diff --git a/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino b/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino
index 85261fa..5da1c61 100644
--- a/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino
+++ b/firmware/esp32/overland-controller/overland-controller.ino
@@ -1552,9 +1552,19 @@ String staPasswords[MAX_WIFI_NETWORKS];
 int staPriorities[MAX_WIFI_NETWORKS];
 int wifiNetworkCount = 0;
 String activeStaSsid = "";
+bool staAttemptTried[MAX_WIFI_NETWORKS] = {false, false, false};
+bool staConnectInProgress = false;
+int activeStaAttemptIndex = -1;
+unsigned long staConnectAttemptStarted = 0;
 unsigned long lastStaReconnectAttempt = 0;
+const unsigned long STA_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS = 8000;
 const unsigned long STA_RECONNECT_INTERVAL_MS = 30000;
 
+void resetStaAttemptRound();
+bool beginNextStaWifiAttempt();
+void connectStaWifi();
+void maintainStaWifi();
+
 void loadWifiConfig() {
     wifiPrefs.begin("wifi", true);
 
@@ -2119,85 +2129,110 @@ int findNextWifiIndexByPriority(bool tried[]) {
     return bestIndex;
 }
 
+void resetStaAttemptRound() {
+    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_WIFI_NETWORKS; i++) {
+        staAttemptTried[i] = false;
+    }
+    staConnectInProgress = false;
+    activeStaAttemptIndex = -1;
+}
+
+bool beginNextStaWifiAttempt() {
+    if (wifiNetworkCount <= 0) {
+        Serial.println("STA WiFi not configured.");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    int i = findNextWifiIndexByPriority(staAttemptTried);
+    if (i < 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    staAttemptTried[i] = true;
+    activeStaAttemptIndex = i;
+    activeStaSsid = "";
+
+    Serial.print("Starting non-blocking STA WiFi attempt priority ");
+    Serial.print(staPriorities[i]);
+    Serial.print(" to: ");
+    Serial.println(staSsids[i]);
+
+    WiFi.disconnect(false, false);
+    WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP_STA);
+    WiFi.begin(staSsids[i].c_str(), staPasswords[i].c_str());
+
+    staConnectAttemptStarted = millis();
+    staConnectInProgress = true;
+    return true;
+}
+
 void connectStaWifi() {
     if (wifiNetworkCount <= 0) {
         Serial.println("STA WiFi not configured.");
         return;
     }
 
-    WiFi.disconnect(false);
-    activeStaSsid = "";
+    resetStaAttemptRound();
+    lastStaReconnectAttempt = millis();
 
-    bool tried[MAX_WIFI_NETWORKS] = {false, false, false};
-
-    for (int attempt = 0; attempt < wifiNetworkCount; attempt++) {
-        int i = findNextWifiIndexByPriority(tried);
-
-        if (i < 0) {
-            break;
-        }
-
-        tried[i] = true;
-
-        Serial.print("Connecting STA WiFi priority ");
-        Serial.print(staPriorities[i]);
-        Serial.print(" to: ");
-        Serial.println(staSsids[i]);
-
-        WiFi.disconnect(false, false);
-        delay(500);
-        WiFi.mode(WIFI_AP_STA);
-        delay(250);
-
-        WiFi.begin(staSsids[i].c_str(), staPasswords[i].c_str());
-
-        unsigned long start = millis();
-        while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED && millis() - start < 8000) {
-            server.handleClient();
-            oledLoop();
-            delay(100);
-            Serial.print(".");
-        }
-
-        Serial.println();
-
-        if (WiFi.status() == WL_CONNECTED) {
-            activeStaSsid = staSsids[i];
-            Serial.println("STA WiFi connected");
-            Serial.print("STA SSID: ");
-            Serial.println(activeStaSsid);
-            Serial.print("STA IP: ");
-            Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
-            return;
-        }
-
-        wl_status_t status = WiFi.status();
-        Serial.print("STA WiFi attempt failed. Status: ");
-        Serial.println((int)status);
-
-        wifi_ap_record_t apInfo;
-        if (esp_wifi_sta_get_ap_info(&apInfo) == ESP_OK) {
-            Serial.print("Connected AP RSSI: ");
-            Serial.println(apInfo.rssi);
-        } else {
-            Serial.println("No AP association info available.");
-        }
+    if (!beginNextStaWifiAttempt()) {
+        Serial.println("No saved STA WiFi networks available. AP remains available.");
     }
-
-    Serial.println("All STA WiFi attempts failed. AP remains available.");
 }
 
 void maintainStaWifi() {
     if (wifiNetworkCount <= 0) return;
 
-    if (WiFi.status() == WL_CONNECTED) return;
+    if (WiFi.status() == WL_CONNECTED) {
+        if (activeStaSsid.length() == 0) {
+            if (activeStaAttemptIndex >= 0 && activeStaAttemptIndex < wifiNetworkCount) {
+                activeStaSsid = staSsids[activeStaAttemptIndex];
+            } else {
+                activeStaSsid = WiFi.SSID();
+            }
+
+            Serial.println("STA WiFi connected");
+            Serial.print("STA SSID: ");
+            Serial.println(activeStaSsid);
+            Serial.print("STA IP: ");
+            Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
+        }
+
+        staConnectInProgress = false;
+        activeStaAttemptIndex = -1;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (staConnectInProgress) {
+        if (millis() - staConnectAttemptStarted < STA_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        Serial.print("STA WiFi attempt timed out. Status: ");
+        Serial.println((int)WiFi.status());
+
+        WiFi.disconnect(false, false);
+        staConnectInProgress = false;
+        activeStaAttemptIndex = -1;
+
+        if (beginNextStaWifiAttempt()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        Serial.println("All STA WiFi attempts failed. AP remains available.");
+        resetStaAttemptRound();
+        lastStaReconnectAttempt = millis();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    activeStaSsid = "";
 
     if (millis() - lastStaReconnectAttempt < STA_RECONNECT_INTERVAL_MS) return;
 
+    Serial.println("STA WiFi disconnected. Trying saved networks by priority in background...");
+    resetStaAttemptRound();
     lastStaReconnectAttempt = millis();
-
-    Serial.println("STA WiFi disconnected. Trying saved networks by priority...");
-    connectStaWifi();
+    beginNextStaWifiAttempt();
 }
 
 void printNetworkStatus() {
@@ -4247,6 +4282,7 @@ void setup() {
 
 void loop() {
     server.handleClient();
+    oledLoop();
 
     maintainStaWifi();