+function selDelAllOpt(sel) {
+    var i, l = sel.options.length - 1;
+    for(i = l; i >= 0; i--) {
+        sel.remove(i);
+    }
+}
+
 function opt(val, html) {
     o = document.createElement('option');
     o.value = val;
diff --git a/tools/esp8266/html/setup.html b/tools/esp8266/html/setup.html
index e88af4e1..c2985886 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/html/setup.html
+++ b/tools/esp8266/html/setup.html
@@ -44,9 +44,11 @@
                         <fieldset>
                             <legend class="des">WiFi</legend>
                             <p>Enter the credentials to your prefered WiFi station. After rebooting the device tries to connect with this information.</p>
+                            <label for="scanbtn">Search Networks</label>
+                            <input type="button" name="scanbtn" id="scanbtn" class="btn" value="scan" onclick="scan()"/><br/>
                             <label for="networks">Avail Networks</label>
                             <select name="networks" id="networks" onChange="selNet()">
-                                <option value="-1">scanning ...</option>
+                                <option value="-1">not scanned</option>
                             </select>
                             <label for="ssid">SSID</label>
                             <input type="text" name="ssid" class="text"/>
@@ -162,6 +164,15 @@
                     ivHtml(JSON.parse('{"name":"","serial":"","channels":4,"ch_max_power":[0,0,0,0],"ch_name":["","","",""]}'), highestId + 1);
             });
 
+            function apiCbWifi(obj) {
+                var e = document.getElementById("networks");
+                selDelAllOpt(e);
+                if(obj["success"])
+                    e.appendChild(opt("-1", "scanning ..."))
+                else
+                    e.appendChild(opt("-1", "Error: " + obj["error"]));
+            }
+
             function apiCbNtp(obj) {
                 var e = document.getElementById("apiResultNtp");
                 if(obj["success"])
@@ -186,6 +197,13 @@
                 getAjax("/api/setup", apiCbNtp, "POST", JSON.stringify(obj));
             }
 
+            function scan() {
+                var obj = new Object();
+                obj.cmd = "scan_wifi";
+                getAjax("/api/setup", apiCbWifi, "POST", JSON.stringify(obj));
+                setTimeout(function() {getAjax('/api/setup/networks', listNetworks)}, 7000);
+            }
+
             function syncTime() {
                 var obj = new Object();
                 obj.cmd = "sync_ntp";
@@ -402,27 +420,26 @@
                     parseRadio(root["radio"]);
                     parseSerial(root["serial"]);
                 }
-                window.setInterval("getAjax('/api/setup/networks', listNetworks)", 7000);
             }
 
             function listNetworks(root) {
+                var s = document.getElementById("networks");
+                selDelAllOpt(s);
                 if(root["networks"].length > 0) {
-                    var s = document.getElementById("networks");
-                    var i, l = s.options.length - 1;
-                    for(i = l; i >= 0; i--) {
-                        s.remove(i);
-                    }
-
+                    s.appendChild(opt("-1", "please select network"));
                     for(i = 0; i < root["networks"].length; i++) {
                         s.appendChild(opt(root["networks"][i]["ssid"], root["networks"][i]["ssid"] + " (" + root["networks"][i]["rssi"] + " dBm)"));
                     }
                 }
+                else
+                    s.appendChild(opt("-1", "no network found"));
             }
 
             function selNet() {
                 var s = document.getElementById("networks");
                 var e = document.getElementsByName("ssid")[0];
-                e.value = s.value;
+                if(-1 != s.value)
+                    e.value = s.value;
             }
             
             hiddenInput = document.getElementById("disclaimer")
diff --git a/tools/esp8266/webApi.cpp b/tools/esp8266/webApi.cpp
index 124a2f2e..0c69102a 100644
--- a/tools/esp8266/webApi.cpp
+++ b/tools/esp8266/webApi.cpp
@@ -456,7 +456,9 @@ bool webApi::setCtrl(DynamicJsonDocument jsonIn, JsonObject jsonOut) {
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool webApi::setSetup(DynamicJsonDocument jsonIn, JsonObject jsonOut) {
-    if(F("set_time") == jsonIn[F("cmd")])
+    if(F("scan_wifi"))
+        mApp->scanAvailNetworks();
+    else if(F("set_time") == jsonIn[F("cmd")])
         mApp->setTimestamp(jsonIn[F("ts")]);
     else if(F("sync_ntp") == jsonIn[F("cmd")])
         mApp->setTimestamp(0); // 0: update ntp flag