diff --git a/agent/wifi/README.md b/agent/wifi/README.md
index d8dd83446..e195e18ce 100644
--- a/agent/wifi/README.md
+++ b/agent/wifi/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ snapshot keyed by interface (`s` SSID, `r` RSSI in dBm when available);
 interval only; real-time requests reuse the last snapshot.
 
 - Linux: nl80211 via `github.com/mdlayher/wifi`. Docker needs `network_mode: host`.
+  Skipped when `/sys/class/ieee80211` lists no wireless devices.
 - macOS: CoreWLAN via `osascript` (JXA). SSID may be redacted by privacy settings.
 - Windows: native WLAN API, keyed by adapter alias (e.g. `Wi-Fi`), falling back
   to interface GUID.
diff --git a/agent/wifi/wifi_linux.go b/agent/wifi/wifi_linux.go
index d2c212897..926d658fe 100644
--- a/agent/wifi/wifi_linux.go
+++ b/agent/wifi/wifi_linux.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/henrygd/beszel/internal/entities/system"
@@ -80,7 +81,27 @@ func (c *nl80211Client) Close() error {
 	return errors.Join(c.conn.Close(), c.Client.Close())
 }
 
+// wiphyClassDir lists the wireless devices registered with cfg80211.
+const wiphyClassDir = "/sys/class/ieee80211"
+
+// hasWirelessDevice gates nl80211 access. Looking up the nl80211 family while
+// cfg80211 is not loaded makes the kernel run modprobe, which loads the module
+// on hosts without wireless hardware, or fails again on every poll. Not cached,
+// so devices registered after startup are still picked up.
+func hasWirelessDevice(dir string) bool {
+	f, err := os.Open(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	names, _ := f.Readdirnames(1)
+	return len(names) > 0
+}
+
 func collect(ctx context.Context) map[string]system.WiFi {
+	if !hasWirelessDevice(wiphyClassDir) {
+		return nil
+	}
 	client, err := newNL80211Client()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil
diff --git a/agent/wifi/wifi_linux_test.go b/agent/wifi/wifi_linux_test.go
index 338c77451..139601c82 100644
--- a/agent/wifi/wifi_linux_test.go
+++ b/agent/wifi/wifi_linux_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"net"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -132,6 +134,22 @@ func TestLinuxInvalidSSID(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHasWirelessDevice(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	if hasWirelessDevice(filepath.Join(dir, "missing")) {
+		t.Fatal("missing class directory")
+	}
+	if hasWirelessDevice(dir) {
+		t.Fatal("empty class directory")
+	}
+	if err := os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(dir, "phy0"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !hasWirelessDevice(dir) {
+		t.Fatal("registered device not detected")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLinuxCancelled(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	cancel()