diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.cc
index e7792ef266..63ca4f8e82 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,12 @@ void clearLayout(QLayout* layout) {
 }
 
 WifiUI::WifiUI(QWidget *parent, int page_length) : QWidget(parent), networks_per_page(page_length) {
-  wifi = new WifiManager;
+  try {
+    wifi = new WifiManager;
+  } catch (std::exception &e) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   QObject::connect(wifi, SIGNAL(wrongPassword(QString)), this, SLOT(wrongPassword(QString)));
 
   QVBoxLayout * top_layout = new QVBoxLayout;
@@ -33,7 +38,7 @@ WifiUI::WifiUI(QWidget *parent, int page_length) : QWidget(parent), networks_per
   QVBoxLayout* networkLayout = new QVBoxLayout;
   QHBoxLayout *tethering_field = new QHBoxLayout;
   tethering_field->addWidget(new QLabel("Enable Tethering"));
-  
+
   Toggle* toggle_switch = new Toggle(this);
   toggle_switch->setFixedSize(150, 100);
   tethering_field->addWidget(toggle_switch);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.hpp b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.hpp
index 703e08de5f..c007305461 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.hpp
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifi.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public:
   explicit WifiUI(QWidget *parent = 0, int page_length = 5);
 
 private:
-  WifiManager* wifi;
+  WifiManager* wifi = nullptr;
   const int networks_per_page;
 
   QStackedWidget *swidget;
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.cc
index eea4ebecf1..b841ad2032 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.cc
@@ -61,17 +61,20 @@ WifiManager::WifiManager() {
   qDBusRegisterMetaType<IpConfig>();
   connecting_to_network = "";
   adapter = get_adapter();
-  has_adapter = adapter != "";
-  if (has_adapter) {
-    QDBusInterface nm(nm_service, adapter, device_iface, bus);
-    bus.connect(nm_service, adapter, device_iface, "StateChanged", this, SLOT(change(unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int)));
-    
-    QDBusInterface device_props(nm_service, adapter, props_iface, bus);
-    QDBusMessage response = device_props.call("Get", device_iface, "State");
-    raw_adapter_state = get_response<uint>(response);
-    change(raw_adapter_state, 0, 0);
+
+  bool has_adapter = adapter != "";
+  if (!has_adapter){
+    throw std::runtime_error("Error connecting to panda");
   }
 
+  QDBusInterface nm(nm_service, adapter, device_iface, bus);
+  bus.connect(nm_service, adapter, device_iface, "StateChanged", this, SLOT(change(unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int)));
+
+  QDBusInterface device_props(nm_service, adapter, props_iface, bus);
+  QDBusMessage response = device_props.call("Get", device_iface, "State");
+  raw_adapter_state = get_response<uint>(response);
+  change(raw_adapter_state, 0, 0);
+
   // Compute tethering ssid as "Weedle" + first 4 characters of a dongle id
   tethering_ssid = "weedle";
   std::string bytes = Params().get("DongleId");
@@ -81,8 +84,6 @@ WifiManager::WifiManager() {
 }
 
 void WifiManager::refreshNetworks() {
-  if (!has_adapter) return;
-
   bus = QDBusConnection::systemBus();
   seen_networks.clear();
   seen_ssids.clear();
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ SecurityType WifiManager::getSecurityType(QString path) {
 
   // obtained by looking at flags of networks in the office as reported by an Android phone
   const int supports_wpa = NM_802_11_AP_SEC_PAIR_WEP40 | NM_802_11_AP_SEC_PAIR_WEP104 | NM_802_11_AP_SEC_GROUP_WEP40 | NM_802_11_AP_SEC_GROUP_WEP104 | NM_802_11_AP_SEC_KEY_MGMT_PSK;
-  
+
   if (sflag == 0) {
     return SecurityType::OPEN;
   } else if ((sflag & NM_802_11_AP_FLAGS_PRIVACY) && (wpa_props & supports_wpa) && !(wpa_props & NM_802_11_AP_SEC_KEY_MGMT_802_1X)) {
@@ -249,8 +250,6 @@ void WifiManager::clear_connections(QString ssid) {
 }
 
 void WifiManager::request_scan() {
-  if (!has_adapter) return;
-
   QDBusInterface nm(nm_service, adapter, wireless_device_iface, bus);
   nm.call("RequestScan",  QVariantMap());
 }
@@ -326,7 +325,7 @@ void WifiManager::disconnect() {
   }
 }
 
-//Functions for tethering 
+//Functions for tethering
 
 void WifiManager::enableTethering() {
   disconnect();
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.hpp b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.hpp
index 267e2957d8..9beab2ac1e 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.hpp
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/wifiManager.hpp
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ class WifiManager : public QWidget {
 public:
   explicit WifiManager();
 
-  bool has_adapter;
   void request_scan();
   QVector<Network> seen_networks;
 
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ public:
   void connect(Network ssid, QString password);
   void connect(Network ssid, QString username, QString password);
   // Tethering functions
-  
+
   void enableTethering();
   void disableTethering();
   bool tetheringEnabled();